Pushya: Difference between revisions

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Pushya
(Created page with "{{DISPLAYTITLE:}} ... is an Indian name, used by the Indian Vedic tradition. Most of these names are roughly 3000 years old. They pre-date Hinduism but were taken over by it. ==Etymology and History== What does the term mean, does it always have the same meaning - was it changed over time. === Origin of Constellation === === Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation === == Mythology == mnemonic tales and cultural significance == Weblinks == * {{NAMESPACE...")
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Puṣya (पुष्य)}}
[[File:Pushya nakshatras in Temple draw+lbl 4ase.jpg|thumb|Pushya, 8th nakshatra, temple ... ]]
[[File:8 Pushya stellarium.gif|thumb|Pushya, 8th Nakshatra, drawn as an arrow in Cancer.]]


... is an Indian name, used by the Indian Vedic tradition. Most of these names are roughly 3000 years old. They pre-date Hinduism but were taken over by it.
Puṣya (पुष्य) is an Indian name, used by the Indian Vedic tradition. Most of these names are roughly 3000 years old. They pre-date Hinduism but were taken over by it. Pushya is identified with the stars γ, δ and θ Cancri that surround the star cluster M44. Its appearance is described in Indian star catalogs with the term '''meghavt''<nowiki/>', cloudy/ nebulous (मेघ , megha, cloud), which refers to the open star cluster itself.


==Etymology and History==
==Etymology and History==
'''Name Variants'''
What does the term mean, does it always have the same meaning - was it changed over time.


* Puṣya,
* Pushya
* Sidhya
* Tiṣya


=== Origin of Constellation ===
=== Origin of Constellation ===
The term literally means "the Nourisher" and therefore causes the same association of the star cluster in Cancer like the Greek "manger" that survives in the Latin name of the star cluster M44: Praesepe.


Yet, as the image found in historical depictions is an arrow with only one (bright) star, it suggests that the feathers of the arrow actually represent the group in and around M44. The bright star is α CMi ([[Procyon]]) that rises simultaneously with the faint stars in Cancer was likely used as a marker for them, in particular during twilight observations. Thus, the arrow could be the imagined line between the actual nakshatra group and the observed bright star as indicator.
{| class="wikitable"
!Pushya
!Vedic
!Tirupperunthurai
!Chinese
!(Jones 1790)
|-
|
| '''meghavt''<nowiki/>'
|6 stars
|5 stars
|2 stars
|-
|
| colspan="3" |obviously always the quadrilateral surrounding the star cluster,
sometimes with an additional star
|
|}

====Stars within the Constellation Area====
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
|+
|-
!id
!Label
!IAU design.
!description
!Vmag
|-
|1
| Asellus Australis
|HIP 42911
|Constellation lines (Vertex)
|3.94
|-
|2
|Asellus Borealis
|HIP 42806
| Constellation lines (Vertex)
|4.652
|-
|3
|η Cancri
|HIP 41909
|Constellation lines (Vertex)
|5.325
|-
|4
|θ Cancri
|HIP 41822
| Constellation lines (Vertex)
|5.337
|-
|5
|[AKS95] 73
|[AKS95] 73
|Inside the hull
|5.832
|-
|6
|[AKS95] 69
| [AKS95] 69
| Inside the hull
|6.176
|-
|7
|Meleph
|HIP 42556
|Inside the hull
|6.29
|-
|8
|39 Cnc
|HIP 42516
|Inside the hull
|6.39
|-
|9
| -
|HIP 42549
|Inside the hull
|6.39
|}
=== Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation ===
=== Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation ===
<gallery>
File:Pushya nakshatras in Temple draw+lbl 4ase.jpg|Pushya, 10th century CE
File:Nakshatra temple magDraw lbl.jpg|Display of all 28th nakshatras in silver arch with candles in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).
File:Nakshatras in Temple draw+lbl 4ase.jpg|Display of all 28th nakshatras in a door frame in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).
File:Tibet nakshatra 06.png|Pushya, Tibetean
File:鬼宿（仏像図彙）.png|Pushya, Chinese
File:8 Pushya draw.png|Pushya as reconstructed by Jones (1720)
</gallery>


== Mythology ==
== Mythology ==
Line 24: Line 123:


[[Category:Indian]] [[Category:Asterism]] [[Category:Constellation]][[Category:Eurasia]][[Category:South Asian]]
[[Category:Indian]] [[Category:Asterism]] [[Category:Constellation]][[Category:Eurasia]][[Category:South Asian]]
[[Category:Zodiac]]

Latest revision as of 17:11, 14 December 2025

Pushya, 8th nakshatra, temple ...
Pushya, 8th Nakshatra, drawn as an arrow in Cancer.

Puṣya (पुष्य) is an Indian name, used by the Indian Vedic tradition. Most of these names are roughly 3000 years old. They pre-date Hinduism but were taken over by it. Pushya is identified with the stars γ, δ and θ Cancri that surround the star cluster M44. Its appearance is described in Indian star catalogs with the term 'meghavt', cloudy/ nebulous (मेघ , megha, cloud), which refers to the open star cluster itself.

Etymology and History

Name Variants

  • Puṣya,
  • Pushya
  • Sidhya
  • Tiṣya

Origin of Constellation

The term literally means "the Nourisher" and therefore causes the same association of the star cluster in Cancer like the Greek "manger" that survives in the Latin name of the star cluster M44: Praesepe.

Yet, as the image found in historical depictions is an arrow with only one (bright) star, it suggests that the feathers of the arrow actually represent the group in and around M44. The bright star is α CMi (Procyon) that rises simultaneously with the faint stars in Cancer was likely used as a marker for them, in particular during twilight observations. Thus, the arrow could be the imagined line between the actual nakshatra group and the observed bright star as indicator.

Pushya Vedic Tirupperunthurai Chinese (Jones 1790)
'meghavt' 6 stars 5 stars 2 stars
obviously always the quadrilateral surrounding the star cluster,

sometimes with an additional star

Stars within the Constellation Area

id Label IAU design. description Vmag
1 Asellus Australis HIP 42911 Constellation lines (Vertex) 3.94
2 Asellus Borealis HIP 42806 Constellation lines (Vertex) 4.652
3 η Cancri HIP 41909 Constellation lines (Vertex) 5.325
4 θ Cancri HIP 41822 Constellation lines (Vertex) 5.337
5 [AKS95] 73 [AKS95] 73 Inside the hull 5.832
6 [AKS95] 69 [AKS95] 69 Inside the hull 6.176
7 Meleph HIP 42556 Inside the hull 6.29
8 39 Cnc HIP 42516 Inside the hull 6.39
9 - HIP 42549 Inside the hull 6.39

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

  • Pushya, 10th century CE

    Pushya, 10th century CE

  • Display of all 28th nakshatras in silver arch with candles in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).

    Display of all 28th nakshatras in silver arch with candles in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).

  • Display of all 28th nakshatras in a door frame in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).

    Display of all 28th nakshatras in a door frame in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).

  • Pushya, Tibetean

    Pushya, Tibetean

  • Pushya, Chinese

    Pushya, Chinese

  • Pushya as reconstructed by Jones (1720)

    Pushya as reconstructed by Jones (1720)

Mythology

mnemonic tales and cultural significance

Weblinks

References

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