Nakshatra
Ardra nakshatra: Rudra, Rahu and the teardrop
Ardra (Ārdrā) is the sixth nakshatra, from 6°40' to 20°00' of sidereal Gemini. Rudra, the storm god later identified with Śiva, is its deity, and Rahu is its Vimshottari lord. The symbol is commonly given as a teardrop. In classical muhurta it belongs to the tīkṣṇa, or sharp, class.
Draft · specialist source review requested
What is nakshatra in Vedic astrology?
A nakshatra is one of 27 equal divisions of the sidereal zodiac, each 13°20' wide, used mainly to locate the Moon. Vedic astrology reads the birth Moon's nakshatra closely, uses it to start the dasha timeline, and checks the day's nakshatra when choosing a time for an event. Because the system is sidereal, a tropical-only reader should compute their sidereal Moon first, using the nakshatra calculator. The glossary entry on sidereal covers the roughly 24-degree offset.
Ardra means "moist" or "wet." The star usually linked with it is Betelgeuse, the red shoulder of Orion.
| Fact | Ardra |
|---|---|
| Number | 6 of 27 |
| IAST spelling | Ārdrā |
| Deity | Rudra |
| Vimshottari lord | Rahu |
| Symbol (commonly given) | Teardrop |
| Sidereal span | 6°40'-20°00' Gemini |
| Rashi | Mithuna (Gemini), all four padas |
| Muhurta class | Tīkṣṇa (sharp) |
Rudra and the storm
The Bṛhat Saṃhitā's deity sequence gives Rudra for Ārdrā, and the muhurta verse refers to it by Śiva's name.[32] The Vedic Rudra is a storm god who howls, wounds and heals. People prayed to him to keep his arrows away and to bring his medicines. A teardrop, the usual modern symbol, is the human side of that weather: the cry that comes after the storm, or the rain that ends the drought.
What Ardra asks
Much of what gets written about Ardra concerns disruption and the clearing that follows it. Turn that into questions rather than a forecast:
- What did a hard period in your life clear away that you are now glad is gone?
- When you are upset, do you let it out, or does it leak sideways?
- Which of your questions makes other people uncomfortable, and is it worth asking anyway?
Padas and navamsa
| Pada | Sidereal span | Navamsa sign |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6°40'-10°00' Gemini | Sagittarius |
| 2 | 10°00'-13°20' Gemini | Capricorn |
| 3 | 13°20'-16°40' Gemini | Aquarius |
| 4 | 16°40'-20°00' Gemini | Pisces |
Muhurta uses
Bṛhat Saṃhitā places Ārdrā with Mūla, Jyeṣṭhā and Āśleṣā in the tīkṣṇa (sharp) class, and the activities it lists are attack, incantation, raising spirits, binding, killing and causing division.[32] I would rather report the list than pretend it says something gentler. This site does not suggest harmful acts. Modern muhurta practice tends to use sharp days for endings and clearing: cancelling what you no longer want, a difficult conversation you have been avoiding, a hard edit. Practical deadlines always come first.
The chant is on the Ardra mantra page. On either side sit Mrigashira and Punarvasu.
Source review
Rudra as deity (verses 4-5) and the tīkṣṇa list naming Ārdrā under Śiva (verse 7) come from Bṛhat Saṃhitā chapter 97 in the Sanskrit edition, numbered 98 in the English translation.[32] The English glosses, symbol and prompts are editorial.
Common questions
What is the rashi of Ardra nakshatra?
Mithuna, or sidereal Gemini. All four padas of Ardra (also spelled Arudra or Thiruvathirai) fall in that sign.
Who is the lord of Ardra nakshatra?
Rahu, the Moon's north node, under the Vimshottari dasha scheme. Swati and Shatabhisha share the same lord.
Is Ardra a bad nakshatra?
No. Its muhurta class is sharp and its imagery is stormy, but a birth nakshatra describes themes to reflect on. It does not set anyone's fortune.
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?
Ardra is lunar mansion 6 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 Rahu. 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 Ardra Moon begins life with a complete Rahu 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.