Nakshatra 1 of 27 · Lahiri sidereal
Ashwini Nakshatra
Ashwini is nakshatra 1 of the 27, spanning 0°00′ to 13°20′ Mesha of the sidereal zodiac. Its ruler is Ketu, its deity the Ashwini Kumaras, healers of the gods, its symbol a horse's head, and its yoni animal the Horse.
At a glance
- Span (sidereal)
- 0°00′ to 13°20′ Mesha
- Moon sign (rashi)
- Mesha
- Ruling planet
- Ketu · Vimshottari dasha of 7 years
- Deity
- The Ashwini Kumaras, healers of the gods
- Symbol
- A horse's head
- Gana
- Deva
- Yoni (animal)
- Horse (natural enemy: Buffalo)
- Nadi
- Aadi
What Ashwini is like
Ashwini opens the zodiac at 0° Mesha, and it feels like it: first light, first step. The Ashwini Kumaras, the divine twin physicians, are said to arrive faster than thought, so the star is linked with speed, healing hands and a pioneering spirit. People born under it tend to be direct and are happiest when they can begin something and watch it move.
Born with the Moon in Ashwini
With the Moon here the mind moves quickly: you decide fast, recover fast and grow restless when things stall. Friends see you as the one who turns up first when help is needed. Ketu’s rulership adds a streak of detachment, so a project can lose its shine once the novelty fades; routines that carry you into the later chapters help.
In short: Quick to start, quick to help — you bring energy and a healer’s instinct to whatever you touch. A useful growth area: finishing what you begin with the same speed you start it.
Ketu rules Ashwini, so a Moon here means birth in the Ketu mahadasha, 7 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 Shukra.
Deity and symbol
In the Vedas the Ashwini Kumaras are twin horsemen who bring the dawn and heal the sick, and who even restore youth to the aged sage Chyavana. The horse’s head, the symbol of the star, points to the same idea: speed placed in the service of healing.
The symbol of Ashwini is a horse's head, and its deity is the Ashwini Kumaras, healers of the gods.
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 Ashwini are:
| Pada | Degrees | Moon sign | Navamsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0°00′ – 3°20′ | Mesha | Mesha |
| 2 | 3°20′ – 6°40′ | Mesha | Vrishabha |
| 3 | 6°40′ – 10°00′ | Mesha | Mithuna |
| 4 | 10°00′ – 13°20′ | Mesha | Karka |
So the first pada of Ashwini falls in Mesha navamsa and the last in Karka.
Ashwini in Kundali Milan
As a partner, Ashwini brings warmth and initiative, and does best with someone who enjoys that pace and does not read it as pressure.
In Ashtakoot matching, Ashwini brings a Horse yoni, Deva 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 Horse’s natural enemy is the Buffalo. 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 Ashwini nakshatra fall in?
Ashwini lies entirely within Mesha, from 0°00′ to 13°20′ Mesha. A Moon in Ashwini is therefore always a Mesha Moon.
Who rules Ashwini, and which dasha does it start?
Ketu rules Ashwini. A person born with the Moon in Ashwini starts the Vimshottari sequence in the Ketu mahadasha (7 years in all), counted from the balance left at birth, and then moves on to Shukra.
What is the yoni of Ashwini, and what does it mean in Kundali Milan?
The yoni of Ashwini is the Horse, shared with Shatabhisha. Yoni Koota scores 4 of 4 when both partners’ animals match and 0 when they are natural enemies (Horse and Buffalo); 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 Ashwini 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 Ashwini the texts speak of quick to start, quick to help — you bring energy and a healer’s instinct to whatever you touch. The growth area: finishing what you begin with the same speed you start it.
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 Ashwini?
The symbol is a horse's head, and the deity is the Ashwini Kumaras, healers of the gods. 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.