The 27 nakshatras
Krittika nakshatra कृत्तिका
Star 3 of 27, ruled by Sun, watched over by Agni, the fire that purifies. Its symbol is a razor's edge and a flame.
The essentials
Krittika spans 26°40' Aries to 10°00' Taurus. Dasha lord Sun (6 years). Deity Agni, the fire that purifies. Gana Rakshasa, yoni sheep, nadi Antya (Kapha). Naming syllables अ, ई, उ, ए. A birth Moon here makes Krittika your janma nakshatra and opens your Vimshottari timeline in a Sun period.
The four padas
| Pada | Span | Navāṁśa | Syllable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pada 1 | 26°40' Aries to 0°00' Taurus | Sagittarius navāṁśa | अ |
| Pada 2 | 0°00' Taurus to 3°20' Taurus | Capricorn navāṁśa | ई |
| Pada 3 | 3°20' Taurus to 6°40' Taurus | Aquarius navāṁśa | उ |
| Pada 4 | 6°40' Taurus to 10°00' Taurus | Pisces navāṁśa | ए |
Each pada colours the star through its navāṁśa sign, which is why two people of the same nakshatra can wear it differently. The syllable of the birth pada is the one tradition offers at a naming ceremony.
The character of Krittika
Krittika cuts to the truth. Its people have a surgeon's honesty and a cook's warmth, sharp with pretence and generous with nourishment. The fire that burns rubbish can also scorch kin, so the star's work is aiming the flame.
Krittika in kundli matching
A Rakshasa gana star of the sheep yoni, sharing its animal with Pushya. In Ashtakoota matching, the gana enters the six point Gana test, the yoni its four point test of instinctive accord, and the nadi the heaviest test of all at eight points, where two identical nadis score nothing. None of these verdicts stands alone, and the full milan arithmetic weighs all eight kutas before anything is concluded.
Your dasha begins with Sun
Born under Krittika, your Vimshottari sequence opens in a Sun mahadasha, and the balance left at birth depends on the Moon's exact degree within the star. The dasha guide explains the whole 120 year wheel. A computed chart names your current period to the day.
Common questions
Where does Krittika fall?
26°40' Aries to 10°00' Taurus, in four padas of 3°20' each. The table above names each pada's navāṁśa.
Which dasha starts for Krittika births?
Sun's, up to 6 years, scaled by how far the Moon had walked through the star at birth.
What are the naming syllables?
अ, ई, उ, ए, one for each pada.