Nakshatra
Anuradha nakshatra: Mitra, Saturn and friendship
Anuradha (Anurādhā) is the seventeenth nakshatra and lies inside sidereal Scorpio, from 3°20' to 16°40'. Its deity is Mitra, the Vedic god of friendship and contracts, and its Vimshottari lord is Saturn. The symbol is commonly given as a lotus or a staff. Classical muhurta counts it as mṛdu, or soft.
Draft · specialist source review requested
A lotus grows out of mud. That is the image people reach for with Anuradha: something steady and kind rooted in Scorpio, the sign usually described as the deepest and least comfortable of the twelve.
| Fact | Anuradha |
|---|---|
| Number | 17 of 27 |
| IAST spelling | Anurādhā |
| Deity | Mitra |
| Vimshottari lord | Saturn |
| Symbol (commonly given) | Lotus or staff |
| Sidereal span | 3°20'-16°40' Scorpio |
| Rashi | Vrischika (Scorpio), all four padas |
| Muhurta class | Mṛdu (soft) |
Mitra, the friend
Mitra is Anurādhā's deity in the Bṛhat Saṃhitā.[32] The name means "friend," and in the Vedas Mitra is the god of agreements between people, the one who stands behind a handshake. He is often paired with Varuṇa, who punishes broken oaths. Mitra is the gentler side of the same idea: keeping faith because you choose to.
Saturn as the planetary lord adds endurance. Friendship that lasts through a bad decade is the Anuradha ideal.
Reflection prompts
- Which friendship has outlasted the circumstances that started it?
- Where are you loyal out of habit rather than conviction?
- Who could use a message from you this week?
What nakshatra is the moon in today?
Look up the Moon's sidereal position for today and your location. The Moon moves about 13 degrees a day, so it spends roughly a day in each nakshatra, and the change can happen at any hour. A local panchang lists the end time; the nakshatra calculator shows it as well. Western apps give the tropical Moon, which runs about 24 degrees ahead of the sidereal one, so their sign is often one sign later; see sidereal.
| Pada | Sidereal span | Navamsa sign |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3°20'-6°40' Scorpio | Leo |
| 2 | 6°40'-10°00' Scorpio | Virgo |
| 3 | 10°00'-13°20' Scorpio | Libra |
| 4 | 13°20'-16°40' Scorpio | Scorpio |
Pada 4 is vargottama: Scorpio in both the birth chart and the navamsa.
Muhurta uses
Bṛhat Saṃhitā lists Anurādhā with Citrā, Revatī and Mṛgaśīrṣa as mṛdu (soft), for friendship, lovemaking, clothing, ornaments, auspicious ceremonies and song.[32] Given Mitra, the first entry is the obvious one: a good day to start a friendship, a partnership or a shared project, or to patch one up. Real deadlines take priority.
The devotional verse is on the Anuradha mantra page. Its neighbors are Vishakha and Jyeshtha.
Source review
Mitra as deity (verses 4-5) and the mṛdu list (verse 10) come from Bṛhat Saṃhitā chapter 97, Sanskrit edition, numbered 98 in the English translation.[32] The Varuṇa pairing note, the English glosses, the symbol and the prompts are editorial.
Common questions
What is the rashi of Anuradha nakshatra?
Vrischika, or sidereal Scorpio. All four padas of Anuradha fall in Scorpio.
Who is the lord of Anuradha nakshatra?
Saturn, in the Vimshottari dasha scheme. Pushya and Uttara Bhadrapada share that lord.
Why is a Scorpio nakshatra linked with friendship?
Because of its deity, Mitra, whose name means "friend." Scorpio's reputation for intensity and Mitra's for loyalty sit together in most readings.
Keep going
Updated 2026-10-12. Traditional interpretations are not predictions.
Sources: [32] https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/brihat-samhita-sanskrit/d/doc1218130.html
Vedic lens
What does the Vedic lens add?
Anuradha is lunar mansion 17 in the standard 27-part sidereal sequence. Its span is 13 degrees and 20 arcminutes, divided into four padas of 3 degrees and 20 arcminutes. A Moon placement should be calculated in a named ayanamsa before applying a natal interpretation.
In Vimshottari, its starting lord is Saturn. The fraction of the mansion still ahead of the Moon determines the remaining balance of that first major period. This does not mean everyone with a Anuradha Moon begins life with a complete Saturn period.
Natal meaning and electional timing answer different questions. A birth placement is not a recommendation to schedule every important activity under the same mansion. Check the current tithi, local time, and the practical deadline separately. Our editorial prompt is to compare one familiar response with a concrete alternative before making a decision; that is a reflection exercise, not a translated classical prediction.
Explore the yoga patterns, major and subperiods, and house-lord connections behind this reading.
How we calculate
Is astrology a guarantee of what will happen?
No. These calculations locate celestial bodies; astrology is a reflection and timing tradition, not evidence of guaranteed health, financial or relationship outcomes.
How are these results calculated?
Positions come from Astronomy Engine, an open-source astronomy library, and are checked against Swiss Ephemeris in our methodology tests. Western readings use the tropical zodiac; Vedic readings subtract the Lahiri ayanamsa. Terms are defined in the glossary.
Next: compare your birth chart, see today's sky, or make a private vision board.