Apas, the divine waters: the supple force that washes and carries forward

Who are Apas in the Vedas?

In Sanskrit, apas is a feminine plural word: the waters. The Vedas treat them not as matter but as presences, goddesses addressed as “mothers”. Waters of the sky falling as rain, waters of rivers running to the sea, waters of springs: all come from the same movement, the one that feeds the earth and makes life possible. They are always invoked together, never one by one: the waters of a whole land make a single flow.

They are among the oldest deities invoked in India, and they still are every day: water opens most rites, and the verses addressed to them have been recited for thousands of years.

What do the hymns to the waters say?

The Rig Veda devotes whole hymns to them. One of the best known begins “Āpo hi ṣṭhā mayobhuvaḥ”: “Waters, you are the ones who bring well-being”. Another verse asks them to carry away whatever is crooked within: the waters do not judge, they wash and carry it further downstream.

Another verse says that within the waters lie ambrosia and remedy. The waters are never only what purifies: they are also what nourishes, and what gives strength back to whoever has lost it along the way.

What are the attributes of Apas?

Their three gestures are to wash, to nourish and to carry through. The hymns show them in procession with Varuna, the keeper of order, who moves in their midst and sees the truth and falsehood of people: the purity of the waters goes hand in hand with uprightness.

The Rig Veda also knows Apam Napat, “the child of the waters”, a fire shining at the heart of the waters, which tradition often links with Agni. It is a fine image for a chart: the flame of a conviction can live in the midst of the greatest suppleness, without one putting out the other.

Apas and Purva Ashadha: what do they give the invincible nakshatra?

Apas preside over Purva Ashadha, whose name means “the first invincible one”. Nothing resists water for long: it flows around, seeps in, wears down stone. That is the victory Apas give, a victory through constancy rather than impact. The nakshatra’s symbol, the winnowing basket that separates grain from chaff, extends the gesture of the waters: sort, wash, keep only what nourishes.

Purva Ashadha is ruled by Venus: a Moon in this nakshatra opens life in the Venus mahadasha, 20 years long. Venus brings charm and taste, the waters freshness and renewal: together they give a conviction that wins people over instead of imposing itself.

How do Apas show up in a Vedic chart?

The energy of the waters is at work wherever a planet or a sensitive point of your chart falls in Purva Ashadha. The pada refines it: the four padas of the nakshatra correspond to Leo, Virgo, Libra and Scorpio in the Navamsha, the D9.

• Moon in Purva Ashadha: emotions that pass like a shower and leave the air clearer. The lever: do not mistake a sadness that fades for a question that is settled.
• Ascendant in Purva Ashadha: a fluid, confident presence that carries others along. The lever: give people time to follow.
• Mars in Purva Ashadha: a courage that goes around instead of charging; formidable when it holds its course.
• Jupiter in Purva Ashadha: a generous faith and words that teach; the lever is to listen as much as you preach.
• Mercury in Purva Ashadha: the art of convincing with words; the lever is to check your sources before you argue your case.

How to honour Apas? A simple practice

Indian tradition opens its rites with achamana: a few sips of water taken with full attention. The gesture can be kept as it is, without buying or imposing anything. Before a busy day or a difficult conversation, drink a glass of water slowly; think of what you want to let flow out of you, then of what you want to nourish. The gesture takes ten seconds; repeated every day, it becomes a meeting with what washes you and carries you.

To find where the waters of Apas flow in your chart, the nakshatra calculator gives the nakshatra of your Moon, your Ascendant and each of your planets, with a link to their page.