Which planet rules Krittika Nakshatra?

Sun is the Vimshottari lord of Krittika. A person born with the Moon in Krittika starts life in the Sun Mahadasha, which lasts 6 years in full; the part of the nakshatra the Moon has already crossed at birth is deducted from that first period.

What is the gana and nature of Krittika Nakshatra?

Krittika belongs to the Rakshasa (fierce) gana; Rakshasa gana natives are described as strong-willed, independent and intense. The gana is what Gana Koota compares in horoscope matching. Its nature is Mishra (mixed), so in muhurta it is chosen for everyday routine work.

Which zodiac sign is Krittika Nakshatra in?

Krittika runs from 26°40' to 40°00' of the sidereal zodiac, across Mesha (Aries) and Vrishabha (Taurus): pada 1 in Mesha (Aries) and padas 2–4 in Vrishabha (Taurus). Each pada covers 3°20'.

What are the padas and name letters of Krittika Nakshatra?

Pada 1: "A" (navamsha Dhanu (Sagittarius)); Pada 2: "Ee" (navamsha Makara (Capricorn)); Pada 3: "U" (navamsha Kumbha (Aquarius)); Pada 4: "E" (navamsha Meena (Pisces)). A child born in Krittika is traditionally named starting with the syllable of their birth pada.

What is the symbol and yoni of Krittika Nakshatra?

The symbol of Krittika is the knife and its yoni (sacred animal) is the goat/sheep, which is what Yoni Koota compares in horoscope matching. Its Ayurvedic dosha is Kapha and purushartha is Kama.

2026 Krittika Nakshatra

Quick Overview

Lord: Sun
Deity: Agni
Symbol: Knife
Gana: Rakshasa (fierce)
Rashi span: Pada 1 in Mesha (Aries) and padas 2–4 in Vrishabha (Taurus)
Next Moon transit (New Delhi): Tue, Oct 27, 2026, 3:39 PM to Wed, Oct 28, 1:26 PM

« Bharani Nakshatra Rohini Nakshatra »

Krittika is Nakshatra 3 of the 27, spanning 26°40' to 40°00' of the sidereal zodiac, across Mesha (Aries) and Vrishabha (Taurus). Its ruling deity is Agni and its Vimshottari lord is Sun; the name is rendered as "Knife".

Krittika belongs to the Rakshasa (fierce) gana and its nature is Mishra (mixed). Its symbol is the knife, its yoni animal the goat/sheep, its dosha Kapha and its purushartha Kama. Names for a child born in its four padas begin with A, Ee, U and E.

Krittika Nakshatra in other languages

Nakshatra number 3

Astronomical name: Eta Tauri
English: Krittika
Hindi / Sanskrit: Krittika
Tamil: Krittiki
Telugu: Kruthika
Sinhalese: Kethi
Gujarati: Krutika
Malayalam: Karthika
Marathi: Krittika
Kannada: Krittike

Krittika Nakshatra characteristics

Meaning: Knife
Tara: 6
Principal Star (Yogatara): Alcyone Tauri
Ruling Deity: Agni
Temperament: Mixed
Mannerism: Head -bent
Vision: Proper-sighted
Kulakula: Inheritable (Akula)
Class: Knowledgeable
Sex: Female
Element: Earth
Visha Portion (96 Minutes): From 12 h 00 m
Amrita Portion (96 Minutes): From 21 h 36m
Inauspicious Part: III & IV quarters
Limb: Eye-brows
Start: 26 Ar 40
End: 10 Ta 00
Degrees of Zodiac: 26° 40' to 40° 0'
Vimshottari Lord: SunMore
Ruling Deity (Vedic): Agni
Pada 1 Letter: अ (A)
Pada 2 Letter: ई (Ee)
Pada 3 Letter: उ (U)
Pada 4 Letter: ए (E)
Sacred Animal: Goat/Sheep
Devata who connects with the Sacred Animal: Agni
Gender: Female
Friendly Animal: Horse
Opposing Animal: Snake, Monkey
Nakshatra Doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha): Kapha
Purusharta (Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha): Kama
Pada1 Purushartha: Dharma
Pada2 Purushartha: Artha
Pada3 Purushartha: Kama
Pada4 Purushartha: Moksha
Gana List: Rakshasa
Direction of Nakshatra: North
Primary: Rajas
Secondary: Rajas
Tertiary: Sattva
Sidereal Longitude of Yogataras: 35°53'23"
Magnitude: 2.87
Latitude: 4°03'N
Declination: 24°10'N
Special Group: B
Combustion: May 11 - May 14
Deep Combustion Dates: May 20 - May 21
Trade Items: All metals including gold, silver, copper, iron, gems, barley, sesame, diamond, rice
Months: 8 months
Gotra of the Nakshatra: Angiras--Fiery One
Bird: Peacock
Tree/Plant/Fruit: Umbar (Cluster fig)
Botanical Name for Tree: Ficus racemosa
Birth in Suklapaksha: Vulture
Birth in Krishnapaksha: Peacock
Vedic Names of the Nakshatras: Krittikah
Vedanga Jyotisha short forms of Nak.: Kri
Srishti/Sthiti/Samhara: Samhara

Moon in Krittika Nakshatra in 2026

Dates for New Delhi (UTC+05:30) — showing your city's dates once your location loads.

December 2025

Dec 202531Wed

Krittika NakshatraBegins: 3:58 AM, December 31Ends: 1:30 AM, January 1

January 2026

Jan 202627Tue

Krittika NakshatraBegins: 11:09 AM, January 27Ends: 9:27 AM, January 28

February 2026

Feb 202623Mon

Krittika NakshatraBegins: 4:33 PM, February 23Ends: 3:07 PM, February 24

March 2026

Mar 202622Sun

Krittika NakshatraBegins: 10:42 PM, March 22Ends: 8:49 PM, March 23

April 2026

Apr 202619Sun

Krittika NakshatraBegins: 7:10 AM, April 19Ends: 4:35 AM, April 20

May 2026

May 202616Sat

Krittika NakshatraBegins: 5:30 PM, May 16Ends: 2:32 PM, May 17

June 2026

Jun 202613Sat

Krittika NakshatraBegins: 4:05 AM, June 13Ends: 1:17 AM, June 14

July 2026

Jul 202610Fri

Krittika NakshatraBegins: 1:15 PM, July 10Ends: 11:03 AM, July 11

August 2026

Aug 20266Thu

Krittika NakshatraBegins: 8:13 PM, August 6Ends: 6:43 PM, August 7

September 2026

Sep 20263Thu

Krittika NakshatraBegins: 1:43 AM, September 3Ends: 12:29 AM, September 4

Sep 202630Wed

Krittika NakshatraBegins: 7:36 AM, September 30Ends: 6:02 AM, October 1

October 2026

Oct 202627Tue

Krittika NakshatraBegins: 3:39 PM, October 27Ends: 1:26 PM, October 28

November 2026

Nov 202624Tue

Krittika NakshatraBegins: 2:02 AM, November 24Ends: 11:25 PM, November 24

December 2026

Dec 202621Mon

Krittika NakshatraBegins: 1:09 PM, December 21Ends: 10:45 AM, December 22

Frequently Asked Questions about Krittika Nakshatra

The ruling deity of Krittika is Agni. It is Nakshatra 3 of the 27 and is counted as a group of 6 stars, with Alcyone Tauri as its principal star (yogatara).