Pushya Nakshatra: Meaning, Deity, Padas and Traits

Pushya is the eighth of the 27 nakshatras and lies wholly within Cancer, from 3° 20′ to 16° 40′ of the sidereal sign. The name means nourishing, from the root push, to thrive, and the star is pictured as a cow’s udder, a flower or a lotus. Many texts name it the most auspicious of the nakshatras, and it is the one most often used to choose a day for a new start.

Pushya at a glance

The gana, yoni and nadi are the groups used in nakshatra matching, explained below. The varna is read from the Moon’s sign, which is Cancer for every pada of Pushya.

The deity and the story

The deity of Pushya is Brihaspati, the preceptor of the gods, whose name means lord of prayer. In the Rigveda he is the priest who gives the gods counsel and speaks the sacred word, and in later tradition he is the planet Jupiter and the teacher of the devas against the demons. His connection to Pushya gives it a tone of wisdom, instruction and guidance. The nakshatra’s own lord, Saturn, gives the star its steadiness and its sense of duty.

The image of the udder is the heart of the star: milk freely given, the feeding of a child, the way a lasting good is built by patient daily care. Tradition says that a day of this star is one of the best for beginnings. When Pushya falls on a Thursday the day is called Guru Pushya, and on a Sunday it is called Ravi Pushya, and both have long been used in Indian custom for buying gold, starting studies or opening a business. Rulers were once consecrated under Pushya, and this custom, called Pushyabhisheka, is known from old texts.

Temperament in the classical texts

The classical lists describe a Pushya Moon as kind, helpful, disciplined and respected. The texts speak of a person who is dutiful, who cares for family and community, who has a good memory for learning and who is generous with time and advice. The Moon is exalted in Cancer in the tradition, and Pushya is one of the star’s gentlest places.

The traditional cautions concern giving too much: a tendency to put others first until one is tired, to hold feeling in, and to be strict with oneself. Teachers present these as the cost of a caring nature. Rest, honest speech and shared work are the usual common-sense suggestions. The rest of the chart always changes how the star shows.

The four padas

Pada 1 (Hu) falls in Leo navamsa. It is read as the most confident pada, with a warm presence and a natural wish to lead and protect.

Pada 2 (He) falls in Virgo navamsa. Tradition describes a careful, helpful and analytical pada, with talent for healing and service.

Pada 3 (Ho) falls in Libra navamsa. The reading is fair-minded and social, with a gift for counselling and for making peace between others.

Pada 4 (Da) falls in Scorpio navamsa. It is described as the deepest pada, with strong feeling, privacy and a capacity to persevere.

The navamsa sign of each pada is worked out the standard way: the 108 padas of the zodiac run in order from Aries, so each pada falls in the next sign in turn. You can see the same placement for any chart in the navamsa calculator.

Each planet in Pushya

When a planet sits in Pushya, its nature is shaped by the lord Saturn and by the deity above. Each of these pages looks at one planet in this star.

• Sun in Pushya Nakshatra: the Sun, the soul and authority, set in this star.
• Moon in Pushya Nakshatra: the Moon, your mind and janma nakshatra, here.
• Mars in Pushya Nakshatra: Mars, drive and courage, as this star colours it.
• Mercury in Pushya Nakshatra: Mercury, speech and reasoning, in this lunar mansion.
• Jupiter in Pushya Nakshatra: Jupiter, wisdom and guidance, placed in this star.
• Venus in Pushya Nakshatra: Venus, affection and taste, as it sits here.
• Saturn in Pushya Nakshatra: Saturn, discipline and patience, in this nakshatra.
• Rahu in Pushya Nakshatra: Rahu, the north node of appetite and ambition, here.
• Ketu in Pushya Nakshatra: Ketu, the south node of detachment, in this star.

For the whole picture, see the Moon in all 27 nakshatras.

Compatibility and matching

Pushya has a Deva gana. In the site’s tables a Deva Moon scores 5 or 6 out of 6 with a Deva or Manushya partner and much less with a Rakshasa partner. Its yoni is the goat (called sheep in some tables), shared with Krittika, and the traditional sworn enemy is the monkey, the yoni of Purva Ashadha and Shravana. Pushya’s nadi is Madhya (Pitta), which it shares with Bharani, Mrigashira, Purva Phalguni, Chitra, Anuradha, Purva Ashadha, Dhanishta and Uttara Bhadrapada. Same nadi scores zero on that kuta, and tradition then suggests a closer reading of the whole chart. Pushya lies wholly in Cancer, so every pada gives the same Moon sign when matching.

Try it with two real nakshatras in the nakshatra compatibility calculator, which shows every kuta and the total out of 36. A score is one lens on a relationship, not a verdict on it.

Names and the naming syllables

The four naming syllables of Pushya are Hu, He, Ho and Da. The pada the Moon held at birth decides which sound is used, so the time of birth matters. The sounds come from the traditional avakahada table and are a custom for the start of a name. Nothing in the tradition forces a family to follow them.

The page of Pushya baby names lists names for all four sounds. If you only know the date and place of birth, the baby names by date of birth tool finds the pada for you.

Find your nakshatra

If the Moon was between 3° 20′ and 16° 40′ of sidereal Cancer at birth, your nakshatra is Pushya. A Cancer Moon can also be in Punarvasu or Ashlesha, so it is worth checking. The nakshatra calculator shows the nakshatra and pada from a date, time and place.

To check any other moment, the nakshatra at date and time calculator shows where the Moon stood and when it changes star.

Browse on: previous, Punarvasu; next, Ashlesha. All 27 are on the nakshatras hub.

Frequently asked questions