Understanding the Deity - Goddess Nrriti

Today, let’s understand one of the Deities of one of the most troublesome Nakshatras.

As most of us know that there are a few Nakshatras which are naturally difficult as they have difficult mythological stories or representations attached. Like, Bharani, Ardra, Ashlesha and Moola are naturally troublesome spots in nakshatra scheme.

Moola Nakshatra is among the most fearsome as it represents abrupt uprooting of things or people from lives - https://www.astrosaxena.com/Moolnaksh. It is ruled by Ketu and it represents separative traits of Ketu. Also, Moola comes right after Scorpio sign, ruled by Mars-Ketu, which has traits of sudden changes. Hence, Moola is known to bring sudden abrupt changes and endings in life. This is where we can see accidents and sudden deaths bringing the endings in lives.

For people who don’t know much about Moola or Ketu, this short note on Ketu will be useful, prepared by my student/friend Lisha Agrawal –

Ketu is separation, Ketu is isolation, Ketu is detachment. Ketu is also intuition and its placement with Moon amplifies it further. The native will have deep affinity towards the aspects of life which are signified by that particular house wherever Ketu is placed in the birth chart. At the same time the native has to unavoidably suffer a major separation from that aspect at least once in life, if not more.

The placement of Ketu in a particular house also represents the area of life where we have had a very good experience in past life and in this birth we are naturally not inclined to further explore it though containing deep affinity for it.

Now Ketu, though it signifies isolation it never exists alone in a birth chart meaning to say it is always attached to Rahu with opposite or 7^th house aspect. The combination of Rahu and Ketu is such that they are opposite to each other all the time, whereas Ketu means separation, Rahu is about our obsession about the things relating to the house it is placed at. Now if we look at the seventh aspect which the shadow planets (Rahu-Ketu) will also have on each other and considering their nature which is totally opposite is what makes RAHU- KETU a problematic combination and wherever the rahu ketu axis lies in every birth chart will create a strain in life. To lessen such strain native shall practice meditation regularly.

In order to lessen the sufferings which is caused by the Rahu-Ketu Placement the native shall look towards or focus on things which are signified by house in which Lord Rahu is placed. Lets say the Rahu Ketu falls in the 1-7 axis of the native’s birth chart- for lessening his problems he shall start looking inwards to grow his own personality, as his main purpose in life as signified by his birth chart is to evolve his own personality by focusing on himself and that can be done only when one is separated from others.

Now, Moola’s deity is also Goddess Nrriti. Goddess Nritti in mythology is considered as Goddess of Destruction.

But if we pay attention to the name Nrriti then we can get some guidance too.

Word Nrriti is made of two words Ni + Ati. Ni means No or Stopping and Ati means Extreme.

So, this word Nrriti can be interpreted as some energy which is telling us to avoid the extremes of our behavior in any area of life.

This reminds me of Buddhism where Buddha's main message was to always avoid extremes of behavior and follow the middle path. In any matter, he used to stress on following the middle path. One day a disciple told, you stress so much on middle path that it becomes the extreme of middle path.

Buddha replied that I can allow only one extreme that is extreme of middle path.

I think that Goddess Nrriti is trying to convey the same message to all of us; i.e. to avoid extremes of behavior and follow the middle path. Goddess Nrriti is saying that destruction will come in life through any sudden or abrupt event only when you go into extremes of the behavior.

So, whichever planet is in Moola Nakshatra, we need to strike the balance or middle path in dealing with matters related with that planet. Destruction will follow only when you go towards extremes of behavior.

This can be another way of understanding Moola Nakshatra and Goddess Nrriti.

Thanks Lisha for your efforts and contribution.

Hope this helps. Thanks,

SPB