Chitra Nakshatra: Meaning
Chitra, the brilliant, fourteenth nakshatra straddling Kanya and Tula, is the Spike of the Virgin; Mangala's period, 7 years.
A single star, but of major brilliance: Chitra, the brilliant, corresponds to the Spike of the Virgin. It runs so close along the ecliptic that it is taken as a reference to locate a neighboring graha.
Its deity is Tvashtar, the smith, the craftsman. It takes the form of a pearl or a lamp. These images speak of the glow of a precious object and of the hand that shaped it.
Fourteenth nakshatra, Chitra begins at degree 23°20 of Kanya and ends at degree 6°40 of Tula, that is two quarters in each sign, with no known difference between the halves.
Its star can be placed at 180 degrees or at 183. This gap is not trivial, because it bears on the calculation of the ayanamsa.
Mangala rules its period, of 7 years.
Your Moon in Chitra
For the Moon in Chitra, everything is turned outward. It gives an attraction to fabrics and flowers of every shade, the art of adorning yourself, beauty in the gaze. These traits answer to the name of the nakshatra, "the brilliant one", and to its symbol, the pearl. Perhaps you can match a bouquet without thinking about it. Your Moon stood on the stretch from 23°20′ of Kanya to 6°40′ of Tula, and the portrait holds just as well for either sign. Your life opened in a Mangala dasha.
Its ruler is Mangala: life begins in the Mangala dasha. It sits in Virgo sidereal and Libra sidereal.
Frequently asked questions
What does Chitra nakshatra mean?
Chitra, the brilliant, fourteenth nakshatra straddling Kanya and Tula, is the Spike of the Virgin; Mangala's period, 7 years.
Which graha rules Chitra?
Chitra is ruled by Mangala. Someone born with the Moon in Chitra starts life in the Mangala dasha.