NAKṢATRA 03 / 27 · 26°40′00″–40°00′00″ · 4 PĀDAS
कृत्तिका · Kṛttikā
Krittika. The 3rd of the 27 lunar mansions, ruled by Sūrya, with presiding deity Agni and the symbol of a razor / flame. Each nakṣatra spans 13°20′, divided into four pādas of 3°20′ each.
Classical structure
- position → 3rd of the 27 nakṣatras, spanning 26°40′00″–40°00′00″ of the sidereal ecliptic.
- pādas → four quarters of 3°20′ each (the 4 navāṃśa pādas; 108 pādas across all 27).
- vimśottarī lord → Sūrya — seeds the Vimśottarī daśā sequence for a Moon in this nakṣatra.
- gaṇa → राक्षस · rākṣasa
- nāḍī → अन्त्य · antya
- yogatāra (junction star) → η Tauri (Alcyone / Pleiades) vmag 2.87
Arc · pāda · lord · Tier-S (iii) period-derivation. Deity · symbol · gaṇa · nāḍī · yogatāra · Tier-W (vii) classical provenance.
Rāśi placement
2¼ mansions per sign- मेष Aries (1st pāda)
- वृष Taurus (pādas 2–4)
Deity & tradition
Tier-W (vii) provenanceआह्वानम् · INVOCATION
ॐ अग्नये नमः · तृतीयं नक्षत्रम्।
Salutations to Agni, the third nakṣatra — the cosmic fire that cuts and purifies.
कथा · STORY
Kṛttikā are the six celestial mothers (Pleiades) who nursed Kārttikeya, the warrior-son of Śiva. Ruled by Agni, this nakṣatra is the razor's edge — it cuts away what is impure and reveals what is true.
मुहूर्त-योग्यता · TRADITIONAL MUHŪRTA USES
- good for fire ceremonies and yajña
- good for purification and cleansing rituals
- good for cutting away the obsolete
- avoid for soft beginnings and gentle work
Deity stories and muhūrta uses are cultural provenance — honored as tradition, not algebraically derived and not a prediction.
COMPUTE · YOUR CHART
Is your Moon in Krittika?
Moon within ~1′ of NASA/JPL Horizons · your janma-nakṣatra and pāda computed from birth date, time and place.
The twenty-seven mansions
- अश्विनीAshwini
- भरणीBharani
- रोहिणीRohini
- मृगशीर्षMrigashira
- आर्द्राArdra
- पुनर्वसुPunarvasu
- पुष्यPushya
- आश्लेषाAshlesha
- मघाMagha
- पूर्वफल्गुनीPurvaphalguni
- उत्तरफल्गुनीUttaraphalguni
- हस्तHasta
- चित्राChitra
- स्वातीSwati
- विशाखाVishakha
- अनुराधाAnuradha
- ज्येष्ठाJyeshtha
- मूलMula
- पूर्वाषाढाPurvashadha
- उत्तराषाढाUttarashadha
- श्रवणShravana
- धनिष्ठाDhanishtha
- शतभिषाShatabhisha
- पूर्वभाद्रपदाPurvabhadrapada
- उत्तरभाद्रपदाUttarabhadrapada
- रेवतीRevati
27 nakṣatras × 13°20′ · Tier-S (iii) arc-derivation. Deity · gaṇa · nāḍī · Tier-W (vii) provenance (BPHS Ch. 14 · Bṛhat-Saṃhitā Ch. 9).