Shiva Purana Tales: Exploring Chandra Dev's 27 Wives and His Deep Bond with Rohini
_1445408209.jpg)
In Hindu mythology, the enchanting celestial orb of the moon is revered as Chandra Deva, a radiant symbol of divine beauty, inner peace, and cooling grace. According to sacred scriptures and detailed narratives found within the Shiva Purana, Chandra Deva had twenty-seven wives, all of whom were the accomplished daughters of the primordial sage Daksha Prajapati. These twenty-seven celestial brides—namely Rohini, Revati, Shravan, Shravistha, Satabhishak, Uttara Bhadrapada, Purva Bhadrapada, Ashwini, Krittika, Mrigashira, Ardra, Punarvasu, Ashlesha, Pushya, Magha, Purva Phalguni, Uttara Phalguni, Hasta, Chitra, Swati, Vishakha, Anuradha, Jyeshtha, Mula, Purva Ashadha, Uttara Ashadha, and Bharani—were given in marriage to the Moon. In the celestial sphere, these twenty-seven wives correspond directly to the twenty-seven major lunar mansions or constellations (Nakshatras) that encircle the cosmos.
The Tale of Rohini: The Favorite Wife and Sage Daksha's Wrath
Although wedded to all twenty-seven daughters of Daksha Prajapati, Chandra Dev became utterly captivated by the extraordinary beauty, charm, and grace of Rohini, making her his undisputed favorite wife. Consumed by his affection for Rohini, the Moon neglected his marital duties toward the other twenty-six sisters, compelling them to return to their father's home in distress and lodge a formal complaint. Infuriated by the neglect of his daughters, Prajapati Daksha cursed Chandra Dev, pronouncing that the divine radiance, beauty, and vitality of the Moon would gradually fade away into oblivion.
The Curse, The Waning Phases, and Lord Shiva's Divine Intervention
Initially blinded by his infatuation, Chandra Dev ignored the terrifying implications of Daksha's curse. However, the Moon's brilliance soon began to dim, turning pale and losing its vital energy day by day, throwing the balance of the universe into disarray. Terrified by the impending destruction of the Moon—which would halt life on Earth—the distressed constellations (Nakshatras) and divine deities collectively sought refuge by worshiping Lord Shiva. Through the grace of Mahadeva, the curse was mitigated, though not entirely erased. To this day, the enduring legacy of that ancient curse manifests as the natural lunar cycle, where the Moon waxes toward a brilliant full moon before gradually waning into complete invisibility on the dark night of the new moon (Amavasya). Astronomically, as the Moon takes roughly 27.3 days to complete an orbit around the Earth, passing through a different constellation each night, mythological tradition beautifully mirrors the cosmic reality of Chandra Dev spending equal time visiting each of his twenty-seven wives.
_2067480648_351x234.jpg)
_1213072488_351x234.jpg)