Chandra (Moon)

Chandra is a lunar deity. Chandra (moon) is also known as Soma and identified with the Vedic Lunar deity Soma. He is described as young, beautiful, fair; two-armed and having in his hands a club and a lotus.

He rides his chariot (the moon) across the sky every night, pulled by ten white horses or an antelope. He is connected with dew, and as such, is one of the gods of fertility. He is also called Nishadipati (Nisha=night; Adipathi=Lord) and Kshuparaka (one who illuminates the night). He as Soma, presides over Somvar or Monday. He is of Sattva Guna and represents the Mind, the Queen or Mother.

Moon is the presiding deity of the element water, and rules over the tides of the sea. The sphere of the Moon is the reservoir of rainwater and thus Moon is the ruler of plants and the vegetable kingdom.

Sun, Mars, and Jupiter and the Moons natural friends, and Mercury, Venus, and Saturn are its natural enemies. In Rohini, Hast, Shravan, Punarvasu, Vishakha, and Purva Bhadrapad nakshatras it gives good and beneficial effect. It also gives favorable effects if it is in Kritika, Uttra Phalguni, Ashlekha, Jyestha, Uttra Khad, and Revati nakshatras.

The color of Moon is white. Its nature is wise, and learned. It rules peace of mind, comfort, general well-being, and also the fortune of a person. It shows its influence around twenty-four to twenty-five years of age.

Effects of Chandra

The Moon gives illumination, intuitive nature, sensuality, taste, youth, love of poetry, fine arts and music, love of jewelry, attractive appearance, wealth and good fortune. It makes us moody, emotional, and sensitive. It rules milk, grains, liquids, growth, fertility, impregnation, and conception. It influences the infant stage of an individual, which guides his behavior in the later in the later part of his life.

It is cold and moist. It also influence childbirth and rules the left nostril, eyesight, the breasts, and the brain (memory). Moon influences travelers, human, fisherman, prostitutes, cooks, nurses, and caterers.

Moon is associated with the functionality of mind. It is believed that the moon controls the power of mind and versatility. It is also believed to provide power of meditation, concentration and resistance against cold diseases.

Gemstone for Chandra (Moon)

The navratna gemstone for Chandra is Pearl, one must wear pearl embeded in silver metal in the little finger or ring finger on Monday, one must pour milk on Shiva Linga on Monday after wearing the Pearl Ring. One must also donate white things like white cloth, rice, milk etc to poor after wearing the ring.

How to get rid of negative effects of Chandra, when Chandra is vakri, when Chandra is neech

The ill effects of Moon can be minimized and the good effects can be increased according to Indian mythology by doing the following tasks. Any or all of these, one can select as per one's convenience.

• To propitiate Moon, astrologers recommend donation of white cloth to needy and poor on any Monday. It is also authoritatively stated that chanting of "Om Namah Shivaya" for a good length of time continuously leads to please Moon.
• Worshipping Lord Shiva daily keeps Moon immensely pleased to quench even high ambitions of the person concerned, it is stated emphatically in astrology.
• Fasting on Monday brings favours granted by Moon.
• Mounavrat (Total Silence) practiced on Poornima (Full Moon) provides power and strengthening of mind.
• Wearing of Pearl ring on the small finger on any Monday and continuing to wear it thereafter is yet one more piece of advice from our ancestors to please the Moon.

108 Names of Chandra