22 Śravaṇa

3 Footprints in a Row
Star: Alpha Aquirii (Altair) Deity: Viṣṇu (God of Protection, Preservation of Good)

Myth

Śravaṇa, which means “hearing” in Sanskrit, is the nakṣatra where Lord Viṣṇu, The God of
Protection, seeks to protect the universe from being destroyed to keep it going by protecting
the righteous, destroying the wicked, and establishing dharma
(righteous duty). Their ability to listen enables the Śravaṇa
native to connect many different ideas and concepts together
giving them an incredible capacity to learn, hear the subtle
etheric realms, and gain great wisdom. This makes them great
teachers and counselors; yet, on the negative side, they may be
super sensitive and get hurt easily by what people say, or worse,
they can use their listening skills to gossip about others.

This story explains the 3 footprints: Once a demon called Bali

(strength) took over the 3 worlds: Heaven, Earth, and the
Underworld. No one was able to defeat him. In order to end
Bali’s reign of terror, Lord Viṣṇu, incarnated as Vāmana, a short
brahmin, who attended Bali's yajñá (a spiritual offering to the
gods). Bali had promised that any brahmin attending his yajñá
would be given whatever they desired. Vāmana asked Bali for 3
footsteps. Bali thought that Vāmana would not be able to gain much from that wish because
he was short and unassuming. Once the request was granted, Vāmana grew to his true form
where his head grew beyond the skies. In his true form, Lord Viṣṇu, then took the Earth and
the Underworld in 1st step, the Heavens in the 2nd step, and was then left with one more
step to take. Bali, known to grant the wishes of brahmins, offered his head to Lord Viṣṇu so
that he could complete his 3rd step. This story reveals the clever attitude granted by this
nakṣatra, as Lord Viṣṇu disguised himself as a short brahmin incapable of causing harm. Yet,
in reality he made King Bali lose all of his kingdom through his disguise, as it was for
universal benefit of humankind. Therefore, people under the influence of this nakṣatra can
be the cleverest among all the nakṣatras. Whether they will use this cleverness to trick others
or for the good of others will depend upon the condition of the grahas in the natal chart.

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 Nakṣatra Classifications

Ruler: MO Zodiacal Span: 10*00' - 23*20' Cp Yoga Tara: 17*55' Cp

Vṛtti - mode of conduct: Sahanatvam - the state of determination, forbearance, endurance;

acting as if one is unyielding, stubborn

Dehabhāga - body zone: the Ears

Varṇa - social strata: Mleccha - one who functions in society without a skill, with a very low-
grade skill, or with a skill frowned upon by others; an immigrant or slave, migrant worker
and the like, prostitute and pimp, drug czar or dealer, gambler or beggar

Trikṛtya - threefold actions: Sṛṣṭi - production, creation, procreation; distribution of gifts,

liberality; letting go, emission; doing something anew

Paryāya - course, way: Śīrṣodaya - rising head first; proceeding in the usual manner;
engaging things on

Liṅga - mark, gender: Puṃs - male gender; man; husband

Nāḍī - pulse, rhythm: Kapha - solid parts of body - muscles, fat; assimilation and secretions;
mucous, catarrh, hormones

Svabhāva - specific nature: Cara - moving, shaking, changing, unsteady, wandering

Yoni - race, species: the Monkey

Gaṇa - class: Devatā - divinity; idol; sense organ; sāttvic

Tattva - “stuff” of creation: Vāyu - Wind - air; breathing; for our purpose, this “stuff”
promotes analysis

Guṇa - quality: Rajas - activity, urgency, passion, attachment; dirt, vapor, mist; turbulent
emotion; impurity

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 Śravaṇa Significations

Intellect/Mind
Communication/Language/Words
Dialogue/Talk/Gossip/Oral
Hearing/Listening/Aural
Discipline/Pupil/Teacher/Education
Idealization of Opposite Gender
Studied Bodily Movements
Spontaneous Mental Movements

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