Saturn in All 27 Nakshatras: Where Your Discipline Is Tested

Saturn, Shani, is the planet of time, discipline, work, endurance and justice in Vedic astrology, and of the bones, joints and teeth in the body. It is slow: about two and a half years in each sign and roughly a year in each nakshatra. Everyone born within the same year or so shares a Saturn nakshatra, so on its own it describes a generation’s lesson more than a person’s. What makes it personal is the house it falls in, the houses it rules from your ascendant and the condition of the nakshatra’s lord.

With that caveat, the nakshatra still gives Saturn’s demand its flavour. Saturn in Pushya, under Brihaspati, asks for duty done as care; Saturn in Ashlesha, under the Nagas, asks for honesty about what is hidden. Both sit in Cancer, and they ask for very different things. The guides below take Saturn through all 27 nakshatras, with the deity, the symbol, the nakshatra lord and the four padas for each.

How to read Saturn’s nakshatra

Read it in three layers, in this order.

The sign sets Saturn’s dignity. Saturn owns Capricorn and Aquarius, is exalted in Libra (deepest at 20°, where Swati ends and Vishakha begins) and debilitated in Aries (deepest at 20°, in Bharani). It counts Mercury and Venus as friends, Jupiter as neutral, and the Sun, the Moon and Mars as enemies.

The nakshatra lord colours it. Saturn rules Pushya, Anuradha and Uttara Bhadrapada itself, and works there in its own idiom. Elsewhere it takes on the agenda of the nakshatra’s lord, and the condition of that lord in your chart often says more than the nakshatra itself.

The pada refines it. Each nakshatra divides into four padas of 3°20’, each falling in a navamsa sign. A pada whose navamsa matches its own sign is vargottama, which steadies the placement.

Saturn’s nakshatra does not decide which dasha you are born into; that is set by the Moon’s nakshatra. It shapes how Saturn’s own 19-year mahadasha runs, and how the nakshatra lord’s periods play out. Saturn’s transits are a separate question: see the Sade Sati guide and the Saturn return guide.

Quick reference

Saturn in each nakshatra

Saturn in Ashwini (0°00’ to 13°20’ Aries)

Saturn in Ashwini nakshatra places the planet of delay into Aries, its debilitation sign, inside a nakshatra built for speed and instinct. The placement often shows as friction between urgency and patience, worked out through disciplined effort. The house Saturn occupies and Ketu, the nakshatra’s lord, carry the rest of the detail.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Ashwini nakshatra

Saturn in Bharani (13°20’ to 26°40’ Aries)

Saturn in Bharani nakshatra reaches its single deepest point of debilitation, at the exact junction between the second and third padas, inside Yama’s stern, boundary-keeping star. Sign-wise this is Saturn’s hardest placement in the zodiac, yet the nakshatra’s own lord, Venus, is one of Saturn’s two mutual friends. The house Saturn occupies matters more than either fact alone.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Bharani nakshatra

Saturn in Krittika (26°40’ Aries to 10°00’ Taurus)

Saturn in Krittika nakshatra begins debilitated in Aries for its first pada, then crosses into Taurus, a sign ruled by Saturn’s friend Venus, for the remaining three. The nakshatra itself is ruled by the Sun, Saturn’s mutual enemy, under the fire god Agni. Which half of the nakshatra someone’s Saturn falls in changes the picture considerably.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Krittika nakshatra

Saturn in Rohini (10°00’ to 23°20’ Taurus)

Saturn in Rohini nakshatra sits in Taurus, a friend’s sign, so the placement is structurally comfortable even though Rohini is prized for beauty, growth and material abundance, qualities Saturn slows rather than denies. The Moon rules the nakshatra, and while Saturn treats the Moon as an enemy, the Moon stays neutral. The house Saturn occupies shapes the rest.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Rohini nakshatra

Saturn in Mrigashira (23°20’ Taurus to 6°40’ Gemini)

Saturn in Mrigashira nakshatra stays in a friend’s sign on both sides of its span, Taurus then Gemini, so the structural placement is comfortable throughout. The nakshatra itself, ruled by Mars and themed around Soma’s restless search, asks this steady Saturn to work with a searching, easily startled energy rather than against it.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Mrigashira nakshatra

Saturn in Ardra (6°40’ to 20°00’ Gemini)

Saturn in Ardra nakshatra sits comfortably in Gemini, a friend’s sign, inside a nakshatra ruled by Rahu and themed around Rudra’s fierce, clearing storm. Because the classical relationship table excludes the nodes, Saturn’s link to Rahu here works through Rahu’s own placement rather than a fixed rule. Expect intensity handled with unusual method.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Ardra nakshatra

Saturn in Punarvasu (20°00’ Gemini to 3°20’ Cancer)

Saturn in Punarvasu nakshatra sits in a friend’s sign, Gemini, for its first three padas, then crosses into Cancer, an enemy’s sign, for the fourth. The nakshatra is ruled by Jupiter, a mutual neutral for Saturn, and themed around Aditi’s boundless renewal. The exact pada changes the picture more than usual here.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Punarvasu nakshatra

Saturn in Pushya (3°20’ to 16°40’ Cancer)

Saturn in Pushya nakshatra is in its own nakshatra, since Pushya’s ruling planet is Saturn itself, yet it sits in Cancer, a sign ruled by the Moon, one of Saturn’s enemies. The sign is hostile while the nakshatra is home ground, a genuine split verdict. Pushya is also widely regarded as one of the most nourishing, auspicious nakshatras overall.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Pushya nakshatra

Saturn in Ashlesha (16°40’ to 30°00’ Cancer)

Saturn in Ashlesha nakshatra sits in Cancer, an enemy’s sign, inside a nakshatra of the Nagas known for penetrating, strategic intelligence. Mercury rules the nakshatra; Saturn counts Mercury a friend, though Mercury stays neutral in return. The final pada is also a gandanta point, the last water-to-fire junction in this stretch of the zodiac.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Ashlesha nakshatra

Saturn in Magha (0°00’ to 13°20’ Leo)

Saturn in Magha nakshatra sits in Leo, an enemy’s sign, inside a nakshatra of royal thrones and ancestral spirits, the Pitris. Ketu rules the nakshatra, and since the classical relationship table excludes the nodes, the working maxim treats Ketu as acting like Mars, itself only neutral toward Saturn. Inherited status here still has to be earned.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Magha nakshatra

Saturn in Purva Phalguni (13°20’ to 26°40’ Leo)

Saturn in Purva Phalguni nakshatra sits in Leo, an enemy’s sign, inside Bhaga’s nakshatra of rest, pleasure and marital comfort. Venus rules the nakshatra and is one of Saturn’s two mutual friends, easing much of the sign’s difficulty. The core tension is simple: this placement insists that real rest be earned through work first.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Purva Phalguni nakshatra

Saturn in Uttara Phalguni (26°40’ Leo to 10°00’ Virgo)

Saturn in Uttara Phalguni nakshatra opens in Leo, an enemy’s sign, then settles into Virgo, a friend’s sign, for its last three padas. The nakshatra is ruled by the Sun, Saturn’s mutual enemy, under Aryaman, deity of contracts and alliance. Its symbol, the back legs of a bed, is support that holds once a commitment is made.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Uttara Phalguni nakshatra

Saturn in Hasta (10°00’ to 23°20’ Virgo)

Saturn in Hasta nakshatra sits in Virgo, a friend’s sign, making this one of the more naturally supportive placements in this series for Saturn’s own values of skill built through patient labour. The Moon rules the nakshatra, and while Saturn treats the Moon as an enemy, the Moon itself stays neutral. Craft, dexterity and self-made competence define this pairing.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Hasta nakshatra

Saturn in Chitra (23°20’ Virgo to 6°40’ Libra)

Saturn in Chitra nakshatra begins in Virgo, a friend’s sign, then crosses into Libra, the whole of which is Saturn’s exaltation sign, for its final two padas. The deepest point of that exaltation actually falls in the next nakshatra, Swati, not here. Mars rules Chitra and stays neutral even though Saturn counts Mars an enemy, under Vishvakarma, the divine craftsman.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Chitra nakshatra

Saturn in Swati (6°40’ to 20°00’ Libra)

Saturn in Swati nakshatra sits in Libra, its own exaltation sign, so this placement gives Saturn real strength. Vayu, the wind god, rules Swati’s independence and constant movement, and Saturn adds patience, structure and follow-through, so freedom becomes disciplined self-reliance rather than restlessness.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Swati nakshatra

Saturn in Vishakha (20°00’ Libra to 3°20’ Scorpio)

Saturn in Vishakha nakshatra spends three padas exalted in Libra and one pada in Scorpio, a sign Saturn counts as an enemy’s. The nakshatra’s drive toward achievement, presided over by Indragni, gets built patiently through Saturn’s discipline, like clay turned again and again on a potter’s wheel until it holds its final shape.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Vishakha nakshatra

Saturn in Anuradha (3°20’ to 16°40’ Scorpio)

Saturn in Anuradha nakshatra sits in its own nakshatra, since Anuradha is one of the three nakshatras Saturn rules. It sits in Scorpio, a sign ruled by Mars, one of Saturn’s enemies, so the placement mixes a genuine sense of being at home with real friction from the sign it occupies.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Anuradha nakshatra

Saturn in Jyeshtha (16°40’ to 30°00’ Scorpio)

Saturn in Jyeshtha nakshatra sits in Scorpio, a sign it counts as an enemy’s, inside a nakshatra whose very name means the eldest or the chief. The placement often shows as authority and seniority that has to be earned and defended, carrying real responsibility for those who depend on it.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Jyeshtha nakshatra

Saturn in Mula (0°00’ to 13°20’ Sagittarius)

Saturn in Mula nakshatra sits in Sagittarius, a sign it finds neutral, inside the nakshatra of roots, presided over by Nirriti and ruled by Ketu. Saturn’s patience tends to steady Mula’s theme of getting to the root of things, turning what could be sudden upheaval into a slower, more deliberate process of finding and fixing the real cause.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Mula nakshatra

Saturn in Purva Ashadha (13°20’ to 26°40’ Sagittarius)

Saturn in Purva Ashadha nakshatra sits in Sagittarius, a neutral sign for Saturn, and shares a rare mutual friendship with its nakshatra lord, Venus. The placement tends to bring disciplined purification, sorting what is worth keeping from what is not, toward an early, hard-won sense of invincibility that Purva Ashadha’s name itself suggests.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Purva Ashadha nakshatra

Saturn in Uttara Ashadha (26°40’ Sagittarius to 10°00’ Capricorn)

Saturn in Uttara Ashadha nakshatra begins in Sagittarius, a neutral sign, then moves into Capricorn, Saturn’s own sign, for its last three padas. Its lord, the Sun, is one of Saturn’s mutual enemies, so this placement often works through real tension between personal will and structural duty before producing a result built to last.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Uttara Ashadha nakshatra

Saturn in Shravana (10°00’ to 23°20’ Capricorn)

Saturn in Shravana nakshatra sits entirely in Capricorn, its own sign, giving this placement real structural strength. Its nakshatra lord is the Moon, whom Saturn counts as an enemy, though the Moon itself is neutral to Saturn, so the tension runs mostly one way, coloured by Vishnu’s themes of listening, learning and sustained reputation.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Shravana nakshatra

Saturn in Dhanishtha (23°20’ Capricorn to 6°40’ Aquarius)

Saturn in Dhanishtha nakshatra moves from its own sign, Capricorn, into Aquarius, also its own sign and its moolatrikona. Ruled by Mars and presided over by the eight Vasus, this placement channels Saturn’s discipline into rhythm, timing and shared material wealth, symbolised by the drum that only works when struck on beat.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Dhanishtha nakshatra

Saturn in Shatabhisha (6°40’ to 20°00’ Aquarius)

Saturn in Shatabhisha nakshatra sits entirely in Aquarius, both its own sign and its moolatrikona, second in strength only to its exaltation in Libra. Its lord is Rahu, a node with no listed relationship to Saturn, though the maxim that Rahu acts like Saturn suggests the two work in a similar direction, deepening this nakshatra’s themes of solitude and healing.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Shatabhisha nakshatra

Saturn in Purva Bhadrapada (20°00’ Aquarius to 3°20’ Pisces)

Saturn in Purva Bhadrapada nakshatra sits in its own sign, Aquarius, for three padas, then in Pisces, a neutral sign, for the fourth. Ruled by Jupiter and presided over by the fierce, one-footed Aja Ekapada, this placement channels Saturn’s discipline into sustained intensity, turning what could be sudden transformation into deliberate, purposeful change.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Purva Bhadrapada nakshatra

Saturn in Uttara Bhadrapada (3°20’ to 16°40’ Pisces)

Saturn in Uttara Bhadrapada nakshatra occupies its own nakshatra, one of only three Saturn rules, sitting in Pisces, a sign it finds neutral. Presided over by Ahir Budhnya, the serpent of the deep, this is one of the more comfortable placements in this series, pairing Saturn’s patience with real, quiet depth.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Uttara Bhadrapada nakshatra

Saturn in Revati (16°40’ to 30°00’ Pisces)

Saturn in Revati nakshatra sits in Pisces, a neutral sign, at the very last nakshatra of the zodiac wheel. Ruled by Mercury and guided by Pushan, protector of travellers, this placement tends to bring disciplined completion: finishing responsibly, nourishing others, and closing a cycle carefully before the wheel begins again at Ashwini.

Read the full guide to Saturn in Revati nakshatra

By nakshatra lord

• Ketu-ruled: Ashwini, Magha, Mula
• Venus-ruled: Bharani, Purva Phalguni, Purva Ashadha
• Sun-ruled: Krittika, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashadha
• Moon-ruled: Rohini, Hasta, Shravana
• Mars-ruled: Mrigashira, Chitra, Dhanishtha
• Rahu-ruled: Ardra, Swati, Shatabhisha
• Jupiter-ruled: Punarvasu, Vishakha, Purva Bhadrapada
• Saturn-ruled (its own): Pushya, Anuradha, Uttara Bhadrapada
• Mercury-ruled: Ashlesha, Jyeshtha, Revati

Related reading

• Saturn in all 12 houses
• Saturn in all 12 signs
• Sade Sati now: which Moon signs are in it
• The Saturn return in Vedic astrology
• Every planet in the nakshatras

Frequently asked questions