vedic astrologyBy DailyDestiny Editorial Team

Krittika Nakshatra: Symbol, Ruling Planet, Personality and Compatibility

Krittika nakshatra is the third of the 27 nakshatras, spanning 26 degrees 40 minutes of Aries to 10 degrees of Taurus, ruled by the Sun and presided over by Agni, the Vedic fire god. Its symbol is a razor, and Jyotish reads a Moon here as sharp, protective, and unwilling to leave anything false standing. This guide covers the Krittika nakshatra meaning, its four padas, the personality it produces, and the koota rules used to match it in marriage.

What is Krittika nakshatra in Vedic astrology?

Krittika nakshatra is the third of the 27 nakshatras in Jyotish, running from 26 degrees 40 minutes of Aries to 10 degrees of Taurus in the sidereal zodiac. That span makes Krittika the only one of the first three nakshatras to cross a sign boundary: its first quarter sits in Mars-ruled Aries, and the remaining three quarters sit in Venus-ruled Taurus. The Sun rules Krittika in the Vimshottari dasha scheme, and Agni, the Vedic fire god, presides over it. Its symbol is a razor or blade, sometimes drawn as an axe or a rising flame, and the name comes from the Sanskrit root krit, to cut. Astronomically, Krittika is the Pleiades, the tight cluster in Taurus whose brightest member is Alcyone and which most eyes resolve into six close stars. Classical tables assign Krittika the Rakshasa gana, female gender, a Brahmin caste attribution, the sheep as its animal, and north as its direction. Krittika holds a senior place in the tradition: several older Vedic enumerations, including the nakshatra list preserved in the Taittiriya Samhita, begin the sequence with Krittika rather than with Ashwini, and the lunar month of Kartika takes its name from this star. A child born with the Moon in Krittika also begins life inside a Sun mahadasha of six years.

Because Krittika straddles two rashis, the same birth star produces two different Moon signs, and that single fact changes what happens downstream in a reading. A Moon at 28 degrees Aries belongs to Krittika but carries an Aries Moon underneath: hot, forward-leaning, dispositor Mars. A Moon at 6 degrees Taurus is equally Krittika but carries a Taurus Moon, dispositor Venus, slower, more attached to comfort and possession, and far more interested in what the cutting actually produces. Guna Milan takes varna, vashya and bhakoot from the rashi rather than the nakshatra, so two Krittika natives can score very differently against the same prospective partner. The Taurus portion also carries a detail worth knowing on its own: the Moon's deep exaltation degree at 3 degrees Taurus falls inside Krittika's second pada, which means the single strongest Moon position in the zodiac is a Krittika Moon. Krittika occupies 13 degrees 20 minutes like every nakshatra, split into four padas of 3 degrees 20 minutes, giving boundaries of 26 degrees 40 minutes to 30 degrees Aries, then 0 to 3 degrees 20 minutes, 3 degrees 20 minutes to 6 degrees 40 minutes, and 6 degrees 40 minutes to 10 degrees of Taurus. Anyone checking a borderline chart should confirm which ayanamsa was used, since a difference of a degree can move a Moon out of Krittika into Bharani or Rohini.

Is Krittika nakshatra in Aries or Taurus?

Krittika nakshatra falls in both. Its first pada occupies the last 3 degrees 20 minutes of Aries, from 26 degrees 40 minutes to 30 degrees, and its remaining three padas occupy the first 10 degrees of Taurus. Roughly a quarter of Krittika natives have an Aries Moon sign and three quarters have a Taurus Moon sign.

Which star cluster is Krittika nakshatra?

Krittika nakshatra corresponds to the Pleiades, the compact open cluster in the constellation Taurus. Its brightest star is Alcyone. Most observers count six stars by eye, which matches the six Krittikas of the mythology, and the cluster's tight grouping is why Krittika is described as a bundle of flames rather than a single point of light.

Why do some Vedic texts list Krittika nakshatra first?

Older Vedic nakshatra lists, including the one in the Taittiriya Samhita, open with Krittika rather than Ashwini. The ordering reflects the sky at the time those lists were compiled, when the spring equinox sat far closer to the Pleiades. Precession has since moved the reference point, and modern Jyotish counts Ashwini as first with Krittika third.

What does Krittika nakshatra mean, and what is its symbol?

The Krittika nakshatra meaning is the cutters, from the Sanskrit root krit, and its symbol is a razor or sharp blade, often shown as an axe, a knife, or a flame shaped like a blade. Krittika's shakti, its assigned power, is dahana shakti, the power to burn. The classical formula places heat above it and light below it, and gives its result as consumption by burning, so the nakshatra is read as the point in the zodiac where something is reduced to what is genuinely there. The blade and the fire say the same thing in two languages: one separates, the other purifies. Behind the symbol sits one of the better-known stories in the tradition. The Krittikas are six celestial mothers, described as wives of the seven sages, who nursed the infant Kartikeya, the war god born of Shiva's fire; he grew six faces to drink from all six, and his name Kartikeya derives from theirs. The seventh of the group, Arundhati, remained with the sage Vasistha and is pointed out in the sky as her own star. In muhurta, Krittika is classed as a mishra or mixed nakshatra, suited to acts that combine sharpness with benefit.

Practitioners read Krittika's razor in two directions at once, and both are meant. The blade in the surgeon's hand cuts to heal, and the same blade in an untrained hand only wounds. Applied to a Krittika Moon, this is the person who identifies the actual problem in a room where everyone else has agreed to talk around it, and whose accuracy is either the most useful thing available or the most painful, depending on how it is delivered. Agni sharpens the reading further. In Vedic ritual Agni is the mouth of the gods, the intermediary who consumes an offering and converts it into something the gods can receive, and that function of transformation by fire is what Krittika contributes to a chart. It is also literal digestion and literal cooking, which is why the nakshatra is tied to kitchens, hearths, heat, and food given away. The living cultural echo is Karthigai Deepam, celebrated in Tamil Nadu when the full Moon falls near Krittika in the month named for the star, and marked at Tiruvannamalai by a great beacon lit on the hill. Rows of lamps, one flame giving light to the next, is a fair picture of how Krittika prefers to work.

What is the symbol of Krittika nakshatra?

The symbol of Krittika nakshatra is a razor or sharp-edged blade. Some traditions draw it as an axe, a knife, or a flame with a cutting edge, and some depict it as the group of six stars itself. Every version carries the same idea: an instrument that separates one thing cleanly from another.

What is the shakti of Krittika nakshatra?

Krittika nakshatra carries dahana shakti, the power to burn. The classical formulation places heat above the nakshatra and light below it, and names its result as burning away. In practice this is read as the capacity to consume impurity, end a situation past saving, and leave only what can survive the fire.

Why is Krittika nakshatra linked to Kartikeya?

Kartikeya, the war god born from Shiva's fire, was nursed by the six Krittikas, the celestial mothers the nakshatra is named for, and he took his name from them. Jyotish uses the story to explain Krittika's mix of fierce protectiveness and nurturing, and the sense that a Krittika native is raising or defending something larger than themselves.

Which planet rules Krittika nakshatra, and who is its deity?

The Sun is the ruling planet of Krittika nakshatra, and Agni is its deity, giving the nakshatra a solar body with a fiery mouth. Krittika is the first of the three nakshatras the Sun governs in the Vimshottari scheme, the others being Uttara Phalguni and Uttara Ashadha, and it carries the Sun's six-year mahadasha. What the Sun contributes is authority, visibility, the father, the eyes, vitality, discipline, and a refusal to be anonymous. What Agni contributes is the willingness to burn. Combined, they explain why Krittika natives so often end up in positions where they set the standard and enforce it. Note one detail practitioners get wrong: the Sun's exaltation degree at 10 degrees Aries lies inside Ashwini, not Krittika, so a Sun in Krittika is dignified by nakshatra lordship rather than by exaltation. In the Aries pada the Sun also sits in a friend's sign under Mars, which strengthens it further; in the three Taurus padas the Sun is dispositored by Venus, a planet it does not naturally befriend, and readings there tend to describe more friction between what the person wants and what the person values. A Moon in Krittika starts the dasha sequence with the Sun and passes to the Moon's ten-year period afterward.

The dasha detail matters for anyone reading their own chart. Birth in Krittika means the Sun mahadasha of six years is already running at birth, and the unexpired balance is proportional to how much of the nakshatra the Moon has left to travel. A Moon at 27 degrees 30 minutes of Aries has crossed 50 minutes of Krittika's 800, about six percent, so roughly five years and seven months of Sun dasha remain before the Moon's ten-year period begins. A Moon at 9 degrees Taurus, near the end of the fourth pada, has only a few months of Sun dasha left. Two Krittika natives can therefore have completely different early childhoods, one shaped by an extended Sun period and its themes of the father, authority and self-assertion, the other moving almost immediately into the Moon's softer decade. The Agni connection also gives a practical timing rule that Jyotish uses often: transits of the Sun over natal Krittika points, which happen for about two weeks each May, and Sun-related periods generally, are when the burning quality of the nakshatra becomes visible in events rather than in temperament alone.

Which planet is the ruling planet of Krittika nakshatra?

The Sun, Surya, is the ruling planet of Krittika nakshatra. That lordship governs the Vimshottari dasha, so anyone born with the Moon in Krittika runs a Sun mahadasha of six years from birth, with the balance calculated from how far the Moon had already traveled through the nakshatra.

Which other nakshatras does the Sun rule?

The Sun rules three nakshatras in the Vimshottari sequence: Krittika, the third, at 26 degrees 40 minutes Aries to 10 degrees Taurus; Uttara Phalguni, the twelfth; and Uttara Ashadha, the twenty-first. They sit 120 degrees apart, one in each third of the zodiac, and each carries the same six-year Sun period.

Is the Sun exalted in Krittika nakshatra?

No. The Sun's exaltation degree is 10 degrees of Aries, which falls inside Ashwini nakshatra, not Krittika. A Sun placed in Krittika sits in its own nakshatra, which is a real dignity, and in the first pada it also sits in Aries under a friendly Mars, but it is not exalted there.

What is the Krittika nakshatra personality like?

The Krittika nakshatra personality is direct, discerning, and impatient with anything padded or false. Jyotish describes these natives as people who see the flaw immediately and say so, which makes them excellent editors, diagnosticians, teachers and quality controllers, and difficult company for anyone hoping to be flattered. They hold high standards and apply them to themselves first, work hard, and dislike being managed. The six-mothers story shows up as a strong protective streak: Krittika natives feed people, defend the person being talked over, and take responsibility for those under their care with a seriousness that surprises people who had only met the sharp side. Appetite is a recurring theme, for food especially, and many Krittika natives cook well or care a great deal about how they eat. The temper is real and it is fast; it flares, burns clean, and is usually over before the other person has recovered. Pride runs high, and criticism aimed back at them lands harder than they let on. The Rakshasa gana assigned to Krittika does not mean anything demonic here; in classification terms it marks intensity, appetite, and a willingness to fight, and Krittika uses all three in defense of something it has decided is worth defending.

How the fire shows itself depends on which side of the sign boundary the Moon fell. Krittika in the Aries pada burns outward, argues, moves first, and treats obstacles as things to be charged. Krittika in the three Taurus padas burns slowly and stores heat, so the same sharpness appears as immovable stubbornness, long memory, an eye for quality, and a taste for beautiful, well-made, durable things. The Taurus portion is also where the vanity lives, usually about appearance, craft, or the standard of what the native owns. The shadow side is worth naming plainly. Discernment untempered becomes contempt, and a Krittika native who has stopped checking themselves can carve up a colleague or a family member with genuine precision and call it honesty. Burnout is the other risk, since the same person will keep going long after the fuel is gone. The classical remedy is not to blunt the blade but to aim it. Jyotish points Krittika toward work that requires cutting, so the faculty is used on a problem rather than a person, and toward Agni's other function, feeding others, which channels the same fire into something people are glad to receive.

Is Krittika nakshatra good or bad?

Krittika nakshatra is neither. Jyotish rates it strong: courageous, principled, capable of ending what needs ending, and outstanding for surgery, cooking, teaching, criticism and command. The recognized weaknesses are a fast temper, cutting speech, and pride that resists correction. Whether the blade heals or harms depends on the rest of the chart and on the native's own discipline.

Why is Krittika nakshatra called blunt?

Krittika nakshatra carries the razor as its symbol and dahana shakti, the power to burn, so the tradition expects the native to strip a situation down to what is actually true and say it out loud. Krittika natives rarely soften a message. Listeners usually find the assessment accurate and the delivery uncomfortable.

What is the shadow side of the Krittika nakshatra personality?

The Krittika nakshatra shadow shows up as criticism that turns cruel, arrogance about their own standards, impatience with slower people, and a temper that damages relationships faster than it clears the air. Krittika natives also tend to overwork, and being criticized in return wounds their pride far more than they admit.

What are the four Krittika padas and what does each one change?

Krittika nakshatra divides into four padas of 3 degrees 20 minutes each, and each Krittika pada falls in a different navamsa sign, which changes the temperament substantially. Pada 1 covers 26 degrees 40 minutes to 30 degrees of Aries in the Sagittarius navamsa, ruled by Jupiter: the crusading pada, morally driven, blunt in the way a preacher is blunt, drawn to teaching, law, and causes. Pada 2 covers 0 to 3 degrees 20 minutes of Taurus in the Capricorn navamsa, ruled by Saturn: the most materially capable Krittika pada, patient, ambitious, good with money and structure, and the pada that contains the Moon's deep exaltation at 3 degrees Taurus. Pada 3 covers 3 degrees 20 minutes to 6 degrees 40 minutes of Taurus in the Aquarius navamsa, also ruled by Saturn: idealistic, group-minded, willing to be unconventional, and inclined to apply the razor to systems rather than individuals. Pada 4 covers 6 degrees 40 minutes to 10 degrees of Taurus in the Pisces navamsa, ruled by Jupiter: the softest quarter, compassionate, artistic, prone to sacrifice, and the one where Krittika's fire warms rather than cuts. The traditional naming syllables run A, EE, U and AY across the four padas.

The navamsa lord is the practical key to reading any Krittika pada, because it tells you what the fire is being spent on. Both Saturn padas, the second and third, slow Krittika down and make it durable, which is why they are so often found in careers requiring years of unglamorous accumulation. The difference between them is direction: the Capricorn navamsa builds for itself and its family, while the Aquarius navamsa builds for a group and is comfortable being the person who says the unpopular thing at the meeting. The two Jupiter padas, the first and fourth, sit at opposite ends of the nakshatra and behave like opposites. The Sagittarius navamsa of pada 1 combines an Aries Moon, Mars dispositor, Sun nakshatra lord and Jupiter navamsa lord, which is about as much fire as one quarter of the zodiac can hold; these natives are conviction-driven and can be righteous. The Pisces navamsa of pada 4 has a Taurus Moon under Venus with Jupiter in the navamsa, and it produces the Krittika natives who cook for everyone, forgive more than they should, and only show the blade when someone they protect is threatened.

Which Krittika pada is the strongest?

For material results, Krittika pada 2, at 0 to 3 degrees 20 minutes of Taurus in the Capricorn navamsa, is usually called the strongest, since it holds the Moon's deep exaltation degree at 3 degrees Taurus and combines Taurus stability with Saturn's endurance. For conviction and leadership, Krittika pada 1 in the Sagittarius navamsa is rated highest.

What are the name syllables for each Krittika pada?

Traditional naming practice assigns Krittika pada 1 the syllable A, pada 2 the syllable EE, pada 3 the syllable U, and pada 4 the syllable AY. Families following the custom choose a child's first name beginning with the syllable of the exact pada the Moon occupied at birth.

Which Krittika pada contains the Moon's exaltation degree?

Krittika pada 2 contains it. The Moon's deep exaltation falls at 3 degrees of Taurus, and Krittika pada 2 spans 0 to 3 degrees 20 minutes of Taurus, so the Moon's single best degree in the entire zodiac sits within Krittika nakshatra in the Capricorn navamsa.

What are Krittika nakshatra's gana, yoni, nadi and rajju?

Krittika nakshatra is assigned Rakshasa gana, the sheep yoni in its female form, Antya nadi, and Nabhi rajju, and these four labels do most of the work in a traditional match. Rakshasa gana marks intensity and appetite rather than anything sinister, and it scores 6 out of 6 in Guna Milan only against another Rakshasa gana nakshatra. The sheep yoni, worth 4 points, has exactly one declared enemy in the yoni table, the monkey, which belongs to Purva Ashadha and Shravana. Antya nadi, the kapha group, carries the heaviest single koota at 8 points, and it awards those points only when the partner sits in a different nadi. Nabhi rajju, the navel group, is not part of the 36 points but is checked closely in South Indian matching, where a shared rajju is treated as a warning. Two more values come from the rashi rather than the nakshatra, so they split at the sign boundary: varna is Kshatriya for the Aries pada and Shudra for the three Taurus padas, and graha maitri runs through Mars for pada 1 and Venus for padas 2 to 4. Vashya stays constant, since Aries and Taurus are both quadruped signs.

Reading these labels together explains why Krittika matches are less straightforward than the raw score suggests. The gana requirement points toward the eight other Rakshasa nakshatras: Ashlesha, Magha, Chitra, Vishakha, Jyeshtha, Mula, Dhanishta and Shatabhisha. But Ashlesha, Magha and Vishakha share Krittika's Antya nadi, which costs the whole 8-point koota, and Vishakha additionally shares its Nabhi rajju. The list of partners who satisfy both conditions shrinks quickly, which is why experienced matchmakers compute rather than reach for a memorized list. The Antya nadi group Krittika must avoid contains Rohini, Ashlesha, Magha, Swati, Vishakha, Uttara Ashadha, Shravana and Revati. The Nabhi rajju group it shares with, and is advised against, contains Punarvasu, Uttara Phalguni, Vishakha, Uttara Ashadha and Purva Bhadrapada; the navel rajju is specifically associated in the tradition with concerns about children. Note that Uttara Ashadha and Vishakha appear on both lists, which makes them the two most consistently discouraged partners for a Krittika native before any other factor is considered.

What is the gana of Krittika nakshatra?

Krittika nakshatra belongs to Rakshasa gana, along with Ashlesha, Magha, Chitra, Vishakha, Jyeshtha, Mula, Dhanishta and Shatabhisha. In Guna Milan the gana koota is worth 6 points, and a Krittika native scores the full 6 only with another Rakshasa gana nakshatra. Pairing with Deva gana costs almost the entire koota.

What is the yoni of Krittika nakshatra?

The yoni of Krittika nakshatra is the sheep, in its female form; Pushya carries the male sheep. Because a shared yoni scores the full 4 points, Pushya is Krittika's ideal yoni pairing. The sheep's declared enemy in the yoni table is the monkey, which rules out Purva Ashadha and Shravana on that koota.

Which nadi does Krittika nakshatra belong to?

Krittika nakshatra belongs to Antya nadi, the kapha group, together with Rohini, Ashlesha, Magha, Swati, Vishakha, Uttara Ashadha, Shravana and Revati. Nadi is the heaviest koota at 8 points, and matching two Antya nadi charts creates nadi dosha, which traditional matchmakers treat as a serious objection.

Which nakshatras are compatible with Krittika nakshatra for marriage?

Krittika nakshatra compatibility works best with a partner outside Antya nadi, outside Nabhi rajju, and ideally inside Rakshasa gana, and two nakshatras satisfy all three cleanly: Shatabhisha and Jyeshtha. Shatabhisha sits in Aquarius, which is the tenth sign from Taurus and therefore free of bhakoot dosha for the three Taurus padas of Krittika, carries Adi nadi, Rakshasa gana, the horse yoni that has no quarrel with the sheep, and Kantha rajju. Jyeshtha sits in Scorpio, the seventh from Taurus, also acceptable in bhakoot, with Adi nadi, Rakshasa gana and Pada rajju. Dhanishta works well when the partner's Moon falls in its Aquarius padas, and Pushya deserves mention because it shares Krittika's sheep yoni for the full 4 points and sits in Cancin a relation Krittika's Aries pada handles better than its Taurus padas. The clearest matches to avoid are Purva Ashadha and Shravana, which carry the monkey yoni and score zero there, with Shravana compounding the problem by sharing Antya nadi. Uttara Ashadha and Vishakha are discouraged on both nadi and rajju. Mangal dosha is assessed separately from all of this and can override a high score.

Points aside, Krittika nakshatra needs a specific kind of partner temperamentally, and matchmakers who work with the nakshatra say so openly. A Krittika native will tell you what is wrong with the plan, the meal, or the relationship, usually without being asked, and a partner who takes each assessment as an attack will spend the marriage bruised. The pairings that hold are with people who can hear a direct sentence, answer it directly, and let the flare pass without keeping score. Krittika, for its part, is loyal, protective, and materially reliable in a way that shows up in bills paid and people fed. Two practical notes. First, the Krittika native's own pada decides half the calculation, since the Aries pada and the Taurus padas produce different bhakoot and varna results against the same partner. Second, two Krittika natives can be matched: sharing a nakshatra normally triggers nadi dosha, but the classical exception cancels it when the two Moons fall in different padas, and the pairing then collects full gana and bhakoot points. Whether two razors in one house is comfortable is a separate question from whether the chart permits it.

Which nakshatras are best for Krittika nakshatra marriage?

Shatabhisha and Jyeshtha score highest for Krittika nakshatra, since both supply Rakshasa gana, a nadi different from Krittika's Antya, a rajju different from Nabhi, and a bhakoot relation that avoids dosha with a Taurus Moon. Pushya is the strongest yoni match, sharing Krittika's sheep, and Dhanishta works from its Aquarius padas.

Which nakshatras should Krittika nakshatra avoid?

Krittika nakshatra is most often advised against Shravana and Purva Ashadha, whose monkey yoni is the sheep's declared enemy, and against Uttara Ashadha and Vishakha, which clash with Krittika on both nadi and rajju. The wider Antya nadi group, including Rohini, Ashlesha, Magha, Swati and Revati, costs the 8-point nadi koota.

Can two Krittika nakshatra people marry?

Yes, under the classical exception. Two charts in the same nakshatra normally share a nadi and trigger nadi dosha, but the rule is waived when the two Moons occupy different padas of Krittika. Such a pairing then collects full gana and bhakoot points, and the remaining question is temperamental rather than technical.

What careers, health themes and remedies suit Krittika nakshatra?

Krittika nakshatra points toward work that uses an edge or a flame, and Jyotish names the occupations directly: surgeons and dentists, chefs and bakers, metallurgists, welders, gem cutters, tailors, barbers, military and police officers, editors and critics, priests who conduct fire ceremonies, and teachers who correct. Anything involving heat, cutting, refining, or the enforcement of a standard falls under Krittika. On the body, the nakshatra is linked to the head and eyes through its Aries portion and to the face, neck and loins through the Taurus portion, and the health themes that follow it are acidity, inflammation, fevers, headaches, eye strain, and heat conditions of the skin. The classical remedies work through the Sun and through Agni. Offering water to the rising Sun from a copper vessel, reciting the Aditya Hridayam or the Gayatri, observing Sunday, and performing or attending a havan are all standard. The deity mantra is Om Agnaye Namah and the planetary mantra is Om Suryaya Namah. The nakshatra tree is the udumbara, the cluster fig. The most characteristic Krittika remedy of all is feeding people, since giving away cooked food turns the nakshatra's own fire into something that nourishes rather than burns.

Krittika's muhurta profile follows the same logic. Classified as mishra, or mixed, Krittika is recommended for acts of fire and sharpness: lighting a ritual fire, beginning surgery, buying or commissioning tools and weapons, metalwork, deep cleaning, and formally ending arrangements that should have ended earlier. It is not chosen for gentle beginnings; marriage muhurtas in particular tend to look elsewhere, on the grounds that a nakshatra whose power is burning is a strange foundation for a household. The days when the full Moon falls in or near Krittika, in the lunar month of Kartika, are among the most observed nights of the Indian religious calendar, which is a fair indication of how the tradition weights this star. For the individual native, the practical work is temperature control. Physical heat rises easily in Krittika charts, so cooling food, regular sleep, and exercise that discharges the aggression are usually recommended before anything ritual. The habit that helps most is deliberate: before delivering the accurate observation, decide whether it is being aimed at a problem or at a person. Krittika rarely misses; the only variable is what it was pointed at.

What careers suit Krittika nakshatra?

Krittika nakshatra suits surgeons, dentists, chefs, bakers, metalworkers, welders, gem cutters, tailors, barbers, soldiers, police officers, editors, critics, fire-ritual priests, and teachers. The common thread is a blade, a flame, or an enforced standard. Krittika natives also do well in quality control, auditing, and any role where somebody has to say what is actually wrong.

Which body parts does Krittika nakshatra govern?

Krittika nakshatra governs the head and eyes through its Aries portion and the face, neck and loins through its Taurus portion, with the Sun reinforcing the connection to eyesight. The health tendencies attributed to it are acidity and digestive heat, inflammation, fevers, headaches, eye strain, and heat rashes.

What is the mantra for Krittika nakshatra?

The deity mantra for Krittika nakshatra is Om Agnaye Namah, addressed to Agni, and the planetary mantra is Om Suryaya Namah, addressed to the Sun as nakshatra lord. Practitioners commonly pair these with the Aditya Hridayam or the Gayatri, recited at sunrise on a Sunday, and with offering water to the Sun from a copper vessel.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the exact degrees of Krittika nakshatra?

Krittika nakshatra runs from 26 degrees 40 minutes of sidereal Aries to 10 degrees 00 minutes of sidereal Taurus, a span of 13 degrees 20 minutes like every nakshatra. Bharani ends where Krittika begins, and Rohini takes over at 10 degrees Taurus. The Sun crosses Krittika around May 10 to May 24 each year, and the Moon passes through it for roughly one day per lunar month.

Who is the deity of Krittika nakshatra?

Agni, the Vedic fire god, is the presiding deity of Krittika nakshatra, while the Sun is its ruling planet in the Vimshottari dasha scheme. Agni is invoked in Jyotish as the carrier of offerings and the digestive fire, which is why Krittika is associated with cooking, ritual fire, purification, and anything that transforms one substance into another by heat.

Is Krittika nakshatra a good nakshatra to be born in?

Krittika nakshatra is considered strong rather than gentle. Jyotish credits it with courage, discernment, and the willingness to end what needs ending, and blames it for a temper and a tongue that wound. Practitioners rate it highly for surgeons, cooks, soldiers, and editors, and warn that a Krittika Moon has to learn where the blade stops. Nothing in the classification makes it unlucky.

What are the lucky color, number, day and gemstone for Krittika nakshatra?

Nakshatra tables usually give Krittika the color white, with red as the secondary shade taken from the Sun. The Sun supplies the rest: number 1, Sunday as the favorable day, ruby as the associated gemstone, and copper as the metal. The nakshatra tree of Krittika is the udumbara, or cluster fig. Gemstones should only be worn on the advice of an astrologer who has seen the whole chart.

How does a Krittika Moon differ from a Krittika Sun or Krittika Ascendant?

A Krittika Moon sets the birth star, drives the Vimshottari dasha, and supplies the emotional temperament that most Krittika descriptions refer to. A Sun in Krittika places the Sun in its own nakshatra and colors identity and vocation with Agni's purifying quality. A Krittika Ascendant shapes the body and the outward manner, often giving a direct gaze and a naturally commanding voice.

What does it mean if the Moon is in Krittika pada 2?

Krittika pada 2 covers 0 to 3 degrees 20 minutes of Taurus in the Capricorn navamsa, ruled by Saturn, and it contains 3 degrees Taurus, the Moon's deep exaltation degree. A Moon here is read as the most materially productive Krittika pada: patient, ambitious, careful with money, and able to keep working long after the initial fire has died down.

Which nakshatras come before and after Krittika nakshatra?

Bharani nakshatra comes before Krittika, ending at 26 degrees 40 minutes of Aries, and Rohini nakshatra comes after, beginning at 10 degrees of Taurus. Krittika is therefore the bridge between the Venus-ruled Bharani and the Moon-ruled Rohini, and the only one of the first three nakshatras that crosses from Aries into Taurus.