Ketu and Rahu

[Martin Gansten]

>in Indian studies, Ketu (the personnification of the comets) is
>often said to be the tail or body of Rahu, the demon of
>eclipses. Could someone give me any precise textual reference
>about this ?

I'm afraid I can't help you with references, but I thought you should know
that from standard grahastotras and -namavalis it is clear that Ketu is
supposed to be the detached head (shiromaatra) of the demon, while Rahu is
the body (kabandha). In one version I heard, Vishnu, having decapitating
Svarbhanu, attached a serpent's head to the trunk, and its tail to the head
of the demon; these two hybrids became Rahu and Ketu.

Regards,
Martin Gansten