Om chandraya namah – Salutations to the one who is luminous – and which luminosity may be utilised for positive energy for all.
chandra Hin., San. m. (bimba, chand, chānd, chandā, indu, shashanka, shashi, soma) the moon, anything that is the most excellent of a class. The moon is the symbol of lustrous beauty and serenity, the peace of mental enlightenment (illumination), for Soma, the deity of the moon presides over the mind. The moon cools the heat of the restless mind and restores tranquility to all.
chandrabimba: moon disc
chandramasi: in the moon
chandrika: moonlight
chandra-kalā-dhara: Shiva was given the crescent moon at the churning of the ocean of milk and he wears it as a brilliant silver ‘diadem’ in his hair to show his perfect mastery over the mind, hence his epithet chandra-kalā-dhara.
Luminosity is the energy associated with visible light. Luminosity is a kind of energy, radiant energy, a free energy. Very rarely do we purchase light itself – perhaps those who lie on a tanning bed – a device that emits ultraviolet radiation to produce a cosmetic tan. We think of luminous as something that is soft, gentle, a kind of welcome radiant light. It is said that the moon is cool, and moonlight cools an agitated mind.
Luminous leads us to the word luminaries – which the Sun and Moon are; the are the two luminaries (sources of light) among the nine planets. The Sun and Moon are never retrograde, they are sources of light and both are subject to eclipses when the earth gets between them. We have lunar and solar eclipses from them.
Luminous has other word-associations: aglow, lambent, lucent, brightness, luminance, light, and lumen itself, which is a unit of measurement of light (candle power-distance calculation.) So we have a cool Moon, which leads to a cool mind, and the Moon in Hinduism and Vedic Astrology is the presiding deity of the mind.
When we hail the Moon as the luminous one (Om chandraya namaha) what does the Moon give you, what does the Moon do for you? Luminous suggests the “Full Moon” wherein energy is very strong, very high, and available to be utilised for profit: for self, and for others. The energy given off by the Full Moon can be utilised and sent in positive valency to other life-forms, indeed, all forms of life on Earth for their uplift and care. We can direct the energy of the Full Moon to others, particular to the Earth itself (Bhu-devi) for the benefit and care of the Earth itself.
The gifting of the Moon and its energy when it sheds luminosity upon all – is understanding.
We may:~
- have the experience
- stand under the experience
- allow it to shed its light upon us
- thus coming to understanding, or wisdom.
Thus, the energy of the Moon can be added to the soul, which in turn illuminates the intellect, wherein we may arrive at wisdom.
Om Chandraya Namaha – salutations to the luminous one who
- gives off energy
- in the form of light
- which may be added to our soul
- and may be directed towards positive ends for all forms of life (including Bhu-devi)
