Krittika

Krittika is the star of purifying fire. Ruled by the Sun and presided over by Agni, it cuts through illusion and burns away impurity. Spanning the end of Aries and the start of Taurus, it joins fiery resolve to earthy persistence.

01The essentials

Krittika — "the cutter, the one who burns away" — is the third of the twenty-seven nakshatras, spanning Aries 26°40′–Taurus 10°. It is ruled by Sun, which means a Moon placed here opens the life with a Sun dasha period of 6 years.

02Character and meaning

Krittika natives have an edge — a sharpness of mind and will that can cut to the heart of a matter in seconds. They see clearly, judge honestly, and have little patience for pretence. This is the nakshatra of the warrior-cook, equally able to nourish and to scorch.

Agni's fire gives a relentless drive to refine and improve, whether oneself, a craft, or the people around them. At their best, Krittika people are protectors and purifiers who burn away what is false; at their most difficult, that same flame can be critical and consuming.

03The symbol and the deity

The razor and the flame both cut and cleanse. Agni, the sacred fire that carries offerings to the gods, is the great transformer of Vedic ritual. Krittika thus stands for the heat that separates gold from dross — sharp, bright and impossible to ignore.

04Strengths and growth

That cutting clarity can become criticism, impatience or a temper that burns those nearby. Krittika grows by aiming its fire at falsehood rather than at people, and by tempering judgment with warmth.

← Bharani  ·  All 27 nakshatras  ·  Rohini →

05Frequently asked questions