Moola nakshatra
Updated
Moola is the 19th of the 27 nakshatras, the lunar mansions of Vedic astrology. Its name is traditionally read as “the root”; its symbol is a bundle of roots tied together, and its presiding deity is Nirriti, goddess of dissolution.
- Number
- 19 of 27
- Ruling planet
- Ketu
- Deity
- Nirriti, goddess of dissolution
- Symbol
- A bundle of roots tied together
- Zodiac span
- 0°–13°20′ Sagittarius
- Gana
- Rakshasa
- Yoni
- Dog
- Nadi
- Vata
- Pada navamsas
- Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer
Character and symbolism
Moola digs to the root of things, even when the digging unsettles the ground. Its classical themes are investigation, radical honesty and starting over from foundations.
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 Moola sits in the zodiac
Each nakshatra spans 13°20′ of the sidereal zodiac, divided into four padas (quarters) of 3°20′. Moola occupies 0°–13°20′ Sagittarius, entirely within Sagittarius. Its four padas take the navamsa signs Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer — the sub-chart positions used in the D9 (Navamsa) divisional chart.
Ruling planet and your starting dasha
Moola is ruled by Ketu, which carries a 7-year period in the Vimshottari dasha cycle. If your Moon sits in Moola, Ketu’s mahadasha is the period your life begins in, and the themes classical texts associate with Ketu colour how this nakshatra expresses itself.
Moola in marriage matching
Three of this nakshatra’s classifications feed the 36-point Guna Milan used in Kundali matching. Moola 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 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 Moola nakshatra?
Moola is ruled by Ketu. In the Vimshottari dasha system, a person born with the Moon in Moola begins life in a Ketu 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 Moola fall in?
Moola lies entirely within Sagittarius, spanning 0°–13°20′ Sagittarius of the sidereal zodiac.
What are Moola's gana, yoni and nadi?
Moola is classified as Rakshasa 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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