The lunar mansion
Discernment · warmth · truth
Krittika is the fire that purifies. It gives a precise eye, a protective warmth and the courage to cut away what has stopped being true.
Where it sits in the zodiac
Krittika spans 13°20′. It begins in Aries and crosses into Taurus. Because nakshatras do not align with sign boundaries, a planet in a sign can be carrying the flavour of two different lunar mansions.
The four padas
Each nakshatra is divided into four padas of 3°20′. The pada adds a further layer of nuance and is used in divisional charts such as the navamsa.
Pada 126° 40′ Aries — 30° 00′ Aries
Pada 20° 00′ Taurus — 3° 20′ Taurus
Pada 33° 20′ Taurus — 6° 40′ Taurus
Pada 46° 40′ Taurus — 10° 00′ Taurus
The ruling planet
Krittika is ruled by Sun, the planet of atma · soul, vitality, visibility. The dasha sequence begins from this planet when your Moon is in this nakshatra.