Shravana is the twenty-second of the 27 nakshatras, the lunar mansions of Vedic astrology. It fills the stretch of Capricorn from 10 degrees to 23 degrees 20 minutes, and the name comes from the Sanskrit root for hearing. Its symbol is an ear in most lists, and three footprints in others. It is one of the three nakshatras ruled by the Moon, and the whole mansion is read as the one that listens, learns and passes on what it has heard.
Shravana at a glance
| Detail | Shravana |
|---|---|
| Number | 22 of 27 |
| Span | 10° 00′ to 23° 20′ Capricorn |
| Ruling planet (Vimshottari lord) | Moon |
| Deity | Vishnu |
| Symbol | An ear, or three footprints (both are given in the lists) |
| Gana | Deva |
| Yoni | Monkey (Vanara) |
| Nadi | Antya (Kapha) |
| Varna (by Moon sign) | Vaishya |
| Naming syllables (by pada) | Ju (1), Je (2), Jo (3), Gha (4) |
| Principal star | Commonly identified with Alpha Aquilae (Altair) and its two neighbours; 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 Vishnu, the preserver. The best known story connected with him and with this nakshatra is that of Vamana. In the tale, the generous king Bali had won the three worlds, and Vishnu came as a small Brahmin boy and asked for as much land as he could cover in three steps. Granted it, the boy grew to cosmic size and crossed the earth with one step and the heavens with another. For the third, Bali offered his own head. The three footprints of the symbol are linked with this account, and it is the reason a few lists use them.
The Rigveda already speaks of Vishnu’s three strides, so the image is older than the Puranic story of Vamana. Later tradition ties both together. The idea they share is of reach: a power that measures out the whole universe in three steps.
The ear and the word shravana belong to the other tradition of the nakshatra, that of learning by listening. In India the Vedic texts were handed down by hearing, which is why the word for revealed scripture is shruti. In this sense Shravana is the mansion of those who receive knowledge and pass it on.
Temperament in the classical texts
Descriptions of a person born in Shravana stress a good listener and a learner. The lists mention a mind that takes in what it hears, a respect for teachers and tradition, a taste for study, and a talent for explaining. Social ease is also described, and so is a wish for a steady, respectable life.
The cautions the tradition lists are mostly gentle ones: too much weight on what others say, a habit of absorbing worries as well as knowledge, and moods that rise and fall with the Moon. The Moon’s rule is part of the explanation, giving a sensitive, changeable and caring temperament.
The Deva gana in the table is the gentlest of the three in the old scheme. As with any nakshatra, the sign, the Moon’s dignity and other planets in the chart matter more than a list of traits, and none of it is a promise or a warning.
The four padas
| Pada | Span | Navamsa sign | Syllable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10° 00′ to 13° 20′ Capricorn | Aries | Ju |
| 2 | 13° 20′ to 16° 40′ Capricorn | Taurus | Je |
| 3 | 16° 40′ to 20° 00′ Capricorn | Gemini | Jo |
| 4 | 20° 00′ to 23° 20′ Capricorn | Cancer | Gha |
Pada 1 (Ju, navamsa Aries). Mars lends the first quarter drive and directness. It is read as the most active of the four, a listener who acts quickly on what it learns. Impatience is the caution.
Pada 2 (Je, navamsa Taurus). Venus rules the navamsa, making the second pada practical and comfort-loving. Teachers mention a pleasant voice, an appreciation of music and steady habits with money and food.
Pada 3 (Jo, navamsa Gemini). Mercury’s navamsa strengthens speech, writing and curiosity. This pada is linked with teaching, journalism, trade and many interests at once. Scattered attention is the usual lesson.
Pada 4 (Gha, navamsa Cancer). The Moon’s own navamsa makes the last pada the most feeling and protective. It is read as strongly attached to family, home and the past, and as intuitive, with a need for emotional security.
Each planet in Shravana
The site has a guide to every planet in this nakshatra. Each one reads the planet through the themes of listening, learning and the three strides of Vishnu.
- Sun in Shravana: the Sun, the self and its authority.
- Moon in Shravana: the Moon, the mind and feelings, the ruler of Shravana, strong in its own mansion.
- Mars in Shravana: Mars, drive and courage.
- Mercury in Shravana: Mercury, speech and thought.
- Jupiter in Shravana: Jupiter, wisdom and guidance.
- Venus in Shravana: Venus, relationships and taste.
- Saturn in Shravana: Saturn, discipline and patience, also the lord of Capricorn, where Shravana lies.
- Rahu in Shravana: Rahu, appetite and the unfamiliar.
- Ketu in Shravana: Ketu, detachment and insight.
Compatibility and matching
Shravana is in the Deva gana. In the tables the calculator uses, Deva with Deva or with Manushya scores six points as bride and five as groom, and Deva with Rakshasa scores nothing when the bride is Deva and one when she is Rakshasa. Teachers give gana different weight, and some treat it only as a comparison of temperament.
The yoni is the monkey (Vanara). The same animal scores highest, and the goat (Mesha) is the listed sworn enemy, giving zero on that kuta. The yoni is symbolic, a way to speak about instinct, play and comfort between two people.
Shravana is in the Antya (Kapha) 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. This is one factor among many in a full chart comparison, and no match is called best or worst on this page.
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 site follows the 27-nakshatra table for Shravana, with Ju, Je, Jo and Gha as the four syllables. Some tables that count Abhijit as a 28th nakshatra give Khi, Khu, Khe and Kho for Shravana instead, so a family who has been given those sounds has used the other scheme.
The Moon’s pada at birth gives the first sound of the name, and where the birth time is uncertain families often choose among the four.
The full list of boy and girl names for each syllable is on the Shravana 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 birth time is uncertain, the first tool tells you whether the Moon stayed in Shravana through the whole day.
Frequently asked questions
↳ Which sign is Shravana in?
Shravana lies wholly in Capricorn (Makara), from 10 degrees 00 minutes to 23 degrees 20 minutes. The navamsa signs of its four padas are Aries, Taurus, Gemini and Cancer.
↳ Who rules Shravana and who is its deity?
The Moon is the Vimshottari lord and Vishnu is the deity. A Shravana Moon starts life in a Moon dasha, whose balance depends on the exact degree.
↳ What are the naming syllables for Shravana?
On this site they are Ju, Je, Jo and Gha for padas 1 to 4. Some other tables use Khi, Khu, Khe and Kho because they count Abhijit as a 28th nakshatra.
↳ What is the symbol of Shravana?
Most lists give an ear, for hearing and learning. Others give three footprints, which recall Vishnu's three strides in the Vamana story.
↳ Is Shravana connected with Shravan month?
The lunar month Shravana is named from this nakshatra, because the full Moon of that month traditionally falls in it. Month names in the Hindu calendar come from the nakshatra of the full Moon in the same way.