Hasta Nakshatra: Meaning, Deity, Padas and Traits

Hasta is the thirteenth of the 27 nakshatras and lies entirely in Virgo, from 10° 00′ to 23° 20′. Its name simply means “hand”, and the five stars of the group were drawn as the fingers of an open palm. The tradition links it with skill, craft, healing touch and the ability to make or mend things.

Hasta at a glance

The deity and the story

The deity is Savitar, the Vedic god of the sun as the one who impels and rouses. He is the deity of the Gayatri mantra, whose words ask that his light inspire our understanding. The hymns picture him as golden-handed, with arms stretched out over the whole world to bless the living, to send the sleeping to rest and to start the day’s work. The match with a hand-shaped nakshatra is plain.

Later tradition adds a story of how Savitar lost a hand at a sacrifice and received one of gold, and the golden hand has become one of the standard images of Hasta: a hand that gives, steadies and shapes. The symbol is read in two ways, an open palm that offers and blesses and a closed hand that holds and protects. Teachers consider both equally part of the star.

The Moon rules Hasta in the Vimshottari system, and the nakshatra sits in Virgo, ruled by Mercury, so the mind and the hands share the work: feeling guided by analysis and by a wish to be useful.

Temperament in the classical texts

Traditional descriptions of a person born in Hasta stress cleverness of the hands and quickness of the mind. The person is resourceful, practical and good with detail, often with a talent for craft, medicine, accounts, writing or any task that needs a careful touch, and often with a ready sense of humour.

The notes of caution are about restlessness and worry. A quick mind can fret over small matters, a habit of helping can become over-responsibility, and a skill for persuasion can slide into cleverness for its own sake. Teachers suggest steady routines and regular rest for the hands and the mind alike. These are tendencies of one placement, not a verdict on any person.

The four padas

Pada 1 (Virgo, Aries navamsa, lord Mars). The Moon is in Virgo with an Aries navamsa, ruled by Mars. This pada is described as the most energetic and enterprising of the four, quick to start and happy to work with tools.

Pada 2 (Virgo, Taurus navamsa, lord Venus). A Taurus navamsa, ruled by Venus, is the sign of the Moon’s exaltation. This pada is read as the steadiest and most sensual, with a talent for making beautiful and lasting things.

Pada 3 (Virgo, Gemini navamsa, lord Mercury). A Gemini navamsa, ruled by Mercury, sharpens the mind and the tongue. Teachers describe this pada as the most talkative and curious, suited to teaching, writing, trade and commentary.

Pada 4 (Virgo, Cancer navamsa, lord the Moon). A Cancer navamsa, ruled by the Moon, brings care and feeling. This pada is described as the most nurturing, with a strong pull towards home, family and healing work.

Each planet in Hasta

• Sun in Hasta
• Moon in Hasta
• Mars in Hasta
• Mercury in Hasta
• Jupiter in Hasta
• Venus in Hasta
• Saturn in Hasta
• Rahu in Hasta
• Ketu in Hasta

The Moon in all the nakshatras page sets Hasta beside its neighbours.

Compatibility and matching

Hasta is a Deva gana nakshatra. In the gana table a Deva bride scores six with a Deva or a Manushya groom and zero with a Rakshasa groom, and a Deva groom with a Manushya bride scores five. Its yoni is the buffalo, which scores four with another buffalo and zero with the horse, its natural enemy.

The nadi of Hasta is Adi (Vata), the same as its neighbour Uttara Phalguni, and in the traditional method a shared nadi scores zero of eight, though teachers differ on how firmly to hold to that and often accept exceptions. All four padas lie in Virgo, so the varna and vashya kutas read the same across the nakshatra, with Virgo giving Vaishya in the calculator.

Try the pair you have in mind in the nakshatra compatibility calculator, which lists each kuta separately so you can see where the points come from. Treat the total as a starting point for conversation, since a long and happy marriage has never depended on the number alone.

Names and the naming syllables

The four naming syllables are Pu, Sha, Na and Tha. Sha is the sibilant ष, Na is the retroflex ण, which rarely begins a word, and Tha is ठ, so families often use न or थ in everyday names for the rarer sounds. The baby names page gives options under each syllable so that you can see how this is usually handled.

The page of Hasta nakshatra baby names lists names for each syllable with meanings, and the baby names by date of birth tool finds the syllable from a birth date, time and place.

Find your nakshatra

Your birth nakshatra is the one the Moon was passing through at the moment of birth. The nakshatra calculator gives it, with the pada, from your birth date, time and place. For any other moment, such as a ceremony or a journey, the nakshatra at a date and time calculator gives the star and pada of the Moon.

Frequently asked questions