Shukra, whose name means bright or clear, is the Hindu deity of the planet Venus and one of the Navagraha, and in mythology he is a great sage-god, the guru or preceptor of the asuras, the demons or anti-gods, in their perpetual struggle with the devas. This role gives him a distinctive place in the pantheon: he is a Brahmin seer of immense learning who has thrown his wisdom behind the enemies of the gods, so that his knowledge repeatedly frustrates the divine side. His most celebrated possession is the mrita-sanjivani vidya, the secret science of reviving the dead, a lore that allowed him to restore the demons slain in battle to life, tilting the cosmic war in their favour and causing the gods no end of trouble. The myths tell of the gods' attempts to obtain this knowledge for themselves, including the tale of how the god Brihaspati (Jupiter, preceptor of the gods) sent his own son to become Shukra's pupil in order to learn the secret.
As a descendant of the sage Bhrigu, Shukra is also called Bhargava. In astrology, Venus under his lordship governs love, beauty, refinement, the arts, pleasure and the enjoyments of married and worldly life, and his influence is generally regarded as benefic, bringing charm, comfort and attraction. Shukra thus unites two ideas that might seem at odds: profound ascetic learning, and the planet of love and earthly delight.