Nakshatra 6 of 27 · Lahiri sidereal
Ardra Nakshatra
Ardra is nakshatra 6 of the 27, spanning 6°40′ to 20°00′ Mithuna of the sidereal zodiac. Its ruler is Rahu, its deity Rudra, the storm, its symbol a teardrop, and its yoni animal the Dog.
At a glance
- Span (sidereal)
- 6°40′ to 20°00′ Mithuna
- Moon sign (rashi)
- Mithuna
- Ruling planet
- Rahu · Vimshottari dasha of 18 years
- Deity
- Rudra, the storm
- Symbol
- A teardrop
- Gana
- Manushya
- Yoni (animal)
- Dog (natural enemy: Deer)
- Nadi
- Aadi
What Ardra is like
Ardra means ‘moist’ or ‘fresh’, and its symbol is a teardrop or a diamond. Rudra, the storm-god who later becomes Shiva, presides over it and Rahu rules it, so the star is linked with sharp intelligence, strong feeling and change that clears the air like a monsoon storm. It lies wholly in Mithuna.
Born with the Moon in Ardra
With the Moon here, thinking and feeling are both intense, and you often work things out through a storm: a long conversation, a good cry, a hard week. Afterwards you are clearer. You are curious about technology, systems and how people really work. Being at ease in calm periods, not only in crises, is the growth.
In short: You think deeply and feel honestly — storms in your life tend to leave you clearer and stronger. A useful growth area: letting calm be as normal for you as intensity.
Rahu rules Ardra, so a Moon here means birth in the Rahu mahadasha, 18 years in all. How much of it remains depends on how far the Moon had travelled through the star. The Vimshottari sequence then moves on to Guru.
Deity and symbol
Rudra in the Rigveda is the roaring storm whose rain also heals, and the Ardra star is read as the cleansing of what has gone stale. The teardrop says the same on a human scale: feeling that washes the view clear.
The symbol of Ardra is a teardrop, and its deity is Rudra, the storm.
Padas and navamsa signs
Each nakshatra has four padas of 3°20′, one ninth of a sign each. The pada your Moon was in gives its navamsa (D9) sign. The four padas of Ardra are:
| Pada | Degrees | Moon sign | Navamsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6°40′ – 10°00′ | Mithuna | Dhanu |
| 2 | 10°00′ – 13°20′ | Mithuna | Makara |
| 3 | 13°20′ – 16°40′ | Mithuna | Kumbha |
| 4 | 16°40′ – 20°00′ | Mithuna | Meena |
So the first pada of Ardra falls in Dhanu navamsa and the last in Meena.
Ardra in Kundali Milan
As a partner Ardra is honest, intense and loyal, and suits someone who can stay steady and talk things through.
In Ashtakoot matching, Ardra brings a Dog yoni, Manushya gana and Aadi nadi. Yoni Koota (4 points) is full when both partners share an animal and 0 when their animals are natural enemies; the Dog’s natural enemy is the Deer. Nadi Koota (8 points) scores 0 when both share a nadi. These are parts of one comparison, never a verdict on a couple.
Questions people ask
Which rashi does Ardra nakshatra fall in?
Ardra lies entirely within Mithuna, from 6°40′ to 20°00′ Mithuna. A Moon in Ardra is therefore always a Mithuna Moon.
Who rules Ardra, and which dasha does it start?
Rahu rules Ardra. A person born with the Moon in Ardra starts the Vimshottari sequence in the Rahu mahadasha (18 years in all), counted from the balance left at birth, and then moves on to Guru.
What is the yoni of Ardra, and what does it mean in Kundali Milan?
The yoni of Ardra is the Dog, shared with Mula. Yoni Koota scores 4 of 4 when both partners’ animals match and 0 when they are natural enemies (Dog and Deer); other pairs score between 1 and 3. In the classical texts yoni speaks of instinct and physical ease between two people; it is one of eight kootas.
Is Ardra a good or a bad nakshatra?
Neither. The classical texts do not rank nakshatras as good or bad for a person; each has its own character, strengths and growth areas. For Ardra the texts speak of you think deeply and feel honestly — storms in your life tend to leave you clearer and stronger. The growth area: letting calm be as normal for you as intensity.
How do I find my nakshatra?
Your birth nakshatra is the one the Moon was in when you were born, so it needs your date, time and place of birth. The free kundali on JYOTISH.info shows it with the pada, using the Lahiri ayanamsa. The Moon changes nakshatra about once a day, so without a birth time the nakshatra can be uncertain, and the app marks it as approximate.
What are the symbol and deity of Ardra?
The symbol is a teardrop, and the deity is Rudra, the storm. The classical texts link the qualities of the deity to the character of the star.
Every position on this page is calculated sidereal with the Lahiri ayanamsa from the astronomy-engine library (MIT licence). The classical texts describe tendencies; this page is for guidance and reflection, not a verdict, and no outcome is promised. How we calculate. This is the English page and the legal reference. The same page is available in Hindi. Checked October 2026.