Mrigashira nakshatra
Mrigashira is the 5th of the 27 nakshatras: the 5th 13°20′ segment of the sidereal zodiac, spanning Taurus 23°20′ – Gemini 6°40′.
Position
| Span (sidereal) | Taurus 23°20′ – Gemini 6°40′ |
| Absolute longitude | 53.33° – 66.67° |
| Sign(s) | Taurus and Gemini |
| 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 | Taurus 23°20′ – Taurus 26°40′ | Leo |
| Pada 2 | Taurus 26°40′ – Taurus 30°00′ | Virgo |
| Pada 3 | Gemini 0°00′ – Gemini 3°20′ | Libra |
| Pada 4 | Gemini 3°20′ – Gemini 6°40′ | Scorpio |
Traditional attributes
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Deity | Soma, the Moon |
| Symbol | a deer's head |
| Gana | Deva (divine) |
| Yoni (animal) | Serpent |
| Nadi | Madhya (Pitta) |
Traditional attributions, listed as reference data. Jyotishya does not interpret them.
Tara bala counted from Mrigashira
For a person whose Moon was in Mrigashira at birth, each day's tara comes from counting Mrigashira as 1 to the nakshatra the Moon is in that day: count = ((day − 4) 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) | Mrigashira (1), Chitra (10), Dhanishta (19) | 0 |
| 2 | Sampat (lit. wealth) | Ardra (2), Swati (11), Shatabhisha (20) | +1 |
| 3 | Vipat (lit. danger) | Punarvasu (3), Vishakha (12), Purva Bhadrapada (21) | −1 |
| 4 | Kshema (lit. well-being) | Pushya (4), Anuradha (13), Uttara Bhadrapada (22) | +1 |
| 5 | Pratyak (lit. obstacle) | Ashlesha (5), Jyeshtha (14), Revati (23) | −1 |
| 6 | Sadhana (lit. achievement) | Magha (6), Mula (15), Ashwini (24) | +1 |
| 7 | Naidhana (lit. destruction) | Purva Phalguni (7), Purva Ashadha (16), Bharani (25) | −2 |
| 8 | Mitra (lit. friend) | Uttara Phalguni (8), Uttara Ashadha (17), Krittika (26) | +1 |
| 0 (9) | Parama Mitra (lit. best friend) | Hasta (9), Shravana (18), Rohini (27) | +1 |
Worked example: Moon in Dhanishta → count 19; 19 mod 9 = 1 → Janma, score 0.
Vimshottari dasha starting point
With the Moon in Mrigashira at birth, the first mahadasha is Mars. Balance at birth = (1 − fraction of Mrigashira already travelled by the Moon) × 7 years. Fraction travelled = (Moon longitude − 53.33°) ÷ 13.33°. The sequence then continues Rahu → Jupiter → Saturn → Mercury → Ketu → Venus → Sun → Moon. How the dasha periods are calculated.