Brihaspati is, in the Rigveda, the lord of prayer and sacred speech (Brahmanaspati), the divine priest whose utterance gives the sacrifice its power; in the classical and astrological tradition he becomes the deity of the planet Jupiter and one of the Navagraha, the nine planetary powers. He is the guru, the preceptor and household priest of the devas, the gods, wise, golden and benevolent, who counsels them and guards them against the schemes of Shukra (Venus), the guru of the asuras on the other side.
In Jyotisha, Hindu astrology, Jupiter is the great benefic, governing wisdom, learning, righteousness, devotion, teachers and good fortune, and Thursday (Guruvar) is his day; he is invoked for knowledge and for the well-being of children. The Brihaspati of myth is also caught in a famous scandal, his wife Tara being carried off by the moon-god Chandra, the union that produces Budha, Mercury.