Nakshatra
Shatabhisha nakshatra: Varuṇa, Rahu and the circle
Shatabhisha (Śatabhiṣaj) is the twenty-fourth nakshatra and lies inside sidereal Aquarius, from 6°40' to 20°00'. Its deity is Varuṇa, the Vedic god of the cosmic waters and of truth, and its Vimshottari lord is Rahu. The symbol is commonly given as an empty circle. Later tradition usually classes it as cara, or movable.
Draft · specialist source review requested
A hundred healers and an empty circle. Shatabhisha's name and its symbol pull in different directions, and most readings settle on the idea that both describe something hidden: a cure not yet found, a space with nothing visible in it.
| Fact | Shatabhisha |
|---|---|
| Number | 24 of 27 |
| IAST spelling | Śatabhiṣaj |
| Deity | Varuṇa |
| Vimshottari lord | Rahu |
| Symbol (commonly given) | Empty circle |
| Sidereal span | 6°40'-20°00' Aquarius |
| Rashi | Kumbha (Aquarius), all four padas |
| Muhurta class | Usually given as cara (movable); see below |
Varuṇa, keeper of the order
The Bṛhat Saṃhitā gives Varuṇa as Śatabhiṣaj's deity.[32] In the early Vedas Varuṇa watches over ṛta, the cosmic order, and sees every broken promise. He binds liars with his noose and releases those who confess. Later he becomes lord of the ocean. Secrecy, truth-telling and deep water are the threads astrologers usually pull from him.
Prompts for a Shatabhisha Moon
- What do you keep private, and does keeping it help you or cost you?
- Which problem are you still researching that you could already act on?
- When did saying something true out loud free you from it?
How accurate is Vedic astrology?
Controlled studies have not found that any astrology, Vedic or Western, predicts personality or events better than chance. This site treats it as a reflective and cultural tradition, and that is how the prompts above are meant. Accuracy in the narrower sense of astronomy is different: a nakshatra placement can be calculated precisely, but only in the sidereal zodiac. Tropical-only readers should compute their sidereal Moon with the nakshatra calculator; the sidereal entry explains the difference.
| Pada | Sidereal span | Navamsa sign |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6°40'-10°00' Aquarius | Sagittarius |
| 2 | 10°00'-13°20' Aquarius | Capricorn |
| 3 | 13°20'-16°40' Aquarius | Aquarius |
| 4 | 16°40'-20°00' Aquarius | Pisces |
Pada 3 is vargottama, Aquarius in both the birth chart and the navamsa.
Muhurta uses
The Bṛhat Saṃhitā verses this site has checked do not assign Śatabhiṣaj a class. Later manuals usually group it with Punarvasu, Svātī, Śravaṇa and Dhaniṣṭhā as cara (movable), and use it for travel and changes of place. That is common later practice that still needs a source check. A practical deadline beats any of it.
The chant is on the Shatabhisha mantra page. Dhanishtha precedes it and Purva Bhadrapada follows.
Source review
Varuṇa as deity rests on Bṛhat Saṃhitā chapter 97, verses 4-5, Sanskrit edition (98 in the English translation).[32] The cara class, the Vedic background on Varuṇa, the symbol and the prompts are not taken from that text.
Common questions
Who is the lord of Shatabhisha nakshatra?
Rahu, in the Vimshottari dasha scheme. Ardra and Swati share that lord.
What is the rashi of Shatabhisha nakshatra?
Kumbha, or sidereal Aquarius. All four padas fall in that sign.
What does Shatabhisha mean?
It is usually translated "a hundred physicians" or "a hundred healers." Satabhisha and Sadayam (Tamil) are other names for it.
Keep going
- All 27 nakshatras
- Shatabhisha mantra
- Dhanishtha nakshatra
- Purva Bhadrapada nakshatra
- Moon in Aquarius
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?
Shatabhisha is lunar mansion 24 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 Shatabhisha 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.