Shatabhisha is the twenty-fourth of the 27 nakshatras, the lunar mansions of Vedic astrology. It lies in the middle of Aquarius, from 6 degrees 40 minutes to 20 degrees, and the name is usually read as “the hundred physicians” or “the hundred stars”. Its symbol is an empty circle. The nakshatra is associated with medicine, science and the unseen, and with the person who works quietly and apart from the crowd.
Shatabhisha at a glance
| Detail | Shatabhisha |
|---|---|
| Number | 24 of 27 |
| Span | 6° 40′ to 20° 00′ Aquarius |
| Ruling planet (Vimshottari lord) | Rahu |
| Deity | Varuna |
| Symbol | An empty circle (some lists add a hundred flowers or a hundred healers) |
| Gana | Rakshasa |
| Yoni | Horse (Ashwa) |
| Nadi | Adi (Vata) |
| Varna (by Moon sign) | Shudra |
| Naming syllables (by pada) | Go (1), Sa (2), Si (3), Su (4) |
| Principal star | Commonly identified with Lambda Aquarii; lists differ |
Every value above comes from the tables behind the site’s calculators, so this page agrees with the nakshatra calculator. The varna follows the Moon’s sign, as the matching tool does.
The deity and the story
The deity is Varuna, one of the oldest gods of the Rigveda. He is the lord of the waters of the sky and the sea, and the keeper of rita, the moral and natural order. The hymns picture him as a king who sees everything and whose spies watch the world. He carries a noose, with which he binds those who break the order, and people prayed to him to be released from guilt and error.
In later tradition Varuna becomes the guardian of the west and the god of the ocean, and in the Puranas he is a more distant figure than Indra or Vishnu. The nakshatra keeps his older character: oceans, depth, secrecy and a moral weight that is felt more than shown.
The hundred physicians of the name tie the mansion to healing, with the old idea that the waters of Varuna carry a hundred remedies. The empty circle of the symbol points to the void, to wholeness and to what is left when everything has been removed. Different teachers read it as emptiness, as the cosmic ocean or as the circle of a hundred healers, and the lists do not agree.
Temperament in the classical texts
Traditional descriptions of a person born in Shatabhisha speak of independence, a love of privacy and a mind that works on its own. The lists mention a talent for research, medicine, mathematics and unusual subjects, an honest and sometimes blunt manner, and a deep need for solitude. Such a person is described as hard to know, and as a friend who is loyal but not demonstrative.
The cautions are those of any reserved nature. Secretiveness can slide into isolation, and a questioning attitude can make it hard to accept guidance. Rahu rules the nakshatra and adds an interest in the unfamiliar, in technology and in what lies outside convention. The Rakshasa gana is a label in the old scheme for a bold, unconventional character and not a judgement.
None of this is a promise or a warning. The rest of the chart decides how much of it shows.
The four padas
| Pada | Span | Navamsa sign | Syllable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6° 40′ to 10° 00′ Aquarius | Sagittarius | Go |
| 2 | 10° 00′ to 13° 20′ Aquarius | Capricorn | Sa |
| 3 | 13° 20′ to 16° 40′ Aquarius | Aquarius | Si |
| 4 | 16° 40′ to 20° 00′ Aquarius | Pisces | Su |
Pada 1 (Go, navamsa Sagittarius). Jupiter’s navamsa gives the first pada a philosophical and generous turn. It is read as the most idealistic and the most inclined to teach or to heal, with a love of travel and big ideas.
Pada 2 (Sa, navamsa Capricorn). Saturn’s navamsa makes the second pada disciplined and patient. It is linked with long projects, careful research and a serious attitude to work. The caution is a heavy, over-serious mood.
Pada 3 (Si, navamsa Aquarius). Saturn again, this time in Aquarius, gives the third pada its most detached and inventive flavour. Teachers connect it with science, technology and an interest in the welfare of groups.
Pada 4 (Su, navamsa Pisces). Jupiter’s navamsa of Pisces gives the last pada compassion, imagination and a spiritual bent. It is read as the most intuitive of the four, with the caution that boundaries need attention.
Each planet in Shatabhisha
The site has a guide to every planet in this nakshatra. Each one reads the planet through the themes of healing, depth and privacy.
- Sun in Shatabhisha: the Sun, the self and its authority.
- Moon in Shatabhisha: the Moon, the mind and feelings.
- Mars in Shatabhisha: Mars, drive and courage.
- Mercury in Shatabhisha: Mercury, speech and thought.
- Jupiter in Shatabhisha: Jupiter, wisdom and guidance.
- Venus in Shatabhisha: Venus, relationships and taste.
- Saturn in Shatabhisha: Saturn, discipline and patience, also the lord of Aquarius, where Shatabhisha lies.
- Rahu in Shatabhisha: Rahu, appetite and the unfamiliar, the ruler of Shatabhisha, so it works here in its own mansion.
- Ketu in Shatabhisha: Ketu, detachment and insight.
Compatibility and matching
Shatabhisha is in the Rakshasa gana. In the tables the calculator uses, two Rakshasa partners score the full six points on gana, Rakshasa as bride with Deva as groom scores one, and Rakshasa with Manushya nothing. Teachers weigh gana differently, and many treat it only as a comparison of temperament.
The yoni is the horse (Ashwa). The same animal scores highest, and the buffalo (Mahisha) is listed as the sworn enemy, which gives zero on that kuta. It is a symbolic scheme about instinct and comfort, and no more.
Shatabhisha is in the Adi (Vata) nadi. Two people with the same nadi score nothing out of eight on the nadi kuta, and many astrologers apply the traditional exceptions. A different nadi scores the full eight. Nakshatra points are one input to a full chart comparison, and no pairing is called best or worst here.
To compare two nakshatras directly, use the nakshatra compatibility calculator. Treat its points as one input to a conversation, not a verdict on any relationship.
Names and the naming syllables
The four syllables are Go, Sa, Si and Su, one for each pada. In the Hindu naming tradition the Moon’s pada at birth chooses the first sound of the name.
If the birth time is unknown, the pada cannot be fixed, so families sometimes choose among the four sounds.
The full list of boy and girl names for each syllable is on the Shatabhisha nakshatra baby names page, and the baby names by date of birth tool works out the pada and syllable from a birth date, time and place.
Find your nakshatra
The nakshatra depends on where the Moon stood at the moment of birth, so it needs the birth date, time and place. The nakshatra calculator gives it with the pada, and the nakshatra at a date and time calculator shows which nakshatra the Moon is in at any chosen moment. If the time of birth is uncertain, the first tool tells you whether the Moon stayed in Shatabhisha all day.
Frequently asked questions
↳ Which sign is Shatabhisha in?
Shatabhisha lies wholly in Aquarius (Kumbha), from 6 degrees 40 minutes to 20 degrees 00 minutes. The navamsa signs of its padas are Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.
↳ Who rules Shatabhisha?
Rahu is the Vimshottari lord and Varuna is the deity. A Shatabhisha Moon starts life in a Rahu dasha, whose balance depends on the exact degree.
↳ What does Shatabhisha mean?
The name is usually read as the hundred physicians, or sometimes the hundred stars. The empty circle that serves as its symbol is read as emptiness, wholeness or a circle of healers.
↳ What are the naming syllables for Shatabhisha?
They are Go, Sa, Si and Su for padas 1 to 4. The baby names page for Shatabhisha lists names for each sound.
↳ Is Shatabhisha a good nakshatra?
Old texts describe it as a reserved, independent and healing nakshatra, and no nakshatra is simply good or bad. Its themes of research and care for others are praised, and the cautions concern isolation. A doctor is the right person for any health matter.