Shatabhisha Nakshatra: Meaning, Deity, Traits and Padas

In short: Shatabhisha is the twenty-fourth nakshatra, spanning 6°40′ to 20° of sidereal Aquarius. Its deity is Varuna, lord of the waters and of the cosmic order, and its ruling planet is Rahu. Its name means "a hundred physicians" (it is also called Shatataraka, "a hundred stars"), and its symbol is an empty circle. Shatabhisha is the energy of healing and hidden truth: research, secrecy, solitude, independence and the search for the remedy. People with the Moon or ascendant here tend to be private, original, principled and drawn to understanding how things really work.

At a glance

The story: Varuna, who sees everything

Varuna is one of the greatest gods of the Rigveda — the guardian of rita, the true order of the cosmos, who sets the Sun on its path and makes the rivers flow, and who sees every hidden deed. His spies watch the world; his noose binds those who break their word. Yet he is also the god people turn to for forgiveness. The hymns of the sage Vasishtha (Rigveda 7.86–7.89) are among the most personal in the Veda: Vasishtha asks what wrong he has done that Varuna should be angry with him, begs to be released from the faults of his fathers and his own, and pleads, "Let me not yet go to the house of clay."

The nakshatra's name comes from Varuna's healing side. Rigveda 1.24.9 says to him, "A hundred, a thousand remedies are yours, O king." Shatabhisha — "having a hundred physicians" — is the nakshatra of the cure, especially the cure that comes from confronting the truth.

The empty circle of its symbol can be read in two ways: as the boundary that encloses and protects, like Varuna's encircling ocean, and as emptiness itself — the open space in which hidden things are revealed.

In the sky

Shatabhisha's main star is λ Aquarii, set among many faint stars in the Water-bearer's stream — the "hundred stars" of its other name. It is one of the hardest nakshatras to see, a fitting home for the nakshatra of secrets.

The nature of Shatabhisha

Muhurta texts class Shatabhisha as chara, movable — suited to travel and undertakings involving movement, and traditionally to beginning medical treatment. Its temperament is rakshasa, fierce, giving independence and intensity. Rahu rules it, adding originality, unconventional thinking and a fascination with the unknown, and it lies in Saturn's sign Aquarius, within Saturn's moolatrikona — principled, scientific and humanitarian.

Shatabhisha's core qualities are independence, analytical depth, honesty, secrecy, healing ability and an interest in science, technology, astrology and mysticism. It often prefers solitude and does its best work alone. It values truth over comfort and principle over popularity.

Strengths

• Healing. Shatabhisha is drawn to medicine and remedies of every kind.
• Research. It investigates patiently and finds what is hidden.
• Integrity. Varuna's nakshatra keeps its word and expects others to.
• Originality. Rahu and Aquarius give it unconventional insight.

Challenges

• Isolation. It may withdraw too far into solitude.
• Secrecy. It can keep its feelings and plans locked away.
• Severity. Its moral standards can become harsh.

Shatabhisha's growth often lies in opening the circle — letting a few trusted people inside.

The Moon in Shatabhisha

With the Moon here, the emotional nature is independent, private and thoughtful. These people often need a great deal of space and time alone, and they process feelings through understanding. They are often deeply compassionate in practical ways — the friend who quietly finds the right doctor, the right book, the right answer.

The ascendant and other planets in Shatabhisha

A Shatabhisha ascendant tends to give a calm, sometimes enigmatic expression and an independent manner. Rahu in its own nakshatra here is inventive and unconventional. Saturn here, in its moolatrikona, is principled and scientific. Mercury here thinks in systems and patterns. The Sun in Aquarius is in a sign of its enemy Saturn and serves causes rather than self; it transits Shatabhisha from roughly late February into early March.

Pada by pada

• Pada 1 (Sagittarius navamsa). Philosophical and optimistic; healing and research guided by ideals.
• Pada 2 (Capricorn navamsa). Ambitious and practical; disciplined science and organisation.
• Pada 3 (Aquarius navamsa). Inventive and humanitarian — vargottama — the most independent and original part of Shatabhisha.
• Pada 4 (Pisces navamsa). Compassionate and mystical; healing becomes spiritual practice.

Reading Shatabhisha in a chart

When a planet or the Moon sits in Shatabhisha, look first at Rahu, the nakshatra lord: its sign and house show where the nakshatra's originality and hunger for truth are drawn. Then look at Saturn, the sign lord, which shows how well that originality is disciplined. Finally, the house: Shatabhisha in the 6th often describes healing work; in the 8th or 12th, research, solitude and mysticism; in the 10th, a career in science or technology; in the 11th, unconventional networks. A planet here often gives some of its results in Rahu's sub-periods.

In relationships and matching

Shatabhisha is a rakshasa gana nakshatra, with the horse as its yoni and Adi (Vata) as its nadi. Its yoni pairs most naturally with Ashwini, the other horse nakshatra; the buffalo nakshatras (Hasta and Swati) are the horse's traditional enemy.

In everyday terms, Shatabhisha partners are loyal and principled but need a great deal of independence. They flourish with a partner who respects their privacy and shares their intellectual or spiritual interests.

Career and work

Shatabhisha favours medicine and healing, pharmacy and chemistry, research and science, technology and computing, astronomy and astrology, psychology, investigation, and work with water. It often prefers working independently.

Health as wellbeing

Shatabhisha lies in Aquarius, linked with the calves, ankles and circulation, and its deity links it with water and healing. As wellbeing, it benefits from time by water, regular routines and not hiding health concerns. These are traditional associations, not medical advice.

The dasha connection

A person born with the Moon in Shatabhisha begins life in the Rahu mahadasha, eighteen years long. The balance remaining at birth depends on how far the Moon has travelled through the nakshatra. Jupiter's sixteen-year dasha follows, then Saturn's nineteen (BPHS ch. 46).

Muhurta: choosing a time

As a chara (movable) nakshatra, Shatabhisha is traditionally favoured for journeys and for starting medical treatment. It falls within the panchaka period, which is avoided for certain activities. Tithi, weekday and other factors are weighed together.

Traditional practice

For Shatabhisha the tradition honours Varuna — through offerings of water, the recitation of Varuna hymns, and the practice of confession and making amends that Vasishtha's hymns model. Healing work and charity for medical care are in its spirit. For Rahu, the nakshatra lord, worship of Durga is common. These are traditional practices, not promises.

Living with Shatabhisha

Shatabhisha people often walk a little apart, and they need to. Solitude is where they think. The wisdom of this nakshatra is to make solitude a laboratory rather than a fortress — to come back from it with something to share, as a physician returns from the lab with a cure.

A note for Western readers

Western astrology does not use the nakshatras. λ Aquarii lies at about 11° of tropical Pisces. Western astrologers sometimes compare Shatabhisha's character with modern ideas of Aquarius and Uranus — independence, science and innovation.

FAQ

Which planet rules Shatabhisha? Rahu, in the Vimshottari dasha system. The sign lord is Saturn.

What is Shatabhisha's deity? Varuna, lord of the waters and the cosmic order.

What are the Shatabhisha name syllables? Go, Sa, Si and Su, one for each pada.

What does Shatabhisha mean? "Having a hundred physicians" — echoing Rigveda 1.24.9, "a hundred, a thousand remedies are yours, O king."

Is Shatabhisha good for medical treatment? Traditional muhurta practice favours it for beginning treatment. Medical decisions belong with doctors.

Written by Sunyra Editorial. Astrology is a tradition of interpretation; read this as guidance, not a forecast. Disclaimer.

Last reviewed 19 October 2026