Chitra nakshatra
Updated
Chitra is the 14th of the 27 nakshatras, the lunar mansions of Vedic astrology. Its name is traditionally read as “the brilliant”; its symbol is a bright jewel, and its presiding deity is Tvashtar (Vishvakarma), the celestial architect.
- Number
- 14 of 27
- Ruling planet
- Mars
- Deity
- Tvashtar (Vishvakarma), the celestial architect
- Symbol
- A bright jewel
- Zodiac span
- 23°20′ Virgo – 6°40′ Libra
- Gana
- Rakshasa
- Yoni
- Tiger
- Nadi
- Pitta
- Pada navamsas
- Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio
Character and symbolism
Chitra is the jewel of the zodiac, ruled by the architect of the gods. Its classical themes are design, beauty, charisma and the drive to build something striking.
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 Chitra sits in the zodiac
Each nakshatra spans 13°20′ of the sidereal zodiac, divided into four padas (quarters) of 3°20′. Chitra occupies 23°20′ Virgo – 6°40′ Libra, bridging Virgo and Libra. Its four padas take the navamsa signs Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio — the sub-chart positions used in the D9 (Navamsa) divisional chart.
Ruling planet and your starting dasha
Chitra is ruled by Mars, which carries a 7-year period in the Vimshottari dasha cycle. If your Moon sits in Chitra, Mars’s mahadasha is the period your life begins in, and the themes classical texts associate with Mars colour how this nakshatra expresses itself.
Chitra in marriage matching
Three of this nakshatra’s classifications feed the 36-point Guna Milan used in Kundali matching. Chitra belongs to the rakshasa temperament group — read as intense, independent and strong-willed (a classification, not a judgement), which the Gana koota (6 points) compares between partners. Its yoni is the Tiger, one of fourteen animal archetypes whose pairings the Yoni koota (4 points) scores for instinctive compatibility. And its nadi is Pitta (bile) — 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 Chitra nakshatra?
Chitra is ruled by Mars. In the Vimshottari dasha system, a person born with the Moon in Chitra begins life in a Mars mahadasha of up to 7 years — how much of it remains depends on how far the Moon had moved through the nakshatra at birth.
Which rashi (sign) does Chitra fall in?
Chitra bridges two signs — it spans 23°20′ Virgo – 6°40′ Libra, so its four padas fall across Virgo and Libra.
What are Chitra's gana, yoni and nadi?
Chitra is classified as Rakshasa gana, Tiger yoni and Pitta 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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