Lord Budh is the heavenly personification of the planet Mercury, as we know it in astronomy. Budh or Mercury has four hands, bearing a Sword, Thaal (Plate with offerings), Gada (circular head with handle generally made from metal) and the fourth hand is in Varmudra (a gesture of giving).

Lord Budh has a golden crown on his head and wears ornaments of yellow flowers and yellow clothes. According to the Atharva Veda, Budh was born to Chandra (Moon) and Tara. He is the most intelligent planet of all, and he removes all the obstacles of those who worship him. As far as possible he causes no inauspicious events, but rather creates prosperity for everyone.

By providing all living beings with supreme discernment, he illuminates their paths, both mundane and spiritual, through life. Since the child Budh or Mercury was very intelligent, Lord Brahma gave him the name Budh. According to one story in the Mahabharata, King Manu got his daughter Ila married to Budh Dev.

There is an oft-told story in Vedic astrology about the birth of Budh or  Mercury. Brihaspati, the Lord of wisdom, and the personified planet Jupiter, was married to a beautiful and intelligent woman, Tara (meaning “star”). One day, the Moon (Chandra), caught a glimpse of Tara and was love-struck. After some effort, to Chandra’s delight, he convinced Tara to run away with him.

Now, when Brihaspati (Jupiter) found out that Moon had taken away his beautiful wife, he became furious, and went to Lord Brahma for help. Lord Brahma agreed to intervene, and approached Tara, encouraging her to return to her rightful husband. Tara did not want to start a war between Chandra and her husband Jupiter, so she agreed and returned home like a dutiful wife, but with a stain on her character.

As the months went by, Tara realized she was pregnant with Moon’s child, and soon gave birth to a son, Budh. Jupiter was furious once again, but once he saw the beauty and playfulness of little Budh, well, he just fell in love with him and insisted that he be considered the father. Chandra (Moon), being of such a changeable nature, gave it to Jupiter’s request.

So Budh, the planet of intellect and discrimination, is the son of the Moon (the emotional mind) and Tara (the wife of Jupiter, planet of wisdom). This explains Budh’s role as the go-between one’s emotional mind and higher mind. He occupies the middle ground – the discriminating, practical, worldly intellect.

It also explains why Budh is not friendly with the Moon in astrology – he is still upset with his father having given him away. For this reason, when Budh is conjunct with Moon in the birth chart, it is said to disturb Budh and the discriminating mind.

One of Mercury’s names is Saumya, “belonging to the Moon”. Mercury’s color is green, the green of the sacred durva (holy Bermuda grass). He has a splendid, slender body and is eternally energetic.

He always speaks with distinct, pure, sweet words, but loves to play with them, using ambiguities, puns and words with double meanings. He is fond of jokes and of fun and games; ever auspicious, always clever, he is a Vaishya, the commercial caste.

This great Sage Mercury, who has a pronounced aptitude for Mathematics and business, rules the skin, the rational mind and speech. His metal is brass and his gem Emerald. Vata, Pitta and Kapha (air, bile and phlegm, the three humours of the body) are all mixed in his constitution, and he is fond of all tastes. Lord of the North, of Wednesday (Budhwar in Hindi) and of the constellations Gemini and Virgo, he is reckoned as the Golden-Eyed, the bewitching, the gentle, the knower and the awakener.

Budh (Mercury) is the planet of intellect and communication. It can be seen in the morning and evening as a shining star following the Sun – and sometimes even during the day because of its power of radiation. Mercury is the smallest planet of our solar system. Budh rules education, writers, lecturers, artists, teachers, traders, businessmen, the nervous system, lungs, and intestines. It rules intelligence, speech, self-confidence, humor, wit, astrology, mathematics and short journeys.

The friends of Mercury are the Sun, Venus, Rahu and Ketu (north and south nodes of the moon). Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are neutral to Mercury. Mercury maintains his enmity with the Moon.

Budh has two faces; it bestows a dual nature, and makes one detached and independent as well as an extremist. Budh loves the company of the learned. It is the lord of the north direction.

 In Vedic numerology the number of Mercury is 5. It is the number of success, inheritance, business, communication and cleverness.