Nakshatras · 20 of 27
Purva Ashadha nakshatra
The 20th lunar mansion, 13°20′ Sagittarius to 26°40′ Sagittarius, ruled by Venus.
- Span
- 13°20′ Sagittarius to 26°40′ Sagittarius
- Ruling planet
- Venus (Vimshottari dasha of 20 years)
- Deity
- Apas
- Symbol
- An elephant’s tusk or a winnowing fan
- Nature
- Ugra (fierce)
- Gana
- Manushya (human)
- Yoni (animal)
- Monkey
- Nadi
- Madhya (Pitta)
The meaning of Purva Ashadha
Purva Ashadha (पूर्वाषाढा) is the 20th of the 27 nakshatras. Its presiding deity is Apas, the waters, and its symbol is an elephant’s tusk or a winnowing fan. In Jyotish the deity of a nakshatra is the key to its nature: what the deity does, the nakshatra does.
It is ruled by Venus, so a person whose Moon is in Purva Ashadha begins life in the Venus dasha. The other two nakshatras ruled by Venus are Bharani and Purva Phalguni; together they share something of Venus’s character.
Good for: Ugra work
In the muhurta texts Purva Ashadha is a ugra (fierce) nakshatra, favoured for bold, forceful or competitive undertakings, and confronting opponents. When the Moon passes through Purva Ashadha (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 | Sagittarius | Leo | Bhu |
| 2 | Sagittarius | Virgo | Dha |
| 3 | Sagittarius | Libra | Pha |
| 4 | Sagittarius | Scorpio | Dha |
In marriage matching
In guna milan, Purva Ashadha is of Manushya gana, monkey yoni and Madhya nadi. Two partners with the same nadi lose all eight points of nadi koota. Match two charts.
Find your birth nakshatra · Sagittarius (Dhanu) · 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.