राहु
Navagraha
Rahu is the ascending lunar node — a shadow planet (chaya graha) with no physical body, represented in mythology as the severed head of the asura Swarbhanu who drank the amrit and was beheaded by Vishnu but gained immortality. Rahu represents illusion, foreign travel, ambition, obsession, technology, and sudden unexpected events. In Vedic astrology he is one of the most disruptive but also powerfully transformative planets. Rahu causes solar eclipses (when he swallows the Sun). His worship is especially at Rahu Kala — the inauspicious window of the day. Kalahasti Rahu-Ketu temple in Andhra Pradesh is a major shrine.
Smoky, dark-coloured severed head of a demon, no body. Four arms holding a sword, a spear, a shield, and showing varada mudra. Riding a lion or a chariot drawn by eight black horses.
ॐ भ्रां भ्रीं भ्रौं सः राहवे नमः ॥
ॐ राहवे नमः ॥
अर्धकायं महावीर्यं चन्द्रादित्यविमर्दनम् । सिंहिकागर्भसम्भूतं तं राहुं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥
Part of the Navagraha collection