Nakshatra
Pushya nakshatra: Bṛhaspati, Saturn and light days
Pushya (Puṣya) is the eighth nakshatra and lies wholly in sidereal Cancer, from 3°20' to 16°40'. Its god is Bṛhaspati, the priest and teacher of the gods, and its Vimshottari lord is Saturn. Most lists give the symbol as a cow's udder or a flower. Classical muhurta counts it as laghu, or light.
Draft · specialist source review requested
Pushya is the nakshatra that shows up in shopping ads every autumn in India, usually as "Guru Pushya." The commercial hype is recent. The reputation underneath it, that this is a nourishing and dependable stretch of sky, is much older.
| Fact | Pushya |
|---|---|
| Number | 8 of 27 |
| IAST spelling | Puṣya |
| Deity | Bṛhaspati |
| Vimshottari lord | Saturn |
| Symbol (commonly given) | Cow's udder or flower |
| Sidereal span | 3°20'-16°40' Cancer |
| Rashi | Karka (Cancer), all four padas |
| Muhurta class | Laghu (light) |
The teacher's nakshatra
Bṛhaspati is Puṣya's deity in the Bṛhat Saṃhitā.[32] He is the priest who speaks prayers on behalf of the gods and their teacher in ritual and counsel. Pair a teacher-god with Saturn as the planetary lord, the planet of discipline, and you get Pushya's two usual themes: nourishment and duty. The udder in modern symbol lists is about feeding people; the flower version is about growth.
Reflection rather than prediction
Pushya Moons are often described as caring, steady and a bit serious. You may or may not recognize yourself there.
- Who do you feed, teach or look after without being asked?
- What duty do you keep that nobody notices, and do you still believe in it?
- Is there someone whose advice you rely on, and do you tell them?
What is today's nakshatra?
Today's nakshatra is the one the Moon is passing through right now, measured in the sidereal zodiac. It changes about once a day, at a time that depends on where you are, which is why a panchang lists the exact end time for your location. The nakshatra calculator works out both a birth nakshatra and the current one. Tropical-only readers should remember the sidereal Moon sits about 24 degrees behind the tropical one; the sidereal entry explains.
| Pada | Sidereal span | Navamsa sign |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3°20'-6°40' Cancer | Leo |
| 2 | 6°40'-10°00' Cancer | Virgo |
| 3 | 10°00'-13°20' Cancer | Libra |
| 4 | 13°20'-16°40' Cancer | Scorpio |
Muhurta uses
Bṛhat Saṃhitā puts Puṣya with Hasta and Aśvinī as laghu (light) and lists trade, pleasure, learning, ornaments, arts, crafts, medicine and vehicles or travel.[32] Buying jewellery on Guru Pushya is a direct descendant of the "ornaments" entry. The text also names medicine; this site does not time medical care, and a clinician's schedule or a real deadline always comes first.
For the chanting text, see the Pushya mantra page. The neighbors are Punarvasu and Ashlesha.
Source review
Bṛhaspati as deity (verses 4-5) and the laghu list (verse 9) come from Bṛhat Saṃhitā chapter 97, Sanskrit edition, numbered 98 in the English translation.[32] The Guru Pushya custom, the symbol, the English glosses and the prompts are editorial.
Common questions
What is the rasi of Pushya nakshatra?
Karka, or sidereal Cancer. All four padas of Pushya (Pushyami, Poosam) are in that sign.
Who is the god of Pushya nakshatra?
Bṛhaspati, the guru of the gods and the deity later identified with the planet Jupiter.
What is Guru Pushya?
A day when the Moon is in Pushya and the weekday is Thursday (Guruvar). Many Indian calendars treat it as a popular day for purchases and new starts; that is a custom, not a promise of results.
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?
Pushya is lunar mansion 8 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 Pushya 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.