Shukra
Shukra ( SHOO-krə; Sanskrit: शुक्र, lit. 'clear' or 'bright', IAST: Śukra), also known as Ushanas and Kavya, is a mythological sage as well as the presiding god of the planet Venus in Hinduism. In the Rigveda (c. 1500 BCE), however, Kavya Ushanas appears as a wise poet-priest associated with the gods, especially their king Indra, whom he helped defeat his enemies. The Brahmanas consistently portray him as the purohita (priest/advisor) of the asuras who ultimately deserts them to join the devas. In the post-Vedic period, particularly in the epics (c. 400 BCE – 400 CE) and the Puranic texts (c. 300 CE – 1200 CE), Kavya Ushanas evolves into the figure of seer-sage Ushanas, better known by the epithet Shukracharya. He is first portrayed as the teacher of both the devas (gods) and the asuras (antigods) in earlier texts, before becoming established solely as the purohita of the asuras in later texts. He becomes associated with Venus and is most famous for possessing the Mṛtasañjīvanī—a magical skill that can bring the dead back to life. During the early medieval period (5th–12th century CE), with the rise of anthropomorphic depictions of the Navagrahas of Hindu astrology, the planet Venus was personified with a distinctive iconography: he is shown as youthful man with a white complexion, riding a white horse, and holding a kamandalu (water pot). This iconographic form may or may not be identified with the sage Shukracharya.
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