Nakshatra 8 of 27 · Cancer 3°20′ - 16°40′
Pushya nakshatra पुष्य
Pushya is the eighth nakshatra, spanning 3 degrees 20 minutes to 16 degrees 40 minutes of Cancer. Saturn rules it and Brihaspati, the priest and teacher of the gods, presides. Its symbol is the udder of a cow. Pushya is the most nourishing nakshatra in the classical scheme, standing for slow, dependable flourishing, care, and spiritual as well as material provision.
- Meaning
- the nourisher; to flourish
- Sidereal span
- Cancer 3°20′ - 16°40′
- Ruling planet
- Saturn
- Deity
- Brihaspati
- Symbol
- cow's udder
- Gana
- Deva
- Yoni
- Goat (male)
- Nadi
- Madhya
- Varna
- Brahmin
- Guna
- Rajas
- Tattva
- Water
- Rashi
- Cancer
Symbol and deity
Pushya's primary symbol is the udder of a cow, the source of milk and therefore of nourishment freely given. Secondary symbols include the lotus, an arrow and a circle, each suggesting completeness and unfolding. The presiding deity is Brihaspati, guru of the gods, master of ritual, prayer and sacred knowledge, whose counsel keeps the cosmic order intact. His presence gives the nakshatra its teaching, priestly and protective character. Saturn as ruler seems a strange companion to so gentle an image, but it supplies discipline, duty and the patience that allows nourishment to be steady rather than sporadic. The cow, the guru and the disciplined provider together describe a nakshatra of sustenance: food, shelter, wisdom and care, given reliably over time.
Personality of Pushya natives
The Moon in Pushya is traditionally regarded as one of the best lunar placements. Brihat Samhita describes these natives as calm, learned, wealthy, charitable and religious, and Hora Sara adds that they are respected and lead many. They are caring, dependable and protective, often the person others turn to in trouble, and they take genuine satisfaction in feeding, teaching and supporting. Saturn gives them patience, a strong sense of duty and a conservative streak; Brihaspati gives faith and a love of tradition. They build slowly and hold what they build. The shadow side is a tendency to over-give and then resent it, to become rigid about how things should be done, or to fall into worry and self-doubt when their efforts are not appreciated. They can also be too attached to family and to the familiar. At their best, Pushya natives are quiet pillars: generous, principled and steady through every season.
Strengths
- Reliable, patient nurturing
- Strong sense of duty
- Learned and spiritually inclined
- Trusted by community
Challenges
- Over-giving followed by resentment
- Rigidity about tradition
- Worry and self-doubt
- Excessive attachment to family
Career
Tradition links Pushya with nourishing and protective professions: food production, dairy, agriculture, catering, hospitality and the care of children, the elderly and the sick. Brihaspati points to teaching, priesthood, counselling, the law and scholarship. Saturn adds government service, administration, real estate and the long, slow professions where reliability is prized. Pushya natives are also found in finance, charity work and family businesses. They work steadily, keep their word and prefer security to risk. They rise through trust rather than brilliance and make excellent long-term stewards of institutions.
Relationships and matching
Pushya is Deva gana with the male Goat (Sheep) yoni, whose natural partner is Krittika, the female goat. The hostile yoni is the Monkey of Purva Ashadha and Shravana. Deva gana pairs easily with Deva and Manushya nakshatras. In love, Pushya natives are devoted, protective and slow to commit but steadfast once they do. They express affection through provision and presence. Friendships are long and loyal, and family ties are central. Marriage suits them, though muhurta texts oddly avoid Pushya as a wedding date despite its excellence for almost everything else.
In Ashtakoot matching, Pushya counts as Deva gana, Goat yoni and Madhya nadi. Those three drive gana, yoni and nadi koota, 18 of the 36 points.
Body and constitution
Classical texts associate Pushya with the mouth, face and, by extension, the chest region that nourishes, and describe its constitution as pitta, the metabolically active temperament. The traditional image is of a well-nourished, sturdy body with a full face. This is a symbolic correspondence, not medical guidance.
The four padas
Every nakshatra divides into four quarters of 3°20′. The pada tells which navamsa sign the Moon occupies and colours how the star expresses itself.
| Pada | Span | Navamsa | Traditional reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pada 1 | Cancer 3°20′ - Cancer 6°40′ | Leo | Pada 1, Leo navamsa, is the most confident and outwardly generous quarter. Tradition gives it dignity, a love of family pride, and the capacity to lead through warmth and provision. |
| Pada 2 | Cancer 6°40′ - Cancer 10°00′ | Virgo | Pada 2, Virgo navamsa, is the most practical and service-minded quarter. Tradition links it with careful management, health-related work, and a modest, detail-oriented form of care. |
| Pada 3 | Cancer 10°00′ - Cancer 13°20′ | Libra | Pada 3, Libra navamsa, is the most sociable and harmonising quarter. Tradition associates it with hospitality, partnership, artistic taste, and nourishment expressed through relationship and refinement. |
| Pada 4 | Cancer 13°20′ - Cancer 16°40′ | Scorpio | Pada 4, Scorpio navamsa, is the most intense and protective quarter. Tradition colours it with deep loyalty, emotional strength, interest in the hidden, and a fiercer form of guardianship. |
In the Vimshottari system
Pushya's lord is Saturn, so a person born with the Moon here begins life in a Saturn mahadasha. How far the Moon has travelled through Pushya sets how much of that first period remains at birth; the free kundli works the whole timeline out from the birth details.
Pushya nakshatra questions
Is Pushya nakshatra good or bad?
Pushya is widely regarded as the most auspicious of the 27 nakshatras. It is classified as light and swift (kshipra) in muhurta and favoured for nearly every undertaking, with the traditional exception of marriage ceremonies. As a birth star it gives stability, care and respectability. Its faults are mild, mainly rigidity and worry, and the whole chart still governs.
Which rashi is Pushya nakshatra?
Pushya lies entirely within Cancer (Karka rashi), from 3 degrees 20 minutes to 16 degrees 40 minutes. A Moon in Pushya is therefore a Cancer Moon, which is the Moon's own sign. Saturn rules the nakshatra, so the placement combines lunar nurturing with Saturnine discipline and duty.
Who should Pushya nakshatra natives marry?
Pushya has the male Goat yoni and Deva gana. Its most natural yoni match is Krittika (female goat), and it pairs comfortably with other Deva nakshatras such as Ashwini, Mrigashira, Punarvasu, Hasta and Revati. Purva Ashadha and Shravana hold the hostile Monkey yoni. Pushya is Madhya nadi, so same-nadi partners are traditionally avoided. Use all eight kutas.
What is the lucky day or number for Pushya?
Popular tradition assigns Saturday, the day of Saturn, and the number 8 to Pushya, while Thursday is sometimes added for Brihaspati. These are conventions drawn from the ruling planet and deity rather than classical rules about the nakshatra. Jyotisha itself weighs the Saturn dasha, Saturn transits and the planet's dignity far more heavily.