Purva Ashadha Nakshatra

The meaning of Purva Ashadha and its symbol

Purva Ashadha is the 20th of the 27 nakshatras. Ashadha means the unconquered or invincible one, and purva means earlier, so the name is the earlier invincible one. It is the first of a pair with Uttara Ashadha, the later invincible one, and gives its name, together with its partner, to the month of Ashadha. Where Uttara Ashadha speaks of final, lasting victory, Purva Ashadha is the early victory: the confidence and momentum that come before the goal is fully won.

Its symbols are a winnowing fan and an elephant's tusk. The winnowing fan separates grain from husk with a toss of air, an image of purification and of keeping what is valuable. The tusk is strength and dignity that cannot easily be broken. Both suggest a nakshatra that refines and also stands firm.

The deity: Apas, the waters

The deity of Purva Ashadha is Apas, the divine waters. In the Rigveda the waters are praised as mothers who cleanse, refresh and give life, and water is used in nearly every Hindu rite to purify a person or a place before worship.

Water is gentle yet unstoppable: it finds its way around every obstacle and in time wears down stone. This gives Purva Ashadha its blend of softness and persistence, and its link with renewal and fresh starts after a cleansing.

Lord, gana, yoni, nadi and nature

Purva Ashadha is ruled by Venus, the planet of beauty, pleasure, art and relationships. A person born with the Moon in Purva Ashadha begins life in the Venus Mahadasha of the Vimshottari system. Venus gives charm, a love of fine things and a persuasive way with words.

Its gana is Manushya, the human temperament, balanced between the gentle Deva and the intense Rakshasa. Its yoni is the monkey, an animal of cleverness and lively energy. Its nadi is Madhya. Its nature is Ugra, fierce, a group linked with bold and competitive work.

• Lord: Venus
• Deity: Apas
• Gana: Manushya
• Yoni: Monkey
• Nadi: Madhya
• Group: Ugra (fierce)

Where Purva Ashadha falls in the zodiac

Purva Ashadha spans Sagittarius 13°20′ to Sagittarius 26°40′ of the sidereal zodiac, so all four padas are in Sagittarius, the sign of Jupiter. Jupiter's sign gives it optimism, faith and philosophical conviction, while Venus brings grace and diplomacy. The combination tends to produce people who believe strongly in their ideas and can inspire others to share them.

The four padas of Purva Ashadha

Each pada spans 3°20′, falls in its own navamsha and carries a traditional name sound. The second and fourth sounds are both written Dha in English; in Devanagari they are usually two different letters, the dental dha and the retroflex dha.

• Pada 1 (Sagittarius 13°20′ to 16°40′): Leo navamsha, name sound Bhu; proud, confident, generous
• Pada 2 (Sagittarius 16°40′ to 20°00′): Virgo navamsha, name sound Dha; careful, analytical, service-minded
• Pada 3 (Sagittarius 20°00′ to 23°20′): Libra navamsha, name sound Pha; charming, sociable, artistic
• Pada 4 (Sagittarius 23°20′ to 26°40′): Scorpio navamsha, name sound Dha; intense, determined, private

Personality

People born in Purva Ashadha tend to be confident, persuasive and full of conviction. They like to win, and they bring energy and optimism to whatever they take up. Many have a natural gift for speaking, debating and convincing others.

Their lesson lies in the same strength. Certainty can turn into stubbornness, and the wish to win every argument can tire those around them. When they listen as well as they speak, and remember that early success is only part of the road, their confidence tends to become real leadership.

Career and work

Purva Ashadha natives often do well in fields that need persuasion and presence: law, politics, public speaking, teaching, sales, marketing, advertising and the media. Venus favours the arts, fashion, design, hospitality and entertainment.

The link with water traditionally adds shipping, fisheries, beverages and work near rivers or the sea. They tend to thrive where there is a goal to win and an audience to move.

Love and relationships

In love Purva Ashadha natives tend to be warm, attractive and generous. Venus makes them romantic and appreciative of beauty, and they enjoy sharing pleasures with a partner.

They can have firm views about how a relationship should be, and pride may make it hard to back down after a disagreement. A partner who admires their spirit but is not afraid to differ tends to suit them, and a willingness to yield on small things keeps their bonds easy.

Compatibility

In Ashtakoota matching, Purva Ashadha shares the monkey yoni with Shravana, which scores the full 4 yoni points. The sheep, the yoni of Krittika and Pushya, is the monkey's traditional opposite, so that pairing scores low on yoni. As a Manushya gana nakshatra, Purva Ashadha tends to match well with Manushya and Deva natives, and less easily with Rakshasa gana.

Its Madhya nadi means tradition prefers a partner of Aadi or Antya nadi. These are tendencies in one part of matching; an astrologer weighs both full charts.

What is traditionally begun under Purva Ashadha

As an Ugra, or fierce, nakshatra, Purva Ashadha is traditionally chosen for bold, competitive and decisive work: entering a contest, starting a campaign or taking a firm stand. A muhurta also weighs the tithi, weekday and the rest of the panchang.