Nakshatras

Chitra nakshatra

Chitra is the 14th nakshatra: from 23°20′ Virgo to 6°40′ Libra. It is ruled by Mars and its deity is Tvashtar, the heavenly craftsman. “The bright one”: a nakshatra of form, design and beauty.

Updated 2026-10-17

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Number	14 / 27
Span (sidereal)	Virgo 23°20′ – Libra 6°40′
Ruler	Mars (Mangala)
Deity	Tvashtar (Vishvakarma), the divine architect
Symbol	a shining jewel
Gana (temperament)	Rakshasa (fierce)
Yoni (animal)	Tiger
Nadi	Madhya (Pitta)

The nature of Chitra

Chitra's star is Spica, one of the brightest in the sky. Spica is traditionally associated with Chitra and serves as a reference in the Lahiri ayanamsha used by JyotiSoft. Its deity Tvashtar is the architect of the gods, the maker of forms — hence its themes of architecture, design, jewellery, fashion, engineering and every beautiful construction.

The Moon in Chitra

People with the Moon in Chitra are usually striking, with good taste and a strong will. They want the people and things around them to be beautiful and well made. Mars gives courage and sometimes sharpness. The first two padas (in Virgo) are more practical and analytical, the last two (in Libra) more artistic and sociable.

The dasha sequence begins with Mars (7 years).

Emotionally, Chitra needs to create and to be appreciated for what it creates; it is sensitive to how it looks to others. What helps: projects with visible results, beauty in its surroundings, and valuing substance as much as appearance. These are traditional tendencies, not a verdict; the full chart matters.

The four padas

Each pada is 3°20′ and falls in its own navamsha (D9) sign. The syllable is the traditional first sound of a name for a child born with the Moon in that pada.
Pada	Span (sidereal)	Navamsha sign	Name syllable
1	Virgo 23°20′ – 26°40′	Leo (Simha)	Pe
2	Virgo 26°40′ – 30°00′	Virgo (Kanya)	Po
3	Libra 0°00′ – 3°20′	Libra (Tula)	Ra
4	Libra 3°20′ – 6°40′	Scorpio (Vrishchika)	Ri

Pada 1 (Leo navamsha, syllable Pe) in Virgo: creative and proud of its craft. Pada 2 (Virgo, Po) is vargottama: precise, technical, a perfectionist designer. Pada 3 (Libra, Ra) is vargottama too, the first in Libra: artistic, social, elegant. Pada 4 (Scorpio, Ri) is the most intense: engineering, research, transformation.

The first half lies in Mercury's Virgo, the second in Venus's Libra; Mars rules the nakshatra and adds energy to building.

Chitra in the classical texts

The Taittiriya Brahmana gives Chitra to Tvashtar, the divine craftsman who shapes forms and fashioned Indra's thunderbolt; later texts merge him with Vishvakarma. Later authors read its gift (shakti) as the power to accumulate merit. Brihat Samhita (chapter 98) counts Chitra among the soft (mridu) nakshatras, with Mrigashira, Anuradha and Revati: arts, adornment, friendship and gentle beginnings. In Vimshottari it belongs to Mars, so a Chitra Moon begins life in a seven-year Mars period.

Spica is traditionally identified with Chitra and serves as a reference in the Lahiri ayanamsha. N. C. Lahiri served on India’s Calendar Reform Committee, whose 1955 report recommended a standardized national calendar.

Chitra in relationships

In relationships Chitra is attractive, lively and independent; it likes a partner it can be proud of and keeps its own interests. It can be critical or competitive. Partners who admire its work and respect its freedom suit it best.

For matching, Chitra is rakshasa gana, tiger yoni and Madhya nadi. Its yoni twin is Vishakha; the cow (Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Bhadrapada) is the tiger's classical enemy. Two Madhya nadi charts lose the nadi points. The compatibility calculator gives any pair.

Work and strengths

Strengths: design sense, technical skill, ambition and visibility. Good fields: architecture and interior design, engineering, jewellery and fashion, photography and film, cosmetics, construction, product design.

Mars gives drive; Mercury and Venus, the sign lords, give precision and beauty. Chitra does best when it can show its work; it should guard against valuing appearance over substance.

What Chitra is good for

Chitra is a “soft” (mridu) nakshatra: for art, buying clothes and jewellery, design, starting creative projects and friendship.

The ascendant and planets in Chitra

An ascendant in Chitra gives a striking appearance and a love of good design. Mercury in the Virgo padas is exalted in sign and makes a precise engineer or designer; Venus in the Libra padas is in its own sign and is traditionally associated with aesthetic work. Saturn in the Libra padas is exalted in sign: structure and lasting work. Mars here, in its own nakshatra, builds with energy. The Sun is debilitated in Libra; its deepest debilitation, 10° Libra, lies in Swati.

During Mars's dasha Chitra themes of building, design and visible achievement come forward.

Remedies and practice

Chitra's practice is beauty made with integrity. Tradition suggests honouring Vishvakarma, especially on Vishvakarma Puja, with a name mantra such as “Om Vishvakarmane namah”, caring for tools and workplaces, and making something useful with one's hands. For the ruling graha, Mars, the classical mantra is on our mantras page; Tuesdays are traditional for it. Chitra's shadow is vanity; giving one's skill to a shared or sacred project is its remedy. A gemstone is a classical upaya too: the tradition chooses it from the whole chart (functional benefics, the running dasha), with mantra and charity as the foundation; practices are optional and do not guarantee outcomes. For context, see remedies (upayas).

Chitra: compatibility with every nakshatra

Ashtakuta (36 gunas) for the Moon nakshatras of the couple, out of 36. A range means the score depends on the pada; 18 and above is the classical minimum for marriage. A real match also weighs Mangal dosha and both full charts.
Name	If you are the woman	If you are the man
Ashwini	13.5–23	11.5–21
Bharani	4.5–14	3.5–13
Krittika	18.5–28	17.5–27
Rohini	19.5	18.5–19.5
Mrigashira	12.5–20	10.5–20
Ardra	20–26	20–27
Punarvasu	19.5–25.5	18–25.5
Pushya	12–12.5	10–10.5
Ashlesha	25–25.5	24–24.5
Magha	22.5–25.5	21.5–24.5
Purva Phalguni	8.5–11.5	7.5–10.5
Uttara Phalguni	14.5–24.5	13.5–24.5
Hasta	21–28	19–27
Chitra	20–28	20–28
Swati	20–28	20–27
Vishakha	23.5–34.5	22.5–34.5
Anuradha	7.5–12	5.5–10
Jyeshtha	20.5–25	19.5–24
Mula	27	26
Purva Ashadha	11.5	10.5
Uttara Ashadha	17–25	17–24
Shravana	18–26.5	17–24.5
Dhanishta	15–23	15–22
Shatabhisha	24–26	25–26
Purva Bhadrapada	12–19	11–18.5
Uttara Bhadrapada	3–10	2–9
Revati	13–20	11–18

Questions

Why is Chitra relevant to the Lahiri ayanamsha?

Spica is traditionally identified with Chitra and serves as a reference in the Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsha. N. C. Lahiri served on India’s Calendar Reform Committee, whose 1955 report recommended a standardized national calendar.

What is Chitra's gana?

Rakshasa. Yoni the tiger (female), nadi Madhya.

Which sign is Chitra in?

Padas 1–2 are in Virgo (23°20′–30°), padas 3–4 in Libra (0°–6°40′).

Which class is Chitra in Brihat Samhita?

Chitra is soft (mridu), a class associated with friendship, adornment and gentle beginnings.

Who is Chitra’s deity?

Tvashtar, the divine craftsman; later traditions often identify him with Vishvakarma.

Is your Moon in Chitra? Check it in your chart

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