०३ मृगशिरः

+++(Orion belt)+++

• पुरा प्रजापतिना सम्बद्धम्। “प्रजापतेर् यत् सहजम् पुरस्तात्” इत्यनेन मृगशीर्षे ऽव्यङ्गस्योल्लेखो विशुवकाल इति केचित् - (~Apr 26 Julian 4500 BCE TW)।
  • आग्रहायणी‌ +इत्यपि नाम - पणिन्य्-अमरौ तथा। तैत्तिरीयसंहितायां (७.२ इत्यत्र) आग्रयणम् इत्यपि। पुरा ऽऽग्रयणेष्टयो तदैवाक्रियत - तत्रायनविशेषस्यारम्भात्।
  • वृषाकपिसूक्तम् अपि तद्विषये प्रवृत्तम्, यदा विषुवस्थानं वृषराशाव् अवर्तत।
  • तस्यैव सूर्येणसहोदिते यज्ञकालस्यारम्भो ऽवर्तत - तेन हि तस्य सोमाधिपत्यम्, यज्ञ इति नामान्तरम्।
• सोमो हि ब्राह्मणानां राजा। तस्यैवानुकरणं मेखलया दण्डेन +अजिनेन यज्ञोपवीतेनापि - पारसीकेषु ब्राह्मणेषु च!
• मृगशीर्षकथा ऽध आर्द्राभागे दृश्या।
• वृषाकपिर् इति +ऋग्वेदसूक्त इन्द्रस्य प्रियः, इन्द्राणीमन्युना शुना दष्टः कर्णे, शिरसा खण्डितः, पश्चात्+क्षान्तः।

• “Some take this to be the 3 stars on the head of Orion (φ 1, φ 2, λ Orionis), which is how they are denoted in classical astronomy. "
• “It features the great Nebula the brightest nebula visible to us, which blazes from the ionization caused by hot theta Orionis group of multiple stars. 4 of them can be easily seen with a small telescope. That would also show the M78 nebula. The region is rich in star birth.”
• kaTha-s and maitrAyaNIya-s assign mRgashiras to maruts (also a good combination with ArdrA/ rudra. “On the other hand somArudrA is also an ancient combination.”)

The Romans, like the H, seemed to remember of Orion as being the “leader of the constellations” i.e. the AgrayaNa position. Did some see the belt as the sword?:

Orion may be seen stretching his arms over a vast expanse of sky and rising to the stars with no less huge a stride. A single light marks each of his shining shoulders, and three aslant trace the downward line of his sword ; but three mark Orion’s head, which is embedded in high heaven with his countenance remote. It is Orion who leads the constellations as they speed over the full circuit of heaven. Astronomica by Marcus Manilius (translated by Goold)

• “In Vaidika reckoning the core of Mṛga was Orion with the arrow of Rudra shot through it (See below). The arrow is identified with the three stars of the belt of Orion (ζ , ε , δ Orionis). " ता इण्वकाः। “Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa 1.5.1.1 states: somasyenvakā vitatāni ।” - (MT)
• “It is also likely that the 3 stars in a line inspired the myth of the tripura-s with the 3 asura forts need to be a in a line to be pierced by the arrow of rudra.”