Rahu and Ketu as Jaws of the Crocodile .

 Compare Rahu and Ketu to the jaws of a crocodile, and it captures their astrological and symbolic essence quite well. Let’s refine and expand this metaphor for deeper understanding:

Rahu and Ketu: The Crocodile's Jaw

In mechanical terms, a crocodile's bite force is immense, among the strongest in the animal kingdom — once the jaws clamp down, it's nearly impossible to pry them open. But the muscles to open the jaws are weak, so much so that even a strong rubber band can prevent a crocodile from opening its mouth.

Rahu – The Open Jaw (Desire, Consumption, Expansion)

Rahu, the head without a body, symbolises insatiable desire, obsession, illusion, and unending ambition.

Like the open jaws of the crocodile, Rahu represents the moment before the bite — the pull, the seduction, the temptation.

Once it gets hold of something (wealth, fame, relationship, knowledge), its grip is ferocious — it won’t let go easily.

But the act of “opening” the desire – the initiation of obsession – is relatively easy. The trigger can be small, like a fleeting thought or desire, but what follows is a consuming force.

Ketu – The Closed Jaw (Rejection, Renunciation, Finality)

Ketu, the body without a head, represents detachment, renunciation, spiritual insight, and liberation.

Like the closed jaws of a crocodile — tightly clamped but now inactive — Ketu disconnects from worldly attachments, rejecting what Rahu once craved.

But once Ketu has “closed,” it’s almost effortless to keep it that way — like a crocodile’s jaw bound shut by a rubber band.

That is, the spiritual disinterest or emotional detachment of Ketu doesn’t need force to maintain, it is effortless, even difficult to reverse.

Deeper Symbolism

Together, Rahu and Ketu represent the **cycle of desire and detachment, illusion and enlightenment.

Rahu grabs. Ketu releases.

Rahu obsesses. Ketu renounces.

Rahu opens wide to consume. Ketu shuts down to transcend.

Philosophical Takeaway

This analogy mirrors human nature:

Desires (Rahu) are quick to awaken and powerful when active.

Detachment (Ketu), once achieved, is quiet, effortless, and hard to undo.