Ardra nakshatra
Updated
Ardra is the 6th of the 27 nakshatras, the lunar mansions of Vedic astrology. Its name is traditionally read as “the moist one”; its symbol is a teardrop, and its presiding deity is Rudra, the storm god.
- Number
- 6 of 27
- Ruling planet
- Rahu
- Deity
- Rudra, the storm god
- Symbol
- A teardrop
- Zodiac span
- 6°40′–20° Gemini
- Gana
- Manushya
- Yoni
- Dog
- Nadi
- Vata
- Pada navamsas
- Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces
Character and symbolism
Ardra is the teardrop after the storm — intensity that clears the air. Its classical themes are upheaval, sharp intellect and the renewal that follows disturbance.
As with everything in a chart, these are classical descriptions of a temperament, not a verdict on any person — a nakshatra is one layer of a reading, always weighed with the rest of the chart.
Where Ardra sits in the zodiac
Each nakshatra spans 13°20′ of the sidereal zodiac, divided into four padas (quarters) of 3°20′. Ardra occupies 6°40′–20° Gemini, entirely within Gemini. Its four padas take the navamsa signs Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces — the sub-chart positions used in the D9 (Navamsa) divisional chart.
Ruling planet and your starting dasha
Ardra is ruled by Rahu, which carries a 18-year period in the Vimshottari dasha cycle. If your Moon sits in Ardra, Rahu’s mahadasha is the period your life begins in, and the themes classical texts associate with Rahu colour how this nakshatra expresses itself.
Ardra in marriage matching
Three of this nakshatra’s classifications feed the 36-point Guna Milan used in Kundali matching. Ardra belongs to the manushya (human) temperament group — read as practical, social and balanced, which the Gana koota (6 points) compares between partners. Its yoni is the Dog, one of fourteen animal archetypes whose pairings the Yoni koota (4 points) scores for instinctive compatibility. And its nadi is Vata (air) — the Nadi koota (8 points) awards full marks only when the two nadis differ.
None of these classifications is good or bad on its own — they only ever describe a pairing, and even then they are a starting point beside the full charts.
Frequently asked
Which planet rules Ardra nakshatra?
Ardra is ruled by Rahu. In the Vimshottari dasha system, a person born with the Moon in Ardra begins life in a Rahu mahadasha of up to 18 years — how much of it remains depends on how far the Moon had moved through the nakshatra at birth.
Which rashi (sign) does Ardra fall in?
Ardra lies entirely within Gemini, spanning 6°40′–20° Gemini of the sidereal zodiac.
What are Ardra's gana, yoni and nadi?
Ardra is classified as Manushya gana, Dog yoni and Vata nadi. These three classifications are inputs to Guna Milan marriage matching — gana compares temperament groups, yoni instinctive compatibility and nadi constitution.
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