Deities & devotionNavagraha: the moon's north node
Rahu
The shadow graha who swallows the sun and moon.
Try it at home
Look up today's Rahu Kaal on the Calendar, or chant Om Rahave Namah once.
Optional, as always. Adapt it to your family, region and health.
The wisdom
Rahu is one of the two shadow grahas, the head of an asura who drank the nectar of immortality and was beheaded by Vishnu. Astronomically he marks the moon's north node, where eclipses happen.
The myth turns an eclipse into a story about wanting more than our share.
What the evidence says
Evidence: TraditionalThe value rests on lived tradition and reasoning, not on tests.Astrology's claims that the grahas shape people's lives are not supported by research. Worship of the grahas is a matter of faith and tradition. Eclipses are fully explained by astronomy.
How we rate evidenceSignificance
What it means to the people who keep it. Faith-based meaning is described as belief, not as proven fact.
Rahu is held to bring sudden change. Rahu Kaal, a daily period considered unsuitable for new beginnings, is named after him.