Nakshatras · 23 of 27
Dhanishta nakshatra
The 23rd lunar mansion, 23°20′ Capricorn to 6°40′ Aquarius, ruled by Mars.
- Span
- 23°20′ Capricorn to 6°40′ Aquarius
- Ruling planet
- Mars (Vimshottari dasha of 7 years)
- Deity
- The eight Vasus
- Symbol
- A drum
- Nature
- Chara (movable)
- Gana
- Rakshasa (fierce)
- Yoni (animal)
- Lion
- Nadi
- Madhya (Pitta)
The meaning of Dhanishta
Dhanishta (धनिष्ठा) is the 23rd of the 27 nakshatras. Its presiding deity is the eight Vasus, the gods of the elements and of abundance, and its symbol is a drum. In Jyotish the deity of a nakshatra is the key to its nature: what the deity does, the nakshatra does.
It is ruled by Mars, so a person whose Moon is in Dhanishta begins life in the Mars dasha. The other two nakshatras ruled by Mars are Mrigashira and Chitra; together they share something of Mars’s character.
Good for: Chara work
In the muhurta texts Dhanishta is a chara (movable) nakshatra, favoured for travel, buying vehicles, gardening and new journeys. When the Moon passes through Dhanishta (about once every 27⅓ days) it is a good day for those kinds of beginnings.
The four padas
Each nakshatra divides into four padas of 3°20′. Each pada falls in a navamsa sign, and each has the traditional first syllable used for naming a child born in it.
| Pada | Sign | Navamsa | Naming syllable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capricorn | Leo | Ga |
| 2 | Capricorn | Virgo | Gi |
| 3 | Aquarius | Libra | Gu |
| 4 | Aquarius | Scorpio | Ge |
In marriage matching
In guna milan, Dhanishta is of Rakshasa gana, lion yoni and Madhya nadi. Two partners with the same nadi lose all eight points of nadi koota. Match two charts.
Find your birth nakshatra · Capricorn (Makara) · Chapter 5: the 27 nakshatras
Sources: Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra and Phaladeepika for the signs, planets and houses; Muhurta Chintamani for the nakshatra classes and the guna milan attributes. Wording is our own.