Rohini Nakshatra: Meaning, Deity, Padas and Traits

Rohini is the fourth of the 27 nakshatras and lies wholly within Taurus, from 10° 00′ to 23° 20′ of the sidereal sign. The name means the red one or the ascending one, and the star is pictured as an ox-cart or chariot carrying a harvest. In the sky it is marked by Aldebaran, the bright red star of the Bull. The tradition counts it as one of the most fertile and pleasing of the stars.

Rohini at a glance

The gana, yoni and nadi in the table are the groupings used in nakshatra matching, which the matching section explains. The varna is read from the Moon’s sign, which is Taurus for every pada of Rohini.

The deity and the story

The deity of Rohini is Prajapati, the lord of creatures, the creator who in later tradition is identified with Brahma. The Vedic texts picture Prajapati as the source from which living things come, and Rohini, the nakshatra of growth and increase, is his own star. The Moon is its lord, which gives the star a tender, nourishing character.

The Puranas tell of Rohini as one of the twenty-seven daughters of Daksha, whom the Moon god Chandra married. Chandra loved Rohini more than the others, and her sisters complained to their father. Daksha’s curse made the Moon wane, and the Moon, after praying to Shiva, was allowed to wax again, which is the tradition’s explanation for the bright and dark halves of the month. Many families also hold that Krishna was born under Rohini, and the Puranic account of his birth names this star. These are sacred narratives, told with variations in different regions.

Temperament in the classical texts

The classical accounts of a Rohini Moon describe a person of pleasing appearance and speech, with a love of beauty, music, good food and a settled home. The texts speak of a gentle but determined nature, a talent for making things grow, whether crops, a business or a family, and an attractive manner. Because the Moon is exalted in Taurus in the tradition and Rohini is its favourite star, this is one of the Moon’s most comfortable homes.

The cautions in the traditional lists are about attachment: a tendency to hold on, to be stubborn once a view is formed, and to seek comfort at the cost of change. Teachers present these as the other face of loyalty and steadiness. Generosity, movement and a willingness to let things be unfinished are the common suggestions, and the rest of the chart always changes the reading.

The four padas

Pada 1 (O) falls in Aries navamsa. It is read as the most active pada, where Rohini’s calm is joined by drive and a wish to build something of one’s own.

Pada 2 (Va) falls in Taurus navamsa, the same sign as the nakshatra, so it is described as the purest Rohini expression: steady, sensual, loyal and practical.

Pada 3 (Vi) falls in Gemini navamsa. Tradition reads it as the most talkative and curious pada, with a gift for trade, writing and learning.

Pada 4 (Vu) falls in Cancer navamsa, the sign of the Moon. It is described as the most caring and home-loving pada, with deep feeling and a good memory.

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 Rohini

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

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

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

Compatibility and matching

Rohini has a Manushya gana, the balanced human temperament group of the three. In the site’s tables a Manushya Moon scores well on gana with Deva and Manushya partners and poorly with a Rakshasa partner. Its yoni is the serpent, and the traditional sworn enemy of the serpent is the mongoose, the yoni of Uttara Ashadha. Rohini’s nadi is Antya (Kapha), the same as Krittika, Ashlesha, Magha, Swati, Vishakha, Uttara Ashadha and Shravana in the tool’s six-fold pattern. When both people share a nadi, the kuta scores zero, and it is the point at which tradition recommends a closer look at the complete charts, because the texts themselves list several exceptions.

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 Rohini are O, Va, Vi and Vu. The pada the Moon held at birth decides which sound begins the name, so the time of birth matters. The sounds come from the traditional avakahada table and are offered as a starting letter. A family may follow them closely or use them only as a gentle guide.

The page of Rohini 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 in the middle of sidereal Taurus, between 10° 00′ and 23° 20′, when you were born, your nakshatra is Rohini. A Moon in sidereal Taurus can fall in Krittika, Rohini or Mrigashira, and Rohini holds the middle part of the sign. 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, Krittika; next, Mrigashira. All 27 are on the nakshatras hub.

Frequently asked questions