Nakshatra 9 of 27 · Cancer (Karka) · Lord Mercury
Ashlesha
The coiled serpent of hidden wisdom and influence.
At a glance
Ruling planet
Mercury (Budha)
Deity
The Nagas
Symbol
A coiled serpent
Gana
Rakshasa
Ashlesha is the ninth nakshatra, spanning 16°40' to 30°00' of Cancer. It is ruled by Mercury, presided over by the Nagas (the serpent deities), and symbolised by a coiled snake.

Personality
Ashlesha personality
Ashlesha is the embrace of the serpent, penetrating, hypnotic and shrewd. People with a strong Ashlesha Moon are intuitive and perceptive, able to read others and influence them with subtle skill. Mercury gives sharp intelligence and persuasion, while the Naga energy adds depth, mystery and a capacity for both healing and entanglement.
Strengths
- ·Penetrating insight into people
- ·Persuasive and influential
- ·Intuitive and perceptive
- ·Resourceful and self-protective
Challenges
- ·Can be manipulative or secretive
- ·Possessive and clinging in love
- ·Holds grudges quietly
- ·Prone to entanglement and overthinking
Career
Ashlesha career and work
Ashlesha suits psychology and counselling, medicine and pharmacology, research, politics and negotiation, and any field that rewards reading people and working with hidden currents. The serpent's wisdom can heal or bind.
Professions often linked to Ashlesha: Pharmacy and chemistry, surgery, psychology, photography, and investigation.
Love
Ashlesha in love and relationships
In love Ashlesha is intense, magnetic and emotionally deep, with a strong need to merge. They can be possessive and watchful, and at their best they offer profound loyalty and insight into a partner's inner world.
The data
Ashlesha nakshatra facts
Position
9 of 27
Sidereal span
16°40' to 30°00' Cancer
Rashi (sign)
Cancer (Karka)
Ruling planet (dasha lord)
Mercury (Budha)
Deity
The Nagas (serpent deities)
Symbol
A coiled serpent
Gana
Rakshasa
Yoni (compatibility)
Cat (male)
Naming syllables
Dee, Doo, De, Do
Pada navamsa signs
Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces
Associated star
The head of Hydra (Delta, Epsilon, Eta Hydrae)
The four padas
The four padas of Ashlesha
Every nakshatra splits into four padas (quarters) of 3°20′. Each pada maps to a navamsa sign, which adds a finer layer of meaning to a Moon or planet sitting here. Ashlesha’s four padas land in these navamsa signs, in order:
Pada 1
Sagittarius navamsa
Syllable: Dee
Pada 2
Capricorn navamsa
Syllable: Doo
Pada 3
Aquarius navamsa
Syllable: De
Pada 4
Pisces navamsa
Syllable: Do
In the Hindu naming tradition (namakaran), a child born under Ashlesha is often given a name starting with one of these syllables (Dee, Doo, De, Do), picked by the pada the Moon falls in.
Which pada your Moon lands in comes down to its exact degree, and that needs your real birth time. A full reading pins down your Moon nakshatra and pada from your birth details.
Remedy
Ashlesha remedy and deity
Its deities are the Nagas, the serpents; Naga worship, as on Naga Panchami, is traditionally used to clear hidden obstacles.
These are traditional devotional practices, not guaranteed outcomes.
Find yours
What is your Moon nakshatra?
Your birth, or janma, nakshatra is the one your Moon was in when you were born. It’s one of the most personal points in a Vedic chart, shaping your mind, your instincts and your dasha timeline. Destivio works out your exact Moon nakshatra and pada from your birth date, time and place, then reads it back to you in plain language.
Find your Moon nakshatra, freeFAQ
Ashlesha nakshatra FAQ
What planet rules Ashlesha nakshatra?
Mercury (Budha) is the dasha lord of Ashlesha, giving it sharp intelligence, persuasion and a gift for reading and influencing people.
Why is Ashlesha symbolised by a serpent?
Its deities are the Nagas, the serpent powers. The coiled snake reflects hidden wisdom, hypnotic influence, kundalini energy, and the ability to both heal and entangle.
Which rashi is Ashlesha in?
Ashlesha lies entirely in sidereal Cancer (Karka), from 16°40' to the end of the sign at 30°00'.
