Uttara Bhadrapada Nakshatra: Meaning, Deity, Traits and Padas

In short: Uttara Bhadrapada is the twenty-sixth nakshatra, spanning 3°20′ to 16°40′ of sidereal Pisces. Its deity is Ahir Budhnya, the serpent of the depths, and its ruling planet is Saturn. Its name means "the latter auspicious feet", and its symbol is the back legs of a funeral cot — or twins. Uttara Bhadrapada is the energy of the deep, still water: patience, wisdom, self-control, compassion and the calm that comes after the fire. People with the Moon or ascendant here tend to be steady, thoughtful, kind and quietly strong.

At a glance

The story: the serpent of the depths

Ahir Budhnya means "the serpent of the deep foundation" — the snake who lies at the bottom of the cosmic waters. The Rigveda invokes him alongside Aja Ekapada, the deity of the previous nakshatra, in hymns to the All-gods; in 7.34.16 he is praised as born of the waters, sitting at the base of the rivers in the regions of space, and in the next verse (7.34.17) the singer asks that he not give us over to harm. He is a guardian of foundations — the hidden ground on which everything rests — and in later tradition, like Aja Ekapada, he is counted among the Rudras.

If Purva Bhadrapada is the fire of transformation, Uttara Bhadrapada is the deep water that receives what remains — stillness after intensity, wisdom after experience. The serpent at the bottom of the sea does not hurry. It holds the world steady from below.

The twins of its other symbol pair it with Purva Bhadrapada: together they are the two halves of one passage, from burning to depth.

In the sky

Uttara Bhadrapada's stars are Algenib (γ Pegasi) and Alpheratz (α Andromedae), the eastern side of the Great Square of Pegasus. In Arabic astronomy they formed the twenty-seventh lunar mansion, al-Fargh al-Mu'akhkhar, "the rear spout". The month of Bhadrapada is named after the two Bhadrapadas.

The nature of Uttara Bhadrapada

Muhurta texts class Uttara Bhadrapada as dhruva, fixed — the best class for lasting undertakings: foundations, house-warming, marriage and installations. Its temperament is manushya, human. Saturn rules it, giving patience, discipline, endurance and depth, and it lies in Jupiter's sign Pisces, which gives compassion, spirituality and wisdom.

Uttara Bhadrapada's core qualities are calm, self-control, wisdom, kindness, generosity and a capacity for deep meditation. It is often a counsellor to others — the person who stays steady in a crisis because it has already been through deep water.

Strengths

• Calm. Uttara Bhadrapada stays steady under pressure.
• Wisdom. Saturn and Jupiter together give mature, compassionate judgement.
• Self-discipline. It can work patiently and control its impulses.
• Compassion. It helps others quietly and generously.

Challenges

• Withdrawal. It may retreat too far into solitude or inner life.
• Melancholy. Saturn can bring heaviness or a sense of isolation.
• Passivity. Its calm can become reluctance to act.

Uttara Bhadrapada's growth often lies in bringing its depth to the surface — sharing what it knows.

The Moon in Uttara Bhadrapada

With the Moon here, the emotional nature is calm, deep and compassionate. These people often seem older than their years and are good listeners and counsellors. They may need solitude to recharge and can carry quiet sadness, which they usually turn into empathy for others. Saturn's rulership gives emotional discipline; Pisces gives devotion.

The ascendant and other planets in Uttara Bhadrapada

An Uttara Bhadrapada ascendant tends to give a gentle, composed face and a reserved, kind manner. Saturn in its own nakshatra here is wise and patient. Mercury reaches its deepest debilitation at 15° Pisces, in Uttara Bhadrapada's fourth pada — logic giving way to intuition, with cancellations considered. Jupiter here, in its own sign, is deeply wise and compassionate. Venus in Pisces is exalted in sign, with its deepest exaltation in Revati. The Sun transits Uttara Bhadrapada from roughly mid- to late March.

Pada by pada

• Pada 1 (Leo navamsa). Dignified and generous; wisdom with warmth and leadership.
• Pada 2 (Virgo navamsa). Practical and service-minded; calm skill in helping others.
• Pada 3 (Libra navamsa). Balanced and relational; wisdom shared in partnership and counsel.
• Pada 4 (Scorpio navamsa). Deep and mystical; Mercury's debility point falls here, and intuition is strongest.

Reading Uttara Bhadrapada in a chart

When a planet or the Moon sits in Uttara Bhadrapada, look first at Saturn, the nakshatra lord: its dignity shows how much patience and endurance the nakshatra can draw on. Then look at Jupiter, the sign lord, which shows how wise and compassionate that endurance becomes. Finally, the house: Uttara Bhadrapada in the 12th often describes meditation, retreat or service in hospitals and ashrams; in the 4th, a calm home; in the 10th, a career of counsel or steady service; in the 7th, a stable, mature partnership. A planet here often gives some of its results in Saturn's sub-periods.

In relationships and matching

Uttara Bhadrapada is a manushya gana nakshatra, with the cow as its yoni and Madhya (Pitta) as its nadi. Its yoni pairs most naturally with Uttara Phalguni, the other cow nakshatra; the tiger nakshatras (Chitra and Vishakha) are the cow's traditional enemy.

In everyday terms, Uttara Bhadrapada partners are loyal, patient and supportive, and they need a calm, trustworthy relationship. They flourish with a partner who respects their need for quiet and shares their values.

Career and work

Uttara Bhadrapada favours counselling and therapy, spiritual and religious work, charity and social service, research, writing, hospitals and care institutions, and long-term roles of trust in organisations.

Health as wellbeing

Uttara Bhadrapada lies in Pisces, linked with the feet, and its calm nature links it with rest and sleep. As wellbeing, it benefits from regular movement to balance its stillness, time by water and company that lifts its mood. These are traditional associations, not medical advice.

The dasha connection

A person born with the Moon in Uttara Bhadrapada begins life in the Saturn mahadasha, nineteen years long. The balance remaining at birth depends on how far the Moon has travelled through the nakshatra. Mercury's seventeen-year dasha follows, then Ketu's seven (BPHS ch. 46).

Muhurta: choosing a time

Uttara Bhadrapada is one of the four dhruva (fixed) nakshatras, with Rohini, Uttara Phalguni and Uttara Ashadha, traditionally favoured for permanent undertakings and marriage. It falls within the panchaka period, which some traditions avoid for certain activities. Tithi, weekday and other factors are weighed together.

Traditional practice

For Uttara Bhadrapada the tradition honours the serpent of the depths through worship of Shiva and of the Nagas, and through meditation, which suits this nakshatra's stillness. For Saturn, the nakshatra lord, service to elders and the poor and Saturday observances are recommended. These are traditional practices, not promises.

Living with Uttara Bhadrapada

Uttara Bhadrapada people often become, over time, the calm centre of the people around them. Their wisdom has been earned. The work of this nakshatra is to keep that depth connected to life — to come up from the bottom of the sea often enough to share what it has found there.

A note for Western readers

Western astrology does not use the nakshatras. Algenib and Alpheratz lie in tropical Aries (around 9° and 14°); Western fixed-star lore associated Alpheratz with independence and honour.

FAQ

Which planet rules Uttara Bhadrapada? Saturn, in the Vimshottari dasha system. The sign lord is Jupiter.

What is Uttara Bhadrapada's deity? Ahir Budhnya, the serpent of the depths.

What are the Uttara Bhadrapada name syllables? Du, Tha, Jha and Na (also written Tra), one for each pada.

Is Mercury debilitated in Uttara Bhadrapada? Mercury's deepest debilitation point, 15° Pisces, falls in its fourth pada.

What is the difference between the two Bhadrapadas? Purva Bhadrapada (Aja Ekapada, Jupiter) is fire and fierce idealism; Uttara Bhadrapada (Ahir Budhnya, Saturn) is deep water and calm wisdom.

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

Last reviewed 20 October 2026