Pushya Nakshatra

The meaning of Pushya and its symbol

Pushya is the eighth of the 27 nakshatras. Its name comes from the root push, to nourish, and means "the nourisher" or "the one who makes things thrive". It is also called Tishya, the auspicious one, and Sidhya, the one that brings success. Its stars lie in the faint constellation Cancer, around the cluster known as the Beehive.

Its symbol is a cow's udder, and some traditions give a flower or a circle. The udder gives milk freely to the calf and to the household; it is the image of patient, generous nourishment. Pushya is counted among the most auspicious of all the nakshatras, a place of care, faith and good counsel.

The deity: Brihaspati

The deity of Pushya is Brihaspati, the teacher and priest of the gods, who is also the planet Jupiter. In the Vedas he is the lord of prayer and sacred speech, whose wise words lead the gods to victory and whose rituals keep the world in order.

Brihaspati's role is that of the guru: he advises, protects and teaches. The Puranas show him guiding Indra through crises with patience and learning rather than force. Pushya carries this nature: steady wisdom, devotion to dharma, and the care of a teacher for the students in his charge.

Lord, gana, yoni, nadi and nature

Saturn rules Pushya, so a person born with the Moon here begins life in the nineteen-year Saturn Mahadasha. Saturn gives discipline, patience and a sense of duty, and here it works in the service of Brihaspati's nourishing wisdom.

Its gana is Deva, the divine temperament. Its yoni is the sheep, gentle and steady. Its nadi is Madhya, linked by tradition with the Pitta constitution. By nature it belongs to the Kshipra or swift group, the nakshatras of travel, study and trade.

Where Pushya falls in the zodiac

Pushya spans Cancer 3°20′ to Cancer 16°40′, so all four padas lie in Cancer, the sign of the Moon. Cancer is the sign of Jupiter's exaltation, and the exact point of exaltation, 5° Cancer, falls in Pushya's first pada.

In the classical scheme of planetary friendship Saturn counts the Moon as an enemy, so a nakshatra ruled by Saturn in the Moon's watery sign joins two different natures: emotional sensitivity and stern responsibility. In Pushya this often shows as feeling expressed through duty and practical care.

The four padas of Pushya

Each pada spans 3°20′, falls in its own navamsha sign and has a traditional name sound.

• Pada 1: Cancer, Leo navamsha, name sound Hu: dignified, generous, proud of family
• Pada 2: Cancer, Virgo navamsha, name sound He: diligent, careful, service-minded
• Pada 3: Cancer, Libra navamsha, name sound Ho: sociable, fair, artistic
• Pada 4: Cancer, Scorpio navamsha, name sound Da: deep, protective, intuitive

Personality

People born in Pushya tend to be caring, dutiful and dependable. They like to look after others and often hold to tradition and faith. They are usually modest, hardworking and respected for their good sense.

Their gift is steady nourishment: they feed, teach and support the people around them, often without being asked. The lesson that sometimes comes with Saturn as lord is to care for themselves as well as others, and not to carry worry or responsibility alone. With maturity, many Pushya natives become the wise elders of their family or community.

Career and work

Pushya's caring, disciplined nature suits work that serves, guides or sustains. Traditional associations include teaching, priesthood and religious work, counselling, social service, government and public administration, food and dairy, and caregiving professions of every kind.

They tend to be trusted with institutions and with people's welfare, and do well in steady roles that grow over time. Their patience makes them good managers of long-running work.

Love and relationships

In love, Pushya natives tend to be devoted, protective and faithful. They show affection by providing, by remembering what their partner needs, and by building a secure family life.

They can be reserved about their own feelings and may seem serious at first. A partner who appreciates their quiet care, shares their values and draws them gently out of their worries tends to find in them a lifelong companion.

Compatibility

Pushya's sheep yoni is shared with Krittika, and same-yoni pairs score highest in this factor of Ashtakoota matching. The sheep is traditionally set opposite the monkey, the yoni of Purva Ashadha and Shravana, so that pairing scores lowest here.

As a Deva gana nakshatra, Pushya is traditionally most at ease with Deva nakshatras, comfortable with Manushya, and scored lower with Rakshasa. All eight factors and both charts are weighed in a full matching, and the result describes tendencies only.

What is traditionally begun under Pushya

As a Kshipra nakshatra, Pushya is traditionally chosen for travel, starting studies, trade and quick tasks. When it falls on a Thursday it forms Guru Pushya yoga, and on a Sunday Ravi Pushya yoga, both widely valued for new learning, purchases and beginnings. Many traditions, however, do not choose Pushya for weddings, and the rest of the panchang is always checked.