3 Nine Grahas
3.1Grahasin medical texts
Most Hindu temples have a shrine which contains the images ofnavagraha, i.e.
nine planetary gods. How and when Indian people began worshiping planets,
after being indifferent to them for a very long time, is an interesting but difficult
question.
The word grahais used in medical texts referring to the demons which possess
children and cause mental diseases. For instance, there is a chapter devoted to
“ninegrahas” in the Sus ́rutasam.hita ̄, which was compiled sometime around the
third to fourth century ad. The nine grahas enumerated in this context have
nothing to do with planets. Whether the coincidence of the number nine is acci-
380 michio yano
Table 18.1: Naks.atras
No. Naks.atra Deity Month name
1Kr.ttika ̄ Agni Ka ̄ rttika
2 Rohin.ı ̄ Prajãpati
3Mr.gas ́ı ̄rs.a Soma Ma ̄rgas ́ira
4A ̄rdra ̄ Rudra
5 Punarvasu Aditi
6Pus.ya Br.haspati Paus.a
7A ̄s ́les.a ̄ Sarpa
8Magha ̄ Pitaras Ma ̄ gha
9Pu ̄rvapha ̄ lgunı ̄ Bhaga
10 Uttarapha ̄ lgunı ̄ Aryaman Pha ̄ lguna
11 Hasta A ̄ditya
12 Citra ̄Tvas.t.r. Caitra
13 Sva ̄ti Va ̄yu
14 Vis ́a ̄kha ̄ Indra ̄gnı ̄Vais ́a ̄ kha
15 Anura ̄dha ̄ Mitra
16 Jyes.t.ha ̄ Indra Jyais.t.ha
17 Mu ̄la Nirr.ti
18 Pu ̄rva ̄s.a ̄d.ha ̄Toya A ̄s.a ̄d.ha
19 Uttara ̄s.a ̄d.ha ̄Vis ́vadeva
(Abhijit) Brahma ̄
20 S ́ravan.aVis.n.uS ́ra ̄van.a
21 Dhanis.t.ha ̄ Vasu
22 S ́atabhis.aj Varun.a
23 Pu ̄ rvabhadrapada ̄Ajapa ̄da Bha ̄ drapada
24 Uttarabhadrapada ̄ Ahirbudhnya
25 Revatı ̄Pu ̄s.an
26 As ́vinı ̄As ́vin A ̄s ́vina
27 Bharan.ı ̄ Yama