About Ashlesha
Penetrating insight and hypnotic charm; guards its secrets.
Ashlesha is the 9th of the 27 nakshatras, the lunar mansions of the sidereal zodiac. Each nakshatra spans 13°20' of the ecliptic; Ashlesha begins at 16°40' Cancer and ends at 0°00' Cancer. The Moon spends about a day in each nakshatra, so your birth nakshatra is the one the Moon occupied at the moment you were born. It is calculated with the sidereal (Lahiri) zodiac, which is why it can differ from Western astrology.
Ashlesha at a glance
| Ruling planet | Mercury |
|---|---|
| Presiding deity | The Nagas |
| Symbol | Coiled serpent |
| Gana (temperament) | Rakshasa |
| Yoni (animal) | Cat |
| Nadi | Antya |
| Zodiac sign(s) | Cancer |
| Vimshottari dasha lord | Mercury (17 years) |
The four padas of Ashlesha
Each nakshatra is divided into four padas of 3°20'. Every pada falls in one navamsa (D9) sign, which is used in marriage and fortune analysis.
| Pada | From – to | Rashi | Navamsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16°40' – 20°00' Cancer | Cancer | Sagittarius |
| 2 | 20°00' – 23°20' Cancer | Cancer | Capricorn |
| 3 | 23°20' – 26°40' Cancer | Cancer | Aquarius |
| 4 | 26°40' – 0°00' Cancer | Cancer | Pisces |
What the symbols mean
Deity. The Nagas. In Jyotish the presiding deity shows the nature of the energy a nakshatra carries and the type of worship traditionally offered for it.
Symbol. Coiled serpent. The symbol is a memory image that captures the nakshatra's quality.
Gana, yoni and nadi. Ashlesha belongs to the Rakshasa gana, the cat yoni and the Antya nadi. These three are among the eight factors (ashta koota) used in Kundli matching for marriage; for the full score use our Kundli matching tool.
Ashlesha and the Vimshottari dasha
The lord of Ashlesha is Mercury. A person born in this nakshatra starts life in a Mercury mahadasha (a 17-year period in the 120-year cycle), part of which has already passed at birth, depending on where the Moon stood inside the nakshatra. The order of dasha lords then continues with Ketu, Venus and Sun. Calculate your dasha periods free.
Remedies and worship
Traditional guidance links each nakshatra to its deity and ruling planet: prayer to The Nagas, and a puja or mantra for Mercury, are common choices. This is a devotional tradition, not a guarantee of any result. A pandit looks at the whole chart, not the nakshatra alone, before suggesting anything. You can book an online puja or generate your free Kundli first.