Nakshatra 3 of 27 · Lahiri sidereal
Krittika Nakshatra
Krittika is nakshatra 3 of the 27, spanning 26°40′ Mesha to 10°00′ Vrishabha of the sidereal zodiac. Its ruler is Surya, its deity Agni, the fire, its symbol a flame, and its yoni animal the Sheep.
At a glance
- Span (sidereal)
- 26°40′ Mesha to 10°00′ Vrishabha
- Ruling planet
- Surya · Vimshottari dasha of 6 years
- Deity
- Agni, the fire
- Symbol
- A flame
- Gana
- Rakshasa
- Yoni (animal)
- Sheep (natural enemy: Monkey)
- Nadi
- Antya
What Krittika is like
Krittika means ‘the cutters’, and its symbol is a blade or flame. Agni, the fire that carries offerings to the gods, is its deity and Surya (the Sun) its ruler, so the star is linked with clarity, purification and little patience for pretence. It straddles Mesha and Vrishabha: the first pada is fiery, the other three more steady and earthy.
Born with the Moon in Krittika
With the Moon in Krittika you see through things quickly and say so, sometimes before the other person is ready. Your standards are high, for yourself first. You often do well at editing, cooking, teaching and anything that needs a sharp eye. Warmth shows through acts of service more than words, and softening the edge of your honesty helps it land.
In short: Sharp, honest and protective — you cut through confusion and say what needs saying. A useful growth area: keeping the fire warm rather than burning — gentleness carries your truth further.
Surya rules Krittika, so a Moon here means birth in the Surya mahadasha, 6 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 Chandra.
Deity and symbol
The Krittikas are the six sisters who nursed the war-god Kartikeya in the old stories, and the Pleiades are their star-cluster. The flame stands for knowledge that burns away what is false and leaves what is true.
The symbol of Krittika is a flame, and its deity is Agni, the fire.
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 Krittika are:
| Pada | Degrees | Moon sign | Navamsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26°40′ – 30°00′ | Mesha | Dhanu |
| 2 | 0°00′ – 3°20′ | Vrishabha | Makara |
| 3 | 3°20′ – 6°40′ | Vrishabha | Kumbha |
| 4 | 6°40′ – 10°00′ | Vrishabha | Meena |
So the first pada of Krittika falls in Dhanu navamsa and the last in Meena.
Krittika in Kundali Milan
As a partner Krittika is loyal and direct, and suits someone who values plain speaking and shares its high standards.
In Ashtakoot matching, Krittika brings a Sheep yoni, Rakshasa gana and Antya nadi. Yoni Koota (4 points) is full when both partners share an animal and 0 when their animals are natural enemies; the Sheep’s natural enemy is the Monkey. 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 Krittika nakshatra fall in?
Krittika spans two signs: 26°40′ Mesha to 10°00′ Vrishabha. Which Moon sign you have depends on the pada your Moon was in at birth: pada 1 are in Mesha, and padas 2–4 in Vrishabha.
Who rules Krittika, and which dasha does it start?
Surya rules Krittika. A person born with the Moon in Krittika starts the Vimshottari sequence in the Surya mahadasha (6 years in all), counted from the balance left at birth, and then moves on to Chandra.
What is the yoni of Krittika, and what does it mean in Kundali Milan?
The yoni of Krittika is the Sheep, shared with Pushya. Yoni Koota scores 4 of 4 when both partners’ animals match and 0 when they are natural enemies (Sheep and Monkey); 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 Krittika 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 Krittika the texts speak of sharp, honest and protective — you cut through confusion and say what needs saying. The growth area: keeping the fire warm rather than burning — gentleness carries your truth further.
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 Krittika?
The symbol is a flame, and the deity is Agni, the fire. 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.