lagna nakshatra
The Ascendant in Chitra Nakshatra
Virgo / Libra rising · nakshatra lord Mars · 61 minutes at Delhi
A lagna in Chitra, the 14th nakshatra, means one of two ascendants: Virgo if the rising degree is in padas 1 and 2 or Libra if the rising degree is in padas 3 and 4. The pada therefore decides the lagna lord, Mercury for Virgo or Venus for Libra, before anything else in the chart is read. Chitra itself is ruled by Mars. Mercury counts Mars neutral, while Mars counts Mercury an enemy. Venus and Mars count each other neutral.
By sign, Mars, Chitra’s lord, is in an enemy's sign in Virgo and in a neutral sign in Libra, the two signs a lagna here can be. In the navamsa each pada sets, that pada’s lagna lord is in a friend's sign in pada 1 (Leo), exalted in pada 2 (Virgo), in its own sign in pada 3 (Libra) and in a neutral sign in pada 4 (Scorpio).
How Long Chitra Takes to Rise
The ascendant crosses Chitra’s 13°20′ in 61 minutes at Delhi, 59 minutes at Kolkata, 57 minutes at Mumbai and 55 minutes at Chennai. At Delhi that makes Chitra the 20th-fastest of the 27. The difference between the four cities is about 6 minutes, the 20th-smallest of any nakshatra, and Chitra’s arc lies 66° from the December solstice point, which is what that figure tracks (the comparison table shows how). These are durations, not clock times. When Chitra actually rises depends on the date and the longitude, and a birth time a few minutes out moves the ascendant through a pada.
| Pada | Ascendant | Navamsa lagna | Delhi | Kolkata | Mumbai | Chennai |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chitra 1 | Virgo | Leo | 15.3 | 14.6 | 14.2 | 13.6 |
| Chitra 2 | Virgo | Virgo (vargottama) | 15.3 | 14.6 | 14.3 | 13.7 |
| Chitra 3 | Libra | Libra (vargottama) | 15.4 | 14.7 | 14.3 | 13.8 |
| Chitra 4 | Libra | Scorpio | 15.4 | 14.8 | 14.4 | 13.9 |
Minutes of rising time per pada. The navamsa column is the D-9 ascendant each pada gives: Leo (ruled by Sun) for pada 1, Virgo (ruled by Mercury) for pada 2, Libra (ruled by Venus) for pada 3 and Scorpio (ruled by Mars) for pada 4. Pada 2 and Pada 3 are vargottama, the same sign as lagna and as navamsa lagna.
Related
Chitra as a birth (Moon) nakshatra is on the Chitra page; the Virgo and Libra ascendants house by house on Virgo ascendant and Libra ascendant. The rising times of all 27 are compared on the ascendant-by-nakshatra table. For lagna and Moon sign, see rashi and lagna and the 27 nakshatras guide. In Hindi: चित्रा नक्षत्र में लग्न.