Uttara Ashadha, Knowledge of the Cosmos

Viśvadeva (विश्वदेव).—[adjective] all-divine; [masculine] [plural] the All-gods (cf. viśva).

Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

The Uttara Ashadha native comes to this world to learn what the world has to offer. To that end, the native is inclined towards strict definitions, towards labels, and towards learning about the world in full, especially spiritually.

What is a Deity? What is the universe? How can deities impact the universe? How and why do rituals work?

The gods might be multiple, but the truth is, the form and imagery of a God is simply Maya at play. Just like we are illusions, so too, are the deities. We create and worship deities, because, to humans, deities are a way to personify the eternal principle that cannot be contained or defined. Brahman. And, just as the maya of deities is a way to understand Brahman, so too, is the maya of the world.

The lesson for the Uttara Ashadha is coming to terms with the fact that there is no duality. Brahman and Maya are not separate, but rather, the same thing. Uttara Ashadha, the lone mongoose, is the only nakshatra without a consort animal. As the bridge between the Spirituality of Sagittarius, and the Material Reality of Capricorn, this nakshatra learns to control and manipulate the material reality through the spiritual.

When you understand that Maya is created by the divine, you understand that it is the divine, and as a being of maya, you understand yourself as divine. You understand the world around you as divine. And, you understand that there is a meaning and divinity to every single thing around you. If the material is a creation of the divine, then just like a book will give you an understanding of the author who has written it, the material will give you an understanding of the divine.

The Poems dedicated to Vishvadevas in the Rig Veda have to do with contemplating the universe, sacrifice, and the power of rituals. Specifically, knowledge of the principle of balance is what allows for the creation of a good ritual. The universe has it’s rules, and understanding those rules is what ultimately allows for mastery over it.

There is a sacrificial element to rituals. When you do a ritual, you sacrifice time, you sacrifice brain power, in remembering to do rituals, or in spending time doing the rituals. This is also why rituals are successful, and rituals that involve sacrificing objects are even more beneficial, because they maintain the balance of the universe, which is not giving you more than you strictly deserve.

When you have no consort to balance you, you must maintain balance within yourself. Maintaining your own balance also means, learning to keep the scales tipped in a way that benefits you. Uttara Ashadha, for this reason, can be something of a selfish nakshatra. But, there is a difference between selfish, and singular. Singularity is the goal for Uttara Ashadha.