PURVA BHADRA

Purva Bhadra is associated with cosmic stability and imparts a tremendous amount of fearlessness. It extends from 320° 00' to 333° 20' (20° 00' Aquarius to 3° 20' Pisces). Jupiter is its planetary lord. Three quarters of it, ruled by Mars, Venus and Mercury lie within Aquarius, ruled by Saturn. The last quarter, under the Moon, lies in Pisces, a Jupiterian sign. Sattwa is the attribute of the asterism at both its primary and secondary levels, while at its tertiary level rajas predominates. The presiding deity of the asterism is Aja Ekapada, a Vedic god with much esoteric significance. The sword is its astrological symbol. Of the four primeval motivations artha, implying meaningfulness, is related to this asterism. It is categorized as male by sex, Brahmin by caste, a lion by species, and a man by temperament. The animal of the first three quarters is the human, while the last quarter is symbolized by an aquatic animal.

The Vedic deity Aja Ekapada represents the unborn, transcendent cosmic energy symbolized by the one-footed goat. The goat is a simple, harmless, milk-producing animal which requires almost nothing for its sustenance. In the Vedas, Aja Ekapada is an infinity, an entity without motion or speech. He is the unpolished creative energy which produces the different levels of existence - heaven and earth. Under his rulership, Purva Bhadra enables the individual to stand completely alone, without aid or support from any external source. Often this tendency is expressed as eccentricity, originality, and rebellion; one is unmindful of the opinion of others. For those on the path of spirituality, it is expressed as an irresistible urge to work for certain universal principles without any consideration for one's own personal welfare and advancement. Those on the materialistic path will become self-centered, maniacal, rebellious, antisocial and conceited. 

Self-reliance as a feature of Purva Bhadra is expressed by the sword symbol. The sword is an instrument of attack as well as of self-defense. Courage, vision, and self-involvement irrespective of consequences, needed in the work towards universal unity. The asterism urges the individual to fight with a missionary zeal in behalf of that goal.

Purva Bhadra makes the discharge of energy one-pointed and directs it to an objective ideal. A fearless approach combined with anguish and sorrow are characteristic of this asterism.