Chandra

Chandra (Sanskrit: चन्द्र, romanized: Chandra, lit. 'shining' or 'moon'), also known as Soma (Sanskrit: सोम), is the Hindu god of the Moon, and is associated with the night, plants and vegetation. He is one of the Navagraha (nine planets of Hinduism). The word "Chandra" literally means "bright, shining or glittering" and is used for the "Moon" in Sanskrit and other Indo-Aryan languages. It is also the name of various other figures in Hindu mythology, including an asura and a Suryavamsha king. It is also a common Indian name and surname. Both male and female name variations exist in many South Asian languages that originate from Sanskrit. Some of the epithets of Chandra include Soma (distill), Indu (bright drop), Shashank (hare-marked), Atrisuta (son of Atri), Shashin or Shachin (the essence), Taradhipa (lord of stars), Nishakara (the night maker), Nakshatrapati (lord of the Nakshatra), Oshadhipati (lord of herbs), Uduraj or Udupati (water lord), Kumudanatha (lord of lotuses), and Udupa (boat). Soma is one of the most common other names used for the deity; but the earliest use of the word to refer to the Moon is a subject of scholarly debate. Some scholars state that the word Soma is occasionally used for the Moon in the Vedas, while other scholars suggest that such usage emerged only in the post-Vedic literature. In the Vedas, the word Soma is primarily used for an intoxicating and energizing/healing plant drink and the deity representing it.