Nakshatras · 13 of 27
Hasta nakshatra
The 13th lunar mansion, 10°00′ Virgo to 23°20′ Virgo, ruled by Moon.
- Span
- 10°00′ Virgo to 23°20′ Virgo
- Ruling planet
- Moon (Vimshottari dasha of 10 years)
- Deity
- Savitar
- Symbol
- An open hand
- Nature
- Kshipra (swift)
- Gana
- Deva (godly)
- Yoni (animal)
- Buffalo
- Nadi
- Adi (Vata)
The meaning of Hasta
Hasta (हस्त) is the 13th of the 27 nakshatras. Its presiding deity is Savitar, the sun as the inspirer and enlivener, invoked in the Gayatri mantra, and its symbol is an open hand. In Jyotish the deity of a nakshatra is the key to its nature: what the deity does, the nakshatra does.
It is ruled by Moon, so a person whose Moon is in Hasta begins life in the Moon dasha. The other two nakshatras ruled by Moon are Rohini and Shravana; together they share something of Moon’s character.
Good for: Kshipra work
In the muhurta texts Hasta is a kshipra (swift) nakshatra, favoured for trade, learning, medicine, travel and enjoyment. When the Moon passes through Hasta (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 | Virgo | Aries | Pu |
| 2 | Virgo | Taurus | Sha |
| 3 | Virgo | Gemini | Na |
| 4 | Virgo | Cancer | Tha |
In marriage matching
In guna milan, Hasta is of Deva gana, buffalo yoni and Adi nadi. Two partners with the same nadi lose all eight points of nadi koota. Match two charts.
Find your birth nakshatra · Virgo (Kanya) · 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.