Sravana nakshatra: endurance & the voice of prayer
- Rebeca
- Jun 1
- 7 min read
Updated: Jun 6
The Rishis are timeless beings who are responsible for the creation and ongoing activities of the universe. They assist the universe through the different yugas and guide mankind, and the gods and all beings. The rishis are knowledgeable in all sciences as they have integrated that knowledge directly from the spiritual voice of the Supreme. In the silence of their meditation they hear and receive that knowledge that they then pass down to their descendents, and that knowledge comes down in parampara. The Saturn signs Capricorn and Aquarius really captures that energy of the achievement of transcendence followed by a duty to pass on that sacred knowledge. Even Vyasadev allowed us to hear about the lilas of Krishna and what he told Arjuna in Kurukshetra; he has given us direct knowledge as spoken by Krishna, giving us the opportunity to realise that knowledge. The Capricorn impulse gives the ability to perfect oneself, give and to guide due to one’s achievements; therefore Capricorn is concerned with organisation and growth. Sravana is the hearing of the divine voice, which is like the voice that guides Brahma and the Saptarishis that’s perceived in a state of samadhi. Sravana relates to teaching; it’s the teacher who taught his student so well that the student surpassed the teacher; it’s about the ability to listen and integrate what the source of knowledge - whether it be God himself, your guru, or your school teacher - is telling you. Aindra Prabhu (Moon, Ascendant & Rahu in Sravana) could give up everything material and dedicate himself fully to seva in Vraj because he really listened to the shastra and the teachings of his gurus; his listening gave him true understanding of the wealth inherent in Radha Krishna lila, and so he could dedicate himself fully to the spiritual path and prompt others to do so. Sravana allows us to experience that wealth and wisdom behind the teachings we receive, making us eligible to then pass on that knowledge to the future generations. The Shakti of Sravana is the power to connect with others. This connection means you’re not working alone, you have the power to bring things together for the purpose of “reorganising” the dispersed energies and guiding them to fulfill their assigned roles. What is the role of a man? What is the role of a woman? Of a Brahmin, a Ksatriya, a Vaisya, a Sudra? What is the role of the feet, the stomach, the head in relation to the body? Sravana, through its power to connect, evokes the Vishva Rupa (the universal form of the Supreme) which encompasses, holds and connects every aspect of creation, rendering the cosmos complete and functional - this includes heaven and hell, the "good" and the "bad". This is also the field of the Rishis, who control and give fuel to the universe. So the world could not function without Capricorn energy. The positive influence of Capricorn makes top tier people
; they are so hard working and ready to push through anything, they’re very resilient and have high tolerance to anything painful or difficult. Think of what Bhishmasev, who is connected to Dhanishta nakshatra, had to endure; and think of how long he lived to endure those challenges. Makara gives longevity because of that very endurance and perseverance to push through obstacles and fight the fights. It makes sense that a planet like Mars should be exalted in Capricorn, as Mars has the nature of relentlessness and the taste for conflict which gives it the power to carry on the heavy (sometimes brutal task) assigned to him by Capricorn. Like the Rishis who are beyond all of us, who see the bigger picture & understand the importance of creation and dissolution, Capricorn is a sign who understands the necessity for destruction to fulfill a higher plan or vision. Capricorn is where the sinners are sent to hell and the pious are promoted to the heavenly planets, it is associated with karma - the impartial distribution of reactions according to one’s past actions. In the Garuda Purana, the Sravanas are followers of Yama, the god of death and brother of Saturn. The Sravanas are said to “know accurately all the virtues and vices of mankind, and the karma born of mind, speech and body” and collaborate with Chitragupta (the keeper of the akashic records) to ensure the soul gets redirected to its proper destination after death. Mars, who motivated by war and blood-thirst, can easily drag those souls who deserve it to hell, it works very well in Capricorn; Jupiter here is in its debilitation sign as he is too beneficent and compassionate to carry such a task. So Capricorn is a very good sign of justice and carrying out tasks that require neutrality and impartiality. It is the rashi of realism, and so Capricorn will have no problem with “getting real”. It is one of the signs that is not easily impressed by wealth, status, or power, and is unafraid to challenge those whom others may fear, revere or blindly obey. This makes Capricorn, against all odds, a very intuitive sign, especially its Sravana portion ruled by the Moon.
(SB 8.1.14) Therefore, to enable people to reach the stage of activities that are not tinged by fruitive results, great saints first engage people in fruitive activities, for unless one begins by performing activities as recommended in the śāstras, one cannot reach the stage of liberation, or activities that produce no reactions.
Three stories associated with Sravana nakshatra which express the importance of prayer and endurance through obstacles are the stories of Prahlada Maharaja, his grandson Bali Maharaj (who is directly connected to the Visnu avatar of Sravana, Vamanadev), and Gajendra Moksha.
Gajendra Moksha
Gajendra, the king of the elephants, is wandering intoxicated through Mount Trikūṭa with his wives and family. It is said that “liquor dripped from his mouth, and his vision was overwhelmed by intoxication.” Entering a lake, he bathes and enjoys himself, but is suddenly attacked by the resident crocodile (makara meaning crocodile, is the Sanskrit name for Capricorn). Despite his immense strength, Gajendra is unable to free himself from the crocodile’s grip. His family also tries to help but cannot rescue him. Realising that no one can save him, he finally takes shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by offering Him prayers. Lord Vishnu then appears, frees him from the grasp of the crocodile, simultaneously granting him liberation.
“Although the serpent of eternal time (antaka-uragāt), which is fearful in force, endlessly chases everyone, ready to swallow him, if one who fears this serpent seeks shelter of the Lord, the Lord gives him protection, for even death runs away in fear of the Lord.” (SB 8.2.33)
Gajendra is intoxicated and by requesting liberation form the crocodile's attack, he is requesting release from material life. Capricorn in some way refers to this release from the gaping mouth of Kala (Time), represented by the crocodile (makara). The vision of the Supreme acquired in Sagittarius has now overwhelmed the devotee who, aware of his painful condition shackled by kala and karma, finds that no one can help him except the supreme lord. Thus Sravana is the voice of prayer, the silent cry to the supreme for liberation from those shackles. The jeeva is still intoxicated (still attacked by the makara of kala and karma) but is now remembering the Lord and begging for his protection. This is the real surrender that happens in Capricorn rashi. The association and guidance of the guru that happens in Sagittarius gives the sincere disciple real understanding of his precarious condition, and the disciple then cries and begs for his liberation from it. This is the Capricorn impulse, in which the painful weight of materialism that has dragged the jeeva to a state of forgetfulness and complete intoxication with the illusory potency, is the most felt. Previously, there may have not been as much awareness of this weight, but from Virgo to Capricorn, the awareness becomes more and more felt. In Virgo the jeeva starts to feel this weight but doesn’t have enough resources to free himself from its impact; he tries different ways in which to regain his original purity, but it’s only in Capricorn that he integrates the severity of the situation which can only be overcome by the blessing of the supreme God. This is where the real breaking of the outer shell begins with Kumbha (Aquarius), the breaking of the pot which contains the life force. It is the beginning of the merging with the universal life force, which culminates in Pisces.
Prahlāda Maharaja and Bali Maharaja
Similarly in the story of Prahlada Maharaj, the theme of endurance in the face of difficulty, and the power to overcome those difficulties through the medium of prayer and connection to the Supreme Lord is prominent. His father Hiranyakashipu (his name meaning gold bed, depicts one who is fond of wealth and sensual comforts) is a personification of materialism trying to kill the devotee of the Lord. The devotee cannot be killed by this influence because his mind is fixed in the Lord; and similar to the story of Gajendra Moksha, the lord appears to the devotee to save him.Prahlada Maharaja also spoke the famous verse:
śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
sakhyam ātma-nivedanam
His grand-son is Bali Maharaja is still living in Sutala-loka. Bali Maharaja refused to follow his guru’s advice, Shukra (Venus) who is the planetary incarnation of the polarisation which activates the creative process. Venus creates the impulse of multiplication represented by the demoniac race of Daityas (sons of Diti meaning cutting, splitting and dividing) “while Aditya (godly race) standing for the Sun means wholeness” (B. Behari). That Bali Maharaj surrenders to Vamanadev who is an Aditya, shows that he is giving up the duality of material existence represented by his guru Shukra for the experience of unity with divinity - he is listening to the voice of God. Still by this experience he is pushed down to the lower realms, which is an important act showing the role of Capricorn in this world. This refers to Capricorn being still rooted in the material world despite being liberated. Capricorn is where saints who have received the blessings and vision of the Supreme stay in this world to act as a guide and savior to the conditioned souls. These saintly guides, despite having one foot in the material world, are not bewildered by its illusory potency. Despite being in a lower material realm, Vishnu assures Bali Maharaja that he will not be affected by its influence: “Because there (in Sutala) you will see My supreme prowess, your materialistic ideas and anxieties that have arisen from your association with the demons and Dānavas will immediately be vanquished.” Bali Maharaja's act of surrender also shows Sravana nakshatra as a star that prompts one to surrender and self-sacrifice for a higher purpose. It reflects the level of tolerance that Capricorn natives can endure, and how much of themselves they are willing to give for the service of others, a quality that expands to the next Saturn-ruled zodiac of Aquarius.
Aindra Prabhu (Moon, Ascendant & Rahu in Sravana nakhatra) instructs on how to chant the names of God
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