Nakshatras 1–9 explained: Ashwini, Bharani, Krittika, Rohini to Ashlesha

The first nine of the 27 lunar mansions, Ashwini to Ashlesha (sidereal Aries to Cancer): the deity, ruling planet, symbol, stars and energy of each, the Vimshottari order of their lords, and how to find your own Moon’s nakshatra.

Chapters

1. 0:00 The lunar mansions
2. 0:45 The nine lords
3. 1:16 Ashwini, Bharani, Krittika
4. 2:25 Rohini, Mrigashira, Ardra
5. 3:39 Punarvasu, Pushya, Ashlesha
6. 4:48 Find your nakshatra
7. 5:15 Recap

Transcript

The lunar mansions

The Moon passes through about one nakshatra each day. Twenty-seven of these lunar mansions divide the sky into equal parts of thirteen degrees and twenty minutes, and each one has its own deity, symbol and planetary lord. Each is also split into four padas. The nakshatra of your Moon sets the start of your Vimshottari dasha, and colours the whole chart. In this video, we meet the first nine, from Ashwini to Ashlesha.

Together they fill the first four signs of the sidereal zodiac: Aries, Taurus, Gemini and Cancer.

The nine lords

First, a pattern worth knowing. The lords of the first nine nakshatras follow the order of the Vimshottari dasha: Ketu, Venus, the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury. The same nine lords then repeat, in the same order, for nakshatras ten to eighteen, and again for nineteen to twenty-seven. So once you know these nine, you know the lord of every nakshatra.

Ashwini, Bharani, Krittika

Ashwini is the first nakshatra, the first thirteen degrees and twenty minutes of Aries. Its deities are the Ashvins, the twin horsemen-physicians of the gods, and its lord is Ketu. Its symbol is a horse's head. Ashwini is the energy of the first moment: quick, fresh, helpful and healing. Bharani is the second, also in Aries.

Its deity is Yama, the lord of death and of dharma, and its lord is Venus. Its name means she who bears, and its symbol is the womb. Bharani is the energy of carrying: holding life, desire and responsibility until it is ready to be born. Krittika is the third, and its stars are the Pleiades. It begins at the end of Aries and runs to ten degrees of Taurus.

Its deity is Agni, the sacred fire, and its lord is the Sun. Its name means the cutters. Krittika is the fire that purifies: sharp discernment, honesty and protectiveness.

Rohini, Mrigashira, Ardra

Rohini, the fourth, lies wholly in Taurus, and its chief star is Aldebaran. Its deity is Prajapati, the creator, and its lord is the Moon. Its name means the red one, or the growing one, and its symbol is an ox-cart. Rohini is the energy of fertile ground: beauty, growth and abundance. It was the Moon's favourite among his twenty-seven wives.

Mrigashira, the fifth, is the deer's head, at the head of Orion. It spans the end of Taurus and the start of Gemini. Its deity is Soma, the Moon, and its lord is Mars. Mrigashira is the energy of searching: curiosity, gentle alertness, and the restless wish to find something. Ardra, the sixth, lies in Gemini, and its star is Betelgeuse.

Its deity is Rudra, the roaring storm god, and its lord is Rahu. Its name means the moist one, and its symbol is a teardrop. Ardra is the energy of the storm, and of the clearing that comes after, when the air is clean and everything turns green.

Punarvasu, Pushya, Ashlesha

Punarvasu, the seventh, spans the end of Gemini and the start of Cancer. Its stars are Castor and Pollux. Its deity is Aditi, the boundless mother of the gods, and its lord is Jupiter. Its name means good again, the return of the light. Punarvasu is the energy of renewal: hope after loss, and the return home.

Pushya, the eighth, lies in Cancer. Its deity is Brihaspati, the teacher of the gods, and its lord is Saturn. Its name means nourishing, and its symbol is a cow's udder. Traditional muhurta counts Pushya among the most auspicious of all the nakshatras. Ashlesha, the ninth, completes Cancer.

Its deities are the Sarpas, the serpent beings, and its lord is Mercury. Its name means the embrace, and its symbol is a coiled serpent. Ashlesha is the energy of perception and hidden knowledge, the power to hold on, and the power to shed a skin and begin again.

Find your nakshatra

To find your own nakshatra, you need the Moon's exact position at your birth, in the sidereal zodiac. A free kundli on sunyra.ai shows it, with its pada, and the dasha it starts. And if you would like your whole chart read in depth, Sunyra's Full Kundli Report on sunyra.ai does that, from your own birth details.

Recap

To recap. Twenty-seven nakshatras, each thirteen degrees and twenty minutes. The first nine fill Aries to Cancer. Their lords run Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, and that order repeats twice more. Ashwini the healer, Bharani the bearer, Krittika the fire, Rohini the growing one, Mrigashira the seeker, Ardra the storm, Punarvasu the return, Pushya the nourisher, and Ashlesha the serpent.

Next, nakshatras ten to eighteen. Thank you for watching. May your Moon find its mansion.

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