Vishakha nakshatra
Updated
Vishakha is the 16th of the 27 nakshatras, the lunar mansions of Vedic astrology. Its name is traditionally read as “the forked one”; its symbol is a triumphal archway, and its presiding deity is Indra and Agni together.
- Number
- 16 of 27
- Ruling planet
- Jupiter
- Deity
- Indra and Agni together
- Symbol
- A triumphal archway
- Zodiac span
- 20° Libra – 3°20′ Scorpio
- Gana
- Rakshasa
- Yoni
- Tiger
- Nadi
- Kapha
- Pada navamsas
- Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer
Character and symbolism
Vishakha is the forked branch and the victory arch — single-minded pursuit of a goal. Its classical themes are ambition, determination and the patience to win late.
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 Vishakha sits in the zodiac
Each nakshatra spans 13°20′ of the sidereal zodiac, divided into four padas (quarters) of 3°20′. Vishakha occupies 20° Libra – 3°20′ Scorpio, bridging Libra and Scorpio. 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
Vishakha is ruled by Jupiter, which carries a 16-year period in the Vimshottari dasha cycle. If your Moon sits in Vishakha, Jupiter’s mahadasha is the period your life begins in, and the themes classical texts associate with Jupiter colour how this nakshatra expresses itself.
Vishakha in marriage matching
Three of this nakshatra’s classifications feed the 36-point Guna Milan used in Kundali matching. Vishakha 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 Kapha (phlegm) — 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 Vishakha nakshatra?
Vishakha is ruled by Jupiter. In the Vimshottari dasha system, a person born with the Moon in Vishakha begins life in a Jupiter mahadasha of up to 16 years — how much of it remains depends on how far the Moon had moved through the nakshatra at birth.
Which rashi (sign) does Vishakha fall in?
Vishakha bridges two signs — it spans 20° Libra – 3°20′ Scorpio, so its four padas fall across Libra and Scorpio.
What are Vishakha's gana, yoni and nadi?
Vishakha is classified as Rakshasa gana, Tiger yoni and Kapha 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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