Nakshatra
Purva Ashadha nakshatra: the waters and Venus
Purva Ashadha (Pūrvāṣāḍhā) is the twentieth nakshatra, from 13°20' to 26°40' of sidereal Sagittarius. Its deity is Āpas, the waters, and its Vimshottari lord is Venus. The symbol is commonly given as a fan, a winnowing basket or an elephant tusk. Classical muhurta classes it as ugra, or fierce.
Draft · specialist source review requested
Purva Ashadha means "the earlier unconquered one." It comes straight after Mula, and the sequence reads well: Mula pulls things up by the root, and Purva Ashadha washes the ground and makes a claim on it.
| Fact | Purva Ashadha |
|---|---|
| Number | 20 of 27 |
| IAST spelling | Pūrvāṣāḍhā |
| Deity | Āpas (the waters) |
| Vimshottari lord | Venus |
| Symbol (commonly given) | Fan, winnowing basket or elephant tusk |
| Sidereal span | 13°20'-26°40' Sagittarius |
| Rashi | Dhanu (Sagittarius), all four padas |
| Muhurta class | Ugra (fierce) |
The waters
The Bṛhat Saṃhitā gives Āpas, the waters, as Pūrvāṣāḍhā's deity.[32] In the Vedas the waters are a group of goddesses who cleanse, heal and give life, and they are among the few deities addressed for purification. The winnowing basket in modern symbol lists does a similar job by other means. It separates grain from chaff.
Prompts on conviction
Purva Ashadha is linked with confidence, persuasion and refusing to be beaten. Test that against yourself:
- Which argument do you keep winning that you might be wrong about?
- What needs washing out of your schedule before anything new goes in?
- Who sees your stubbornness as loyalty, and who sees it as a wall?
What is panchang?
A panchang is the Hindu almanac. Its name means "five limbs": the tithi (lunar day), the vara (weekday), the nakshatra, the yoga and the karana. For any date and place it shows which nakshatra the Moon occupies and when it changes, which is how people check whether today is, say, Purva Ashadha. Panchangs are sidereal. Tropical-only readers can compute their own sidereal Moon with the nakshatra calculator, and sidereal explains the gap.
| Pada | Sidereal span | Navamsa sign |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13°20'-16°40' Sagittarius | Leo |
| 2 | 16°40'-20°00' Sagittarius | Virgo |
| 3 | 20°00'-23°20' Sagittarius | Libra |
| 4 | 23°20'-26°40' Sagittarius | Scorpio |
Muhurta uses
Bṛhat Saṃhitā places the three Pūrvas with Bharaṇī and Maghā in the ugra (fierce) class, for destruction, ruin, deceit, binding, poison, burning and striking with weapons.[32] I am giving the list as it stands. This site does not suggest harmful acts. Modern muhurta practice tends to use fierce days for endings and clearing, which for a water nakshatra might be a thorough clean-out. Practical deadlines come first.
The chant is on the Purva Ashadha mantra page. It sits between Mula and Uttara Ashadha.
Source review
Āpas as deity (verses 4-5) and the ugra list (verse 8) come from Bṛhat Saṃhitā chapter 97, Sanskrit edition, numbered 98 in the English translation.[32] The etymology, the English glosses, the symbol and the prompts are editorial.
Common questions
Who is the lord of Purvashada nakshatra?
Venus, under the Vimshottari dasha scheme. Bharani and Purva Phalguni have the same lord.
What rashi is Purva Ashadha in?
Dhanu, or sidereal Sagittarius, for all four padas.
What does Ashadha mean?
It is usually translated "unconquered" or "invincible." Purva means "earlier," so the name is "the earlier invincible one," paired with Uttara Ashadha.
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?
Purva Ashadha is lunar mansion 20 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 Venus. 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 Purva Ashadha Moon begins life with a complete Venus 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.