Graha's epithets

[Yaroslav V. Vassilkov]

On Dec. 6 Mr Sarma (Devarakonda Venkata) wrote:


<bRhaspati may be entitled to call tArA as tArakA, perhaps candra and
<other near and dear ones like her father and mother. Not you and me.
<Anyway I have not come across tArakA being used for tArA the wife of
<bRhaspati.

<regards,

<sarma.

        One more case when it would be safer before pushing the button and
asserting one's own opinion as a general rule to check with texts, indexes
and even most popular dictionaries. TArakA is a very well known variant of
the name TArA as the wife of BRhaspati: see, e.g., the widespread formula
tArakAmayayuddham 'the war which arose in conscequence of Soma having carried
off TArA, the wife of BRhaspati'. As for dictionaries, see Goesta Liebert
and even Dowson.
                All the best,
                                Yaroslav Vassilkov