Nakshatra 23 of 27 · Lahiri sidereal
Dhanishtha Nakshatra
Dhanishtha is nakshatra 23 of the 27, spanning 23°20′ Makara to 6°40′ Kumbha of the sidereal zodiac. Its ruler is Mangal, its deity the eight Vasus, its symbol a drum, and its yoni animal the Lion.
At a glance
- Span (sidereal)
- 23°20′ Makara to 6°40′ Kumbha
- Ruling planet
- Mangal · Vimshottari dasha of 7 years
- Deity
- The eight Vasus
- Symbol
- A drum
- Gana
- Rakshasa
- Yoni (animal)
- Lion (natural enemy: Elephant)
- Nadi
- Madhya
What Dhanishtha is like
Dhanishtha, ‘the wealthiest’, is the star of rhythm and prosperity. The eight Vasus, gods of the elements and of light, preside over it and Mangal (Mars) rules it, giving drive to their gifts. The drum is its symbol. It spans the end of Makara and the start of Kumbha.
Born with the Moon in Dhanishtha
With the Moon here you have a sense of rhythm and timing, whether in music, sport, business or conversation. You are generous and often good with money and resources. Keeping time for yourself between all that you give is the growth.
In short: Rhythmic and generous — you have a gift for music, timing and making things prosper. A useful growth area: keeping time for yourself between all that you give.
Mangal rules Dhanishtha, so a Moon here means birth in the Mangal 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 Rahu.
Deity and symbol
The Vasus are the eight gods of the world’s elements and radiances, and in the old texts they are the givers of abundance. The drum calls them to attention and keeps the beat of the sky.
The symbol of Dhanishtha is a drum, and its deity is the eight Vasus.
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 Dhanishtha are:
| Pada | Degrees | Moon sign | Navamsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23°20′ – 26°40′ | Makara | Simha |
| 2 | 26°40′ – 30°00′ | Makara | Kanya |
| 3 | 0°00′ – 3°20′ | Kumbha | Tula |
| 4 | 3°20′ – 6°40′ | Kumbha | Vrishchika |
So the first pada of Dhanishtha falls in Simha navamsa and the last in Vrishchika.
Dhanishtha in Kundali Milan
As a partner Dhanishtha is generous and lively, and suits someone who shares its energy and its sense of fun.
In Ashtakoot matching, Dhanishtha brings a Lion yoni, Rakshasa gana and Madhya nadi. Yoni Koota (4 points) is full when both partners share an animal and 0 when their animals are natural enemies; the Lion’s natural enemy is the Elephant. 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 Dhanishtha nakshatra fall in?
Dhanishtha spans two signs: 23°20′ Makara to 6°40′ Kumbha. Which Moon sign you have depends on the pada your Moon was in at birth: padas 1–2 are in Makara, and padas 3–4 in Kumbha.
Who rules Dhanishtha, and which dasha does it start?
Mangal rules Dhanishtha. A person born with the Moon in Dhanishtha starts the Vimshottari sequence in the Mangal mahadasha (7 years in all), counted from the balance left at birth, and then moves on to Rahu.
What is the yoni of Dhanishtha, and what does it mean in Kundali Milan?
The yoni of Dhanishtha is the Lion, shared with Purva Bhadrapada. Yoni Koota scores 4 of 4 when both partners’ animals match and 0 when they are natural enemies (Lion and Elephant); 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 Dhanishtha 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 Dhanishtha the texts speak of rhythmic and generous — you have a gift for music, timing and making things prosper. The growth area: keeping time for yourself between all that you give.
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 Dhanishtha?
The symbol is a drum, and the deity is the eight Vasus. 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.