Hasta is the 13th of the 27 nakshatras, the lunar mansions of Indian astronomy. It spans 10°00′ Kanya to 23°20′ Kanya of the sidereal zodiac. Its name means "the hand", its presiding deity is Savitr, the sun as the impeller who sets things in motion, and its planetary lord in the Vimśottarī system is Moon.

The span is calculated with the Lahiri ayanamsa. The name, deity, lord and junction star are traditional and cited below; they describe a cultural system, not a measured influence.

Nakshatra 13 of 27 · Kanya (Virgo)

Hasta हस्त

The hand

Presided over by Savitr, the sun as the impeller who sets things in motion, and ruled by Moon.

At a glance

TRADITION
Position
13th of 27
Sidereal span
10°00′ Kanya – 23°20′ Kanya
Sign
Kanya (Virgo)
Planetary lord
Moon
Presiding deity
Savitr
Junction star
δ Corvi

When the Moon is next in Hasta

Times in UTC · Lahiri ayanamsa · to the nearest minute

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The four padas

Each pada is a quarter of 3°20′. The 108 padas of the zodiac cycle through the twelve signs in order, giving each pada its navamsa (D9) sign.

Pada 1

10°00′ Kanya – 13°20′ Kanya

Navamsa: Mesha

Pada 2

13°20′ Kanya – 16°40′ Kanya

Navamsa: Vrishabha

Pada 3

16°40′ Kanya – 20°00′ Kanya

Navamsa: Mithuna

Pada 4

20°00′ Kanya – 23°20′ Kanya

Navamsa: Karka

The other Moon mansions

The nine lords repeat three times around the zodiac, so each lord rules three mansions, 120° apart.

Sources

  • Taittirīya Saṃhitā 4.4.10 — the Vedic list of nakshatras with their presiding deities. Keith, A. B. (Trans.). (1914). The Veda of the Black Yajus School entitled Taittiriya Sanhita (Part 2). Harvard University Press. Read the translation
  • Sūrya Siddhānta, chapter 8 — the asterisms and their junction stars. Burgess, E. (Trans.). (1858–1860). Translation of the Sûrya-Siddhânta, a text-book of Hindu astronomy. Journal of the American Oriental Society, 6. Read the translation
  • Bṛhat Parāśara Horā Śāstra, Vimśottarī daśā chapter — the nine planetary lords in nakshatra order. Santhanam, R. (Trans.). (1984). Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra (Vol. 2). Ranjan Publications.

Junction-star identifications differ between texts and commentators. English meanings are approximate renderings of the Sanskrit name.