Mrigashira - Revision history

Sushoff at 13:48, 20 January 2026

2026-01-20T13:48:04Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:48, 20 January 2026
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	{{DISPLAYTITLE:Mṛgaśira (मृगशिर)}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:Mṛgaśira (मृगशिर)}}
			Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
			----
	[[File:Mrgashira nakshatras in Temple draw+lbl 4ase.jpg\|thumb\|Mrgashira in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).]]		[[File:Mrgashira nakshatras in Temple draw+lbl 4ase.jpg\|thumb\|Mrgashira in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).]]
	[[File:5+ Mrigashira+Ardra stellarium.gif\|thumb\|The animated GIF shows thepositions of the Nakshatras on the Stellarium map. ]]		[[File:5+ Mrigashira+Ardra stellarium.gif\|thumb\|The animated GIF shows thepositions of the Nakshatras on the Stellarium map. ]]

Sushoff at 17:09, 14 December 2025

2025-12-14T17:09:30Z

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 The asterism is described in a Treatise on the Sun (Surya Siddhānta) that dates between the 4th and 9th century CE, but also (with all other nakshatras) in the Athavaveda from the early first millennium BCE. Yet, images are preserved in temples only from the past millennium.
 ===Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation===
 <gallery>

Sushoff at 08:38, 11 December 2025

2025-12-11T08:38:54Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:38, 11 December 2025
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	[[Category:Eurasia]]		[[Category:Eurasia]]
	[[Category:South Asian]]		[[Category:South Asian]]
			[[Category:Zodiac]]

Sushoff: /* Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation */

2025-10-30T16:32:05Z

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:32, 30 October 2025
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	*Somya,		*Somya,
	*Āgrahāyaṇī		*Āgrahāyaṇī

	~~[[File:Tibet nakshatra 03.png\|thumb\|Tibet nakshatra 03]]~~
	~~[[File:觜宿（仏像図彙）.png\|thumb\|『仏像図彙』による觜宿（Mṛgaśīrṣa）]]~~

	===Origin of Constellation===		===Origin of Constellation===
	Mṛgaśira, Somya means "the deer's head"; it is a composite of two Sanskrit words, mṛga (मृग), deer, and śira (शिर), top of the head. The depiction in temples is here mapped to the three stars in Orion, but it may also be possible that The Deer as a constelllation had originally been larger and the three stars just formed a pattern on the top of its head (like they indicate the head of the Greek hero who is drawn in a larger star pattern).		Mṛgaśira, Somya means "the deer's head"; it is a composite of two Sanskrit words, mṛga (मृग), deer, and śira (शिर), top of the head. The depiction in temples is here mapped to the three stars in Orion, but it may also be possible that The Deer as a constelllation had originally been larger and the three stars just formed a pattern on the top of its head (like they indicate the head of the Greek hero who is drawn in a larger star pattern).

Sushoff at 16:31, 30 October 2025

2025-10-30T16:31:47Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:31, 30 October 2025
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	{{DISPLAYTITLE:Mṛgaśira (मृगशिर)}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:Mṛgaśira (मृगशिर)}}
	[[File:~~5 Mrigashira~~ draw.~~png~~\|thumb\|~~Mrigashira as drawn~~ in ~~historical sources consists of three stars~~. ]]		[[File:Mrgashira nakshatras in Temple draw+lbl 4ase.jpg\|thumb\|Mrgashira in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).]]
	[[File:5+ Mrigashira+Ardra stellarium.gif\|thumb\|The animated GIF shows thepositions of the Nakshatras on the Stellarium map. ]]		[[File:5+ Mrigashira+Ardra stellarium.gif\|thumb\|The animated GIF shows thepositions of the Nakshatras on the Stellarium map. ]]

	Mṛgaśira (मृगशिर) 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. The asterism has three stars and, thus, refers to the group φ<sub>1,2</sub> and λ Orionis.		Mṛgaśira (मृगशिर) 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. The asterism has three stars and, thus, refers to the group φ<sub>1,2</sub> and λ Orionis.
	==Etymology and History==		==Etymology and History==
Line 22:		Line 23:

	===Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation===		===Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation===
			<gallery>
			File:Mrgashira nakshatras in Temple draw+lbl 4ase.jpg\|Mrgashira 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 03.png\|Mrgashira, Tibetean
			File:觜宿（仏像図彙）.png\|Mrgashira, Chinese
			File:Male red deer (Cervus elaphus), Munich, Germany - 20060530.jpg\|male red deer
			File:5 Mrigashira draw.png\|Mrgashira as reconstructed by Jones (1720)
			</gallery>

	==Mythology==		==Mythology==

Sushoff at 14:48, 13 October 2025

2025-10-13T14:48:09Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:48, 13 October 2025
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			{{DISPLAYTITLE:Mṛgaśira (मृगशिर)}}
	[[File:5 Mrigashira draw.png\|thumb\|Mrigashira as drawn in historical sources consists of three stars. ]]		[[File:5 Mrigashira draw.png\|thumb\|Mrigashira as drawn in historical sources consists of three stars. ]]
	[[File:5+ Mrigashira+Ardra stellarium.gif\|thumb\|The animated GIF shows thepositions of the Nakshatras on the Stellarium map. ]]		[[File:5+ Mrigashira+Ardra stellarium.gif\|thumb\|The animated GIF shows thepositions of the Nakshatras on the Stellarium map. ]]

Sushoff at 14:33, 13 October 2025

2025-10-13T14:33:07Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:33, 13 October 2025
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	Mṛgaśira (मृगशिर) 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. The asterism has three stars and, thus, refers to the group φ<sub>1,2</sub> and λ Orionis.		Mṛgaśira (मृगशिर) 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. The asterism has three stars and, thus, refers to the group φ<sub>1,2</sub> and λ Orionis.
	==Etymology and History==		==Etymology and History==
			'''Name Variants'''

			*Mrigashira,
			*Mṛgaśira,
			*Somya,
			*Āgrahāyaṇī

	[[File:Tibet nakshatra 03.png\|thumb\|Tibet nakshatra 03]]		[[File:Tibet nakshatra 03.png\|thumb\|Tibet nakshatra 03]]
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	==Weblinks==		==Weblinks==
	*		*

	==References==		==References ==
	*[[References]] (general)		*[[References]] (general)

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

Sushoff at 07:09, 21 September 2025

2025-09-21T07:09:41Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:09, 21 September 2025
Line 11:		Line 11:

	Also known as āgrahāyaṇī.		Also known as āgrahāyaṇī.

			The asterism is described in a Treatise on the Sun (Surya Siddhānta) that dates between the 4th and 9th century CE, but also (with all other nakshatras) in the Athavaveda from the early first millennium BCE. Yet, images are preserved in temples only from the past millennium.

	===Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation===		===Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation===

Sushoff at 07:03, 21 September 2025

2025-09-21T07:03:26Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:03, 21 September 2025
Line 8:		Line 8:

	===Origin of Constellation===		===Origin of Constellation===
	Mṛgaśira, Somya means "the deer's head". Also known as āgrahāyaṇī.		Mṛgaśira, Somya means "the deer's head"; it is a composite of two Sanskrit words, mṛga (मृग), deer, and śira (शिर), top of the head. The depiction in temples is here mapped to the three stars in Orion, but it may also be possible that The Deer as a constelllation had originally been larger and the three stars just formed a pattern on the top of its head (like they indicate the head of the Greek hero who is drawn in a larger star pattern).

			Also known as āgrahāyaṇī.

	===Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation===		===Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation===

Sushoff at 06:49, 21 September 2025

2025-09-21T06:49:42Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:49, 21 September 2025
Line 1:		Line 1:
	[[File:5 Mrigashira draw.png\|thumb\|Mrigashira as drawn in historical sources consists of three stars. ]]		[[File:5 Mrigashira draw.png\|thumb\|Mrigashira as drawn in historical sources consists of three stars. ]]
	[[File:5+ Mrigashira+Ardra stellarium.gif\|thumb\|The animated GIF shows thepositions of the Nakshatras on the Stellarium map. ]]		[[File:5+ Mrigashira+Ardra stellarium.gif\|thumb\|The animated GIF shows thepositions of the Nakshatras on the Stellarium map. ]]
	~~Mrigashira~~ 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.		Mṛgaśira (मृगशिर) 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. The asterism has three stars and, thus, refers to the group φ<sub>1,2</sub> and λ Orionis.
	==Etymology and History==		==Etymology and History==
	~~The asterism has three stars and, thus, refers to the group φ<sub>1,2</sub> and λ Orionis.~~
	[[File:Tibet nakshatra 03.png\|thumb\|Tibet nakshatra 03]]		[[File:Tibet nakshatra 03.png\|thumb\|Tibet nakshatra 03]]
	[[File:觜宿（仏像図彙）.png\|thumb\|『仏像図彙』による觜宿（Mṛgaśīrṣa）]]		[[File:觜宿（仏像図彙）.png\|thumb\|『仏像図彙』による觜宿（Mṛgaśīrṣa）]]

	===Origin of Constellation===		===Origin of Constellation===
			Mṛgaśira, Somya means "the deer's head". Also known as āgrahāyaṇī.

	===Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation===		===Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation===