Krittika nakshatra: lord, deity and symbol
Krittika is the third nakshatra, ruled by the Sun, traditionally linked to Agni, the fire deity.
What it is
Its symbol is a razor or a flame, and its lord the Sun has a dasha of 6 years. Krittika starts at 26 degrees 40 minutes of Mesha and crosses into Vrishabha at 30 degrees.
How it is worked out or read
Each nakshatra spans 13 degrees 20 minutes of the sidereal zodiac and has four padas of 3 degrees 20 minutes each. Krittika straddles the Mesha and Vrishabha boundary, so its first pada is in Mesha and the other three are in Vrishabha.
Where it appears on this site
Its boundary is a common source of differences between calculators. The nakshatra boundary article explains the method.
Span across two signs
Krittika is the third nakshatra and is unusual because it straddles two signs. Its first pada lies in Mesha, from 26 degrees 40 minutes to 30 degrees, and the other three padas lie in Vrishabha, from 30 degrees to 40 degrees. A planet in the first quarter of Krittika is therefore in Mesha, and one in the remaining quarters is in Vrishabha, which is why Krittika is often cited in discussions of boundary differences between calculators.
Its lord and dasha
The Sun is the lord of Krittika, and the Sun dasha lasts six years. A birth with the Moon in Krittika begins the sequence with the Sun, and the balance at birth is the part of the six years still to run. The Sun's period is therefore short, and it is followed by the Moon, Mars and the other grahas in their order. This gives Krittika births a timeline that moves through the shorter periods early on.
Symbol and deity
Krittika is shown as a razor or a flame, and its deity is Agni, the god of fire and of the sacrificial rite. The symbol of the razor or the flame is read as cutting and purifying, and the link to fire connects the nakshatra with ritual in the classical literature. These attributions are traditional and are given here as descriptions from the nakshatra lists.
Boundary care
Because Krittika crosses a sign boundary, a reader must be careful about the sign as well as the nakshatra. The Moon's degree within Krittika determines whether it is in the first pada, which is in Mesha, or in the others, which are in Vrishabha. The site computes the sign from the sidereal longitude and shows the pada, so the two can be checked together in the birth chart.
Krittika in ritual and fire
Krittika's link to Agni makes it a nakshatra often mentioned in discussions of ritual fire and of the sacred kitchen. The classical texts describe fire as the messenger between people and the gods, and the nakshatra is read as connected with that role. A family that wants to choose a date for a fire ceremony may look to Krittika as one of the traditional nakshatras for such a rite, while also checking the other factors the tradition requires.
The nakshatra's name and its position at the boundary of Mesha and Vrishabha also give it a reputation for transition. A planet in Krittika sits between two signs, and the reader is reminded that a change of sign can coincide with a change in the manner of expression. This is a useful point to keep in mind when reading a chart with a Moon or another graha in the first pada, where the sign and the nakshatra disagree with a simpler reading.