Nakshatra 5 of 27 · मृगशीर्ष
Mrigashira nakshatra
Mrigashira (मृगशीर्ष) is the 5th of the 27 nakshatras, spanning 23°20′–30°00′ Vrishabha and 0°00′–6°40′ Mithuna. Ruled by Mars with soma (the moon as nectar) as presiding deity, it is a Tender (Mridu) mansion — classically suited to gentle ceremonies.
Mrigashira at a glance
| Sanskrit name | Mrigashira (मृगशीर्ष) |
|---|---|
| Presiding deity | Soma (the Moon as nectar) |
| Symbol | Deer's head |
| Vimshottari lord | Mars (Mangala) |
| Gana | Deva gana |
| Saptadha class | Tender (Mridu) |
| Moon-sign rashi | Vrishabha (Taurus) 23°20′–30°00′ VrishabhaMithuna (Gemini) 0°00′–6°40′ Mithuna |
| Naming syllables | Ve, Vo, Ka, Kee — one per pada, for the namakarana (naming) rite |
The character of Mrigashira
The deer's head — gentle, searching, ever sniffing the air. A Mridu (tender) mansion, Mrigashira suits the soft ceremonies: marriages, music, new friendships and fine arts. The deer also wanders, so the classics allow it for travel begun in a good spirit.
The four padas of Mrigashira
Each nakshatra divides into four padas (quarters) of 3°20′. The pada fixes the navamsa rashi — the finer layer a birth chart reads — and the traditional naming syllable for a child born under it.
| Pada | Navamsa rashi | Naming syllable |
|---|---|---|
| Pada 1 | Simha (Leo) | Ve |
| Pada 2 | Kanya (Virgo) | Vo |
| Pada 3 | Tula (Libra) | Ka |
| Pada 4 | Vrishchika (Scorpio) | Kee |
What Mrigashira is classically suited for
In the seven-fold (Saptadha) classification, Mrigashira is a Tender (Mridu) mansion. The muhurta classics assign it:
gentle ceremonies — marriage, music and the arts, new clothes, friendships, auspicious samskaras.
This class is the first screen Bela applies to every muhurat date: the day's nakshatra must suit the activity before the finer rules (tithi, yoga, choghadiya, Rahu Kaal) are even checked. See it working on the muhurat date lists, where every date shows its nakshatra-suitability rule.
Mrigashira days — August–September 2026
Days in the current Delhi panchang window whose sunrise nakshatra is Mrigashira:
- 9 August 2026
- 5 September 2026
Sunrise nakshatra is the classical day convention; exact end times are on the Delhi panchang. Tara Bala — whether Mrigashira supports your birth star — is computed per profile in the Bela app.