Dhanishta nakshatra (धनिष्ठा)
Nakshatra 23 of 27 · Capricorn and Aquarius · ruled by Mars
Find your birth nakshatraAbout Dhanishta
Rhythm, music and abundance; ambitious and generous.
Dhanishta is the 23th of the 27 nakshatras, the lunar mansions of the sidereal zodiac. Each nakshatra spans 13°20' of the ecliptic; Dhanishta begins at 23°20' Capricorn and ends at 6°40' Aquarius. 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.
Dhanishta at a glance
| Ruling planet | Mars |
|---|---|
| Presiding deity | The eight Vasus |
| Symbol | Drum |
| Gana (temperament) | Rakshasa |
| Yoni (animal) | Lion |
| Nadi | Madhya |
| Zodiac sign(s) | Capricorn and Aquarius |
| Vimshottari dasha lord | Mars (7 years) |
The four padas of Dhanishta
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 | 23°20' – 26°40' Capricorn | Capricorn | Leo |
| 2 | 26°40' – 29°60' Capricorn | Capricorn | Virgo |
| 3 | 0°00' – 3°20' Aquarius | Aquarius | Libra |
| 4 | 3°20' – 6°40' Aquarius | Aquarius | Scorpio |
What the symbols mean
Deity. The eight Vasus. In Jyotish the presiding deity shows the nature of the energy a nakshatra carries and the type of worship traditionally offered for it.
Symbol. Drum. The symbol is a memory image that captures the nakshatra's quality.
Gana, yoni and nadi. Dhanishta belongs to the Rakshasa gana, the lion yoni and the Madhya 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.
Dhanishta and the Vimshottari dasha
The lord of Dhanishta is Mars. A person born in this nakshatra starts life in a Mars mahadasha (a 7-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 Rahu, Jupiter and Saturn. Calculate your dasha periods free.
Remedies and worship
Traditional guidance links each nakshatra to its deity and ruling planet: prayer to The eight Vasus, and a puja or mantra for Mars, 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.