Nakshatra 9 of 27

Ashlesha Nakshatra

The serpent star: insight, persuasion and hidden power.

Ashlesha coils like a serpent: perceptive, persuasive and protective of its own. Natives are intelligent, intuitive and strategic, with a strong memory for wrongs and kindnesses alike. Mercury as lord gives sharp intellect and a way with words.

InsightStrategyKundalini

Span: Cancer 16°40′ – Leo 0°00′
Ruling planet: Mercury
Deity: Nagas
Symbol: Coiled serpent
Gana: Rakshasa
Yoni: Cat (male)

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What is your nakshatra?

Find your Janma Nakshatra

Your birth star is the nakshatra the Moon occupied when you were born. It sets your first Dasha, your naming syllable and much of Kundli matching.

Calculated with the sidereal zodiac and the Lahiri ayanamsa.

Today's nakshatra (at sunrise, New Delhi) is Purva Ashadha. See today's Panchang →

At a glance

Ashlesha nakshatra facts

Meaning of the name	The entwiner, or the embrace
Zodiac span	Cancer 16°40′ to Leo 0°00′ (sidereal)
Sign	Cancer
Ruling planet (Vimshottari lord)	Mercury · Mahadasha of 17 years
Presiding deity	Nagas
Symbol	Coiled serpent
Gana (temperament)	Rakshasa
Yoni (animal)	Cat, male
Nadi	Antya (Kapha)
Nature (for muhurta)	Tikshna (sharp): good for severing ties, research, exorcism and difficult or sharp tasks
Naming syllables	Di, Du, De, Do

The Nagas, serpent deities, preside here; the symbol is a coiled snake. Serpents guard treasure and hold both poison and medicine, which reflects the star's double edge.

Personality

Ashlesha traits

Strengths

Penetrating insight into people
Clever and persuasive
Strong instinct for self-protection
Good researcher

Challenges

Secrecy or manipulation
Suspicion and holding grudges
Emotional clinging

Careers that suit Ashlesha

Psychology and counsellingResearch and investigationPharmacy and toxicologyPolitics and diplomacyWritingOccult and yoga teaching

Four quarters

The four padas of Ashlesha

Pada 1

Syllable “Di”

Cancer 16°40′ – Cancer 20°00′ · Navamsa Sagittarius (lord Jupiter)

Sagittarius navamsa (Jupiter): philosophical and less secretive; uses insight to teach.

Pada 2

Syllable “Du”

Cancer 20°00′ – Cancer 23°20′ · Navamsa Capricorn (lord Saturn)

Capricorn navamsa (Saturn): ambitious and calculating; strong in business and politics.

Pada 3

Syllable “De”

Cancer 23°20′ – Cancer 26°40′ · Navamsa Aquarius (lord Saturn)

Aquarius navamsa (Saturn): unconventional and detached; research and social causes.

Pada 4

Syllable “Do”

Cancer 26°40′ – Leo 0°00′ · Navamsa Pisces (lord Jupiter)

Pisces navamsa (Jupiter): intuitive and psychic; drawn to healing and spirituality.

Love and marriage

Ashlesha in relationships

Intensely bonded and protective, they may hold on tightly. Trust and openness transform this star's love.

Gana

Rakshasa

Temperament match (6 points)

Yoni

Cat

Same yoni: Punarvasu

Nadi

Antya (Kapha)

Same nadi (Nadi dosha): Krittika, Rohini, Magha, Swati…

Check full 36-guna compatibility with a partner →

Wellbeing and practice

Health and spiritual practice

Health

Digestion, nerves and joints; stress tends to show in the stomach.

Traditional practice

Worship of the Nagas (as on Nag Panchami) and of Lord Shiva is traditional for Ashlesha.

Traditional associations, not medical advice.

Common questions

Ashlesha FAQs

Which planet rules Ashlesha nakshatra?

Mercury. People born with the Moon in Ashlesha begin life in Mercury Mahadasha, which lasts 17 years in full; the balance at birth depends on how far the Moon had travelled through the star.

What are the naming syllables for Ashlesha?

Di (pada 1), Du (pada 2), De (pada 3), Do (pada 4). Traditionally a child's name begins with the syllable of the Moon's pada at birth.

Which zodiac sign is Ashlesha in?

Ashlesha lies wholly in Cancer, from Cancer 16°40′ to Leo 0°00′.

What is the gana, yoni and nadi of Ashlesha?

Gana: Rakshasa. Yoni: male cat. Nadi: Antya (Kapha). These are three of the eight factors (kootas) in Ashtakoota Kundli matching.

Is Ashlesha a good nakshatra?

Every nakshatra has strengths and challenges. Ashlesha is a Tikshna nakshatra, traditionally suited to severing ties, research, exorcism and difficult or sharp tasks. A person's results depend on the whole birth chart, not the birth star alone.