The Ascendant in Krittika Nakshatra

A lagna in Krittika, the 3rd nakshatra, means one of two ascendants: Aries if the rising degree is in pada 1 or Taurus if the rising degree is in padas 2, 3 and 4. The pada therefore decides the lagna lord, Mars for Aries or Venus for Taurus, before anything else in the chart is read. Krittika itself is ruled by the Sun. Mars and the Sun count each other a friend. Venus and the Sun count each other an enemy.

By sign, the Sun, Krittika’s lord, is exalted in Aries and in an enemy's sign in Taurus, 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 (Sagittarius), in a friend's sign in pada 2 (Capricorn), in a friend's sign in pada 3 (Aquarius) and exalted in pada 4 (Pisces).

How Long Krittika Takes to Rise

The ascendant crosses Krittika’s 13°20′ in 48 minutes at Delhi, 49 minutes at Kolkata, 50 minutes at Mumbai and 52 minutes at Chennai. At Delhi that makes Krittika the 9th-fastest of the 27. The difference between the four cities is about 4 minutes, the 10th-smallest of any nakshatra, and Krittika’s arc lies 32° from the June solstice point, which is what that figure tracks (the comparison table shows how). These are durations, not clock times. When Krittika actually rises depends on the date and the longitude, and a birth time a few minutes out moves the ascendant through a pada.

Minutes of rising time per pada. The navamsa column is the D-9 ascendant each pada gives: Sagittarius (ruled by Jupiter) for pada 1, Capricorn (ruled by Saturn) for pada 2, Aquarius (ruled by Saturn) for pada 3 and Pisces (ruled by Jupiter) for pada 4.

Related

Krittika as a birth (Moon) nakshatra is on the Krittika page; the Aries and Taurus ascendants house by house on Aries ascendant and Taurus 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: कृत्तिका नक्षत्र में लग्न.