Nakshatra 3 of 27 · कृत्तिका नक्षत्र

Krittika Nakshatra

Krittika straddles the Aries–Taurus boundary: its first pada is in Aries, the other three in Taurus. Ruled by the Sun and presided over by Agni, it cuts and purifies. A Krittika Moon is sharp-tongued, protective, exacting and brave, with the fire’s twin capacity to warm and to burn. Natives are often nourishers and critics at once — the six Krittikas were the foster mothers of Kartikeya. The Sun dasha it begins in is short, six years, so the Moon dasha follows early.

Span
26°40′ – 40°00′
Rashi
Aries / Taurus
Lord (Vimshottari)
Sun · 6 years
Deity
Agni, the fire
Symbol
Razor, or a flame
Gana
Rakshasa
Nadi
Antya
Yoni
Goat
Naming letters
A, I, U, E

Krittika today

 

Computed at sunrise for the reference place; times are local to it. The Moon changes nakshatra roughly daily, the Sun about every fortnight.

Tara bala for Krittika-born, today

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Moon in Krittika

Sun in Krittika

Lord Sun today

The planet that rules this nakshatra and opens its Vimshottari cycle.

Ask the AI astrologer what this star means in your chart

The four padas of Krittika

Each nakshatra is divided into four padas of 3°20′. The pada sets the navamsa (D9) sign of a Moon placed there and the traditional first syllable of a name.

PadaDegreesRashiNavamsa signSyllable
126°40′30°00′AriesSagittariusA
230°00′33°20′TaurusCapricornI
333°20′36°40′TaurusAquariusU
436°40′40°00′TaurusPiscesE

Krittika in a birth chart

  • Sharp discernment and honesty
  • Protective of dependants
  • Ambition and pride
  • Purification through criticism

These are the classical themes of a Moon in Krittika. How they play out depends on the rest of the chart — the Moon's house, its lord Sun's own placement, and the dasha running now. The AI astrologer reads all of that together.

Neighbouring stars

FAQ

Krittika nakshatra — common questions

What is Krittika nakshatra?

Krittika (कृत्तिका) is the 3rd of the 27 nakshatras, spanning 26°40′–40°00′ of the sidereal zodiac (26°40′ Aries to 9°60′ Taurus). Its Vimshottari lord is Sun, its deity Agni, the fire, its symbol the razor, or a flame. It belongs to the Rakshasa gana and the Antya nadi, with the goat yoni.

Which rashi is Krittika in?

It crosses a sign boundary: pada 1 in Aries and padas 2, 3, 4 in Taurus. Your Moon sign depends on your pada, which is why the birth time matters here.

What is the first dasha for someone born in Krittika?

Sun mahadasha, which lasts 6 years in full. How much of it remains at birth depends on how far through Krittika the Moon had travelled — the balance of dasha — so two people born under Krittika can have very different first chapters. The dasha calculator computes yours to the day.

What are the naming letters for Krittika?

By pada: pada 1 — A, pada 2 — I, pada 3 — U, pada 4 — E. Traditional naming (namakarana) picks a first syllable from the pada the Moon occupied at birth.

Is today good for someone born in Krittika?

That is tara bala: count today's nakshatra from Krittika and fold into nine. Sampat, Kshema, Sadhaka, Mitra and Ati Mitra are favourable; Vipat, Pratyari and Vadha are not; Janma is neutral. The card on this page computes it from the ephemeris each day.