Though not addressing Jacob's question about the symbolism, the classic work of Willy Hartner on the iconography of the planets, with particular reference to Rahu and Ketu, may be of interest:
Hartner, Willy. “The Pseudoplanetary Nodes of the
Moon’s Orbit in Hindu and Islamic Iconographies.” Ars Islamica,, vol. V,
pt. 2 (1938), pp. 113-154.
The volume is available in the internet archive, but as the site is temporarily down, I cannot send the precise link.
Matthew
Matthew T. Kapstein
Professor emeritus
Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL Research University, Paris
Associate
The University of Chicago Divinity School
Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
On Friday, March 20th, 2026 at 8:08 AM, Jean Michel DELIRE via INDOLOGY <indology@list.indology.info> wrote:
Very interesting indeed, Jacob and Martin.
If you find any reference (articles, books) on the subject, please keep me informed.
Best regards,
Jean Michel Delire (University of Brussels)
Dear friends and colleagues,
I am trying to understand the origin of the symbolic forms (ākāra)
associated with the navagrahas, but have not had any luck so far. The
standard forms, as far as I have been able to determine them, are as
follows:
Sun = circle (vṛtta)
Moon = crescent (ardhacandra)
Mars = triangle (trikoṇa)
Mercury = arrowhead (bāṇa)
Jupiter = rectangle (dīrghacaturaśra)
Venus = pentagon (pañcakoṇa)
Saturn = bow (dhanus)
Rāhu = winnowing basket (śūrpa)
Ketu = flag (dhvaja)
I would be grateful for any pointers to primary sources or articles
discussing these forms.
Best regards,
Jacob
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