Ardra Nakshatra

About Ardra nakshatra

Ardra is the 6th of the 27 lunar mansions. It runs from 6°40′ Gemini to 20°00′ Gemini in the sidereal zodiac (Lahiri ayanamsa). Its ruling planet (swami grah) is Rahu, its deity is Rudra, the storm form of Shiva, and its symbol is a teardrop or diamond.

People born with the Moon in Ardra are traditionally described as thoughtful, intense, research minded and honest about feelings.

• Lord: Rahu
• Deity: Rudra, the storm form of Shiva
• Symbol: a teardrop or diamond
• Gana: Manushya
• Yoni: dog
• Nadi: Adi
• Nature: sharp

Ardra nakshatra padas and name letters

Each pada is 3°20′ and has its own letter and navamsa sign.

• Pada 1: letter Ku, Gemini (Mithun) rashi, navamsa Sagittarius.
• Pada 2: letter Gha, Gemini (Mithun) rashi, navamsa Capricorn.
• Pada 3: letter Ng, Gemini (Mithun) rashi, navamsa Aquarius.
• Pada 4: letter Chha, Gemini (Mithun) rashi, navamsa Pisces.

Ardra in kundli matching (kundli milan)

In ashtakoota guna milan, Ardra gives Manushya gana (6 points), dog yoni (4 points) and Adi nadi (8 points), together 18 of the 36 points.

1. Find both birth nakshatras.
2. Compare nadi: same nadi scores 0.
3. Compare gana and yoni.
4. Add the remaining kootas for a score out of 36.

Ardra personality, love and career

Thoughtful, intense, research minded and honest about feelings. In love, the manushya gana style shows. At work, these qualities suit roles that reward them.

• Strengths: thoughtful, intense, research minded and honest about feelings.
• Nature in muhurat: sharp.
• Planet to know: Rahu.

Ardra and dasha

Vimshottari dasha starts from the birth nakshatra lord, so Ardra natives begin in Rahu mahadasha (18 years in full).

1. Rahu mahadasha, 18 years
2. Jupiter mahadasha, 16 years
3. Saturn mahadasha, 19 years
4. Mercury mahadasha, 17 years
5. Ketu mahadasha, 7 years
6. Venus mahadasha, 20 years
7. Sun mahadasha, 6 years
8. Moon mahadasha, 10 years
9. Mars mahadasha, 7 years

Ardra in muhurat

Muhurat texts class Ardra as sharp. Light nakshatras suit travel and trade, fixed ones suit foundations, soft ones suit art and marriage, sharp and fierce ones suit firm or bold tasks.

Ardra nakshatra in depth

The word nakshatra is often translated as lunar mansion. The Moon moves roughly 13 degrees a day, so it spends about one day in each of the 27 nakshatras and completes the circle in a little over 27 days. Ancient astronomers used these star groups as a calendar long before the twelve signs became popular, and that is why Indian families still ask for the janma nakshatra before anything else. Ardra sits at position 6 in that circle, after Mrigashira and before Punarvasu.

The deity of Ardra is Rudra, the storm form of Shiva. In traditional reading the deity hints at the inner motive of the nakshatra, while the symbol, a teardrop or diamond, gives a picture that is easy to remember. The ruling planet (swami grah) Rahu adds its own colour, and because Vimshottari dasha begins from the birth nakshatra lord, Rahu becomes the first planetary period in the life of anyone born with the Moon here.

Matching uses three attributes of Ardra directly. Gana describes temperament, and Ardra is Manushya gana. Yoni describes instinct and comfort, and Ardra carries the dog yoni. Nadi describes constitution, and Ardra is Adi nadi. Together these three kootas carry 18 of the 36 guna milan points, which is why two people's nakshatras matter so much in kundli milan.

In muhurat, Ardra is a sharp nakshatra. Muhurat texts sort nakshatras into groups such as fixed, movable, soft, light, sharp and fierce, and each group suits certain kinds of work. Families look at this when choosing a day for naamkaran, griha pravesh, travel, purchases or a wedding, along with tithi, weekday and lagna.

For a newborn, the pada matters most. Each of the four padas of Ardra gives a different starting letter: Ku, Gha, Ng, Chha. Families who follow the custom pick a name that begins with the letter of the birth pada, then often check the name number (naam ka ank) in numerology (ank jyotish) as a second, lighter step.

How to find your nakshatra

Your janma nakshatra is where the Moon stood at birth.

1. Open the free nakshatra calculator.
2. Enter date, time and place of birth.
3. Note the nakshatra and pada.
4. Read this guide for your nakshatra.