Chitra nakshatra
Chitra is the 14th of the 27 nakshatras: the 14th 13°20′ segment of the sidereal zodiac, spanning Virgo 23°20′ – Libra 6°40′.
Position
| Span (sidereal) | Virgo 23°20′ – Libra 6°40′ |
| Absolute longitude | 173.33° – 186.67° |
| Sign(s) | Virgo and Libra |
| Vimshottari lord | Mars (7-year mahadasha) |
Padas and Navamsa signs
Each pada is 3°20′, the same size as a Navamsa division, so each pada falls in one Navamsa (D9) sign. How the Navamsa is calculated.
| Pada | Span | Navamsa sign |
|---|---|---|
| Pada 1 | Virgo 23°20′ – Virgo 26°40′ | Leo |
| Pada 2 | Virgo 26°40′ – Virgo 30°00′ | Virgo |
| Pada 3 | Libra 0°00′ – Libra 3°20′ | Libra |
| Pada 4 | Libra 3°20′ – Libra 6°40′ | Scorpio |
Traditional attributes
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Deity | Vishvakarma (Tvashtar), the divine architect |
| Symbol | a bright jewel or pearl |
| Gana | Rakshasa (fierce) |
| Yoni (animal) | Tiger |
| Nadi | Madhya (Pitta) |
Traditional attributions, listed as reference data. Jyotishya does not interpret them.
Tara bala counted from Chitra
For a person whose Moon was in Chitra at birth, each day's tara comes from counting Chitra as 1 to the nakshatra the Moon is in that day: count = ((day − 13) mod 27) + 1, tara = count mod 9. Scores are those Jyotishya uses. The tara bala formula explained.
| count mod 9 | Tara | Day nakshatras (count) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Janma (lit. birth) | Chitra (1), Dhanishta (10), Mrigashira (19) | 0 |
| 2 | Sampat (lit. wealth) | Swati (2), Shatabhisha (11), Ardra (20) | +1 |
| 3 | Vipat (lit. danger) | Vishakha (3), Purva Bhadrapada (12), Punarvasu (21) | −1 |
| 4 | Kshema (lit. well-being) | Anuradha (4), Uttara Bhadrapada (13), Pushya (22) | +1 |
| 5 | Pratyak (lit. obstacle) | Jyeshtha (5), Revati (14), Ashlesha (23) | −1 |
| 6 | Sadhana (lit. achievement) | Mula (6), Ashwini (15), Magha (24) | +1 |
| 7 | Naidhana (lit. destruction) | Purva Ashadha (7), Bharani (16), Purva Phalguni (25) | −2 |
| 8 | Mitra (lit. friend) | Uttara Ashadha (8), Krittika (17), Uttara Phalguni (26) | +1 |
| 0 (9) | Parama Mitra (lit. best friend) | Shravana (9), Rohini (18), Hasta (27) | +1 |
Worked example: Moon in Mrigashira → count 19; 19 mod 9 = 1 → Janma, score 0.
Vimshottari dasha starting point
With the Moon in Chitra at birth, the first mahadasha is Mars. Balance at birth = (1 − fraction of Chitra already travelled by the Moon) × 7 years. Fraction travelled = (Moon longitude − 173.33°) ÷ 13.33°. The sequence then continues Rahu → Jupiter → Saturn → Mercury → Ketu → Venus → Sun → Moon. How the dasha periods are calculated.