Dhanishta nakshatra
Dhanishta is the 23rd of the 27 nakshatras: the 23rd 13°20′ segment of the sidereal zodiac, spanning Capricorn 23°20′ – Aquarius 6°40′.
Position
| Span (sidereal) | Capricorn 23°20′ – Aquarius 6°40′ |
| Absolute longitude | 293.33° – 306.67° |
| Sign(s) | Capricorn and Aquarius |
| 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 | Capricorn 23°20′ – Capricorn 26°40′ | Leo |
| Pada 2 | Capricorn 26°40′ – Capricorn 30°00′ | Virgo |
| Pada 3 | Aquarius 0°00′ – Aquarius 3°20′ | Libra |
| Pada 4 | Aquarius 3°20′ – Aquarius 6°40′ | Scorpio |
Traditional attributes
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Deity | the eight Vasus |
| Symbol | a drum (mridanga) |
| Gana | Rakshasa (fierce) |
| Yoni (animal) | Lion |
| Nadi | Madhya (Pitta) |
Traditional attributions, listed as reference data. Jyotishya does not interpret them.
Tara bala counted from Dhanishta
For a person whose Moon was in Dhanishta at birth, each day's tara comes from counting Dhanishta as 1 to the nakshatra the Moon is in that day: count = ((day − 22) 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) | Dhanishta (1), Mrigashira (10), Chitra (19) | 0 |
| 2 | Sampat (lit. wealth) | Shatabhisha (2), Ardra (11), Swati (20) | +1 |
| 3 | Vipat (lit. danger) | Purva Bhadrapada (3), Punarvasu (12), Vishakha (21) | −1 |
| 4 | Kshema (lit. well-being) | Uttara Bhadrapada (4), Pushya (13), Anuradha (22) | +1 |
| 5 | Pratyak (lit. obstacle) | Revati (5), Ashlesha (14), Jyeshtha (23) | −1 |
| 6 | Sadhana (lit. achievement) | Ashwini (6), Magha (15), Mula (24) | +1 |
| 7 | Naidhana (lit. destruction) | Bharani (7), Purva Phalguni (16), Purva Ashadha (25) | −2 |
| 8 | Mitra (lit. friend) | Krittika (8), Uttara Phalguni (17), Uttara Ashadha (26) | +1 |
| 0 (9) | Parama Mitra (lit. best friend) | Rohini (9), Hasta (18), Shravana (27) | +1 |
Worked example: Moon in Chitra → count 19; 19 mod 9 = 1 → Janma, score 0.
Vimshottari dasha starting point
With the Moon in Dhanishta at birth, the first mahadasha is Mars. Balance at birth = (1 − fraction of Dhanishta already travelled by the Moon) × 7 years. Fraction travelled = (Moon longitude − 293.33°) ÷ 13.33°. The sequence then continues Rahu → Jupiter → Saturn → Mercury → Ketu → Venus → Sun → Moon. How the dasha periods are calculated.