Venus - Shukra

Venus - Shukra
Śukra “clear, pure” or “brightness, clearness”, is the son of Bhrigu, and Guru of the Daityas and Asuras. He is of white complexion, middle-aged and of agreeable countenance.

He is described variously as mounted on a camel, horse or crocodile. He holds a stick, japa-mālā and a lotus and sometimes a bow and arrow.

He studied the Vedas under the rishi Angirasa but he was disturbed by Angirasa’s favouritism for his own son Brihaspati. He then left and went to study under rishi Gautama.

He later performed penance to Lord Shiva and obtained the Sañjīvaṇi mantra (a mantra that revived the dead).

He married Priyavrata’s daughter Ūrjasvatī and they had four sons — Caṇḍa (fierce), Amarka (deathless), Tvaṣṭṛ (designer) Dharātra (support) and a daughter from his marriage to Indra’s daughter Jayantī by the name Devayānī (path of the gods).

Due to the hatred Śukrācārya bore towards Vishnu, for what he perceived as the murder of his mother as she had given shelter to some asura whom Vishnu was hunting, Śukrācārya decided to become the Guru of Asuras.

He helped them achieve victory over the Devas and used his knowledge to revive the dead and wounded among them.

In one story, Lord Vishnu is born as the Brahmin dwarf-sage Vāmana. Vāmana comes to take the three worlds as alms from the asura king Bāli.

Lord Vishnu wanted to deceive the king Bāli, who was the grandson of the great king Prahlāda, in order to help the Devas. The sage Śukrācārya identifies him immediately and warns the King. The King is however a man of his word and offers the gift to Vāmana.

Śukrācārya, annoyed with the pride of the king, shrinks himself with his powers and sits in the spout of the Kamaṇḍalu from which water has to be poured to seal the promise to the deity in disguise.

Lord Vishnu, in disguise of the dwarf, understands immediately, and picks a straw from the ground and directs it up the spout, poking out the left eye of Śukrācārya. Since this day on, the guru of the asuras has been known to be half blind.

Devayānī was the daughter of Śukrācārya, who was rejected by the son of Brihaspati, Kacha. She later marries the legendary Somavanshi king Yayāti.

In times of the Mahābhārata, Śukrācārya is mentioned as one of the mentors of Bhīshma, having taught him political science in his youth.

Its' metal is silver, it's gemstone diamond, the day is Friday and the direction is southeast. Venus rules number 6 in Indian numerology.

Śukra – Venus bīja mantra:

ॐ द्रां द्रीं द्रों सः शुक्राय नमः

oṁ drāṁ drīṁ droṁ saḥ śukrāya namaḥ

Vedic mantra for Śukra:

हिमकुन्दमृणालाभं दैत्यानां परमं गुरुम् सर्वशास्त्रप्रवक्तारं भार्गवं प्रणमाम्यहम्

himakundamṛṇālābhaṁ daityānāṁ paramaṁ gurum
sarvaśāstrapravaktāraṁ bhārgavaṁ praṇamāmyaham

I bow to Śukra (Venus) who is as white and fair complexioned as Jasmine and snow, who is the supreme teacher of the Daiyas who are the enemies of the gods and who knows all the scriptures.