NAKṢATRA 20 / 27 · 253°20′00″–266°40′00″ · 4 PĀDAS
पूर्वाषाढा · Pūrvāṣāḍhā
Purvashadha. The 20th of the 27 lunar mansions, ruled by Śukra, with presiding deity Āpas and the symbol of a fan / winnowing basket. Each nakṣatra spans 13°20′, divided into four pādas of 3°20′ each.
Classical structure
- position → 20th of the 27 nakṣatras, spanning 253°20′00″–266°40′00″ of the sidereal ecliptic.
- pādas → four quarters of 3°20′ each (the 4 navāṃśa pādas; 108 pādas across all 27).
- vimśottarī lord → Śukra — seeds the Vimśottarī daśā sequence for a Moon in this nakṣatra.
- gaṇa → मनुष्य · manuṣya
- nāḍī → मध्य · madhya
- yogatāra (junction star) → δ Sagittarii (Kaus Medius) vmag 2.70
Arc · pāda · lord · Tier-S (iii) period-derivation. Deity · symbol · gaṇa · nāḍī · yogatāra · Tier-W (vii) classical provenance.
Rāśi placement
2¼ mansions per sign- धनुस् Sagittarius (full)
Deity & tradition
Tier-W (vii) provenanceआह्वानम् · INVOCATION
ॐ अद्भ्यो नमः · विंशं नक्षत्रम्।
Salutations to the Āpaḥ (the cosmic waters), the twentieth nakṣatra — the invincible early victory.
कथा · STORY
Pūrva Aṣāḍhā means 'the invincible early one' — ruled by the Āpaḥ, the cosmic waters. It is the fan or winnowing basket: separating wheat from chaff, the nakṣatra of cleansing victory, of declaring intent before the campaign.
मुहूर्त-योग्यता · TRADITIONAL MUHŪRTA USES
- good for declarations and ceremonial vows
- good for water-rituals and abhiṣeka
- good for beginning a long campaign
- good for purification and cleansing
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 Purvashadha?
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
- कृत्तिकाKrittika
- रोहिणीRohini
- मृगशीर्षMrigashira
- आर्द्राArdra
- पुनर्वसुPunarvasu
- पुष्यPushya
- आश्लेषाAshlesha
- मघाMagha
- पूर्वफल्गुनीPurvaphalguni
- उत्तरफल्गुनीUttaraphalguni
- हस्तHasta
- चित्राChitra
- स्वातीSwati
- विशाखाVishakha
- अनुराधाAnuradha
- ज्येष्ठाJyeshtha
- मूलMula
- 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).