lagna nakshatra
The Ascendant in Punarvasu Nakshatra
Gemini / Cancer rising · nakshatra lord Jupiter · 62 minutes at Delhi
A lagna in Punarvasu, the 7th nakshatra, means one of two ascendants: Gemini if the rising degree is in padas 1, 2 and 3 or Cancer if the rising degree is in pada 4. The pada therefore decides the lagna lord, Mercury for Gemini or the Moon for Cancer, before anything else in the chart is read. Punarvasu itself is ruled by Jupiter. Mercury counts Jupiter neutral, while Jupiter counts Mercury an enemy. The Moon counts Jupiter neutral, while Jupiter counts the Moon a friend.
By sign, Jupiter, Punarvasu’s lord, is in an enemy's sign in Gemini and exalted in Cancer, the two signs a lagna here can be. In the navamsa each pada sets, that pada’s lagna lord is in a neutral sign in pada 1 (Aries), in a friend's sign in pada 2 (Taurus), in its own sign in pada 3 (Gemini) and in its own sign in pada 4 (Cancer).
How Long Punarvasu Takes to Rise
The ascendant crosses Punarvasu’s 13°20′ in 62 minutes at Delhi, 61 minutes at Kolkata, 60 minutes at Mumbai and 59 minutes at Chennai. At Delhi that makes Punarvasu the 22nd-fastest of the 27. The difference between the four cities is about 3 minutes, the 7th-smallest of any nakshatra, and Punarvasu’s arc lies 21° from the June solstice point, which is what that figure tracks (the comparison table shows how). These are durations, not clock times. When Punarvasu 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punarvasu 1 | Gemini | Aries | 15.4 | 15.1 | 15.0 | 14.8 |
| Punarvasu 2 | Gemini | Taurus | 15.5 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 14.8 |
| Punarvasu 3 | Gemini | Gemini (vargottama) | 15.6 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 14.7 |
| Punarvasu 4 | Cancer | Cancer (vargottama) | 15.6 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 14.7 |
Minutes of rising time per pada. The navamsa column is the D-9 ascendant each pada gives: Aries (ruled by Mars) for pada 1, Taurus (ruled by Venus) for pada 2, Gemini (ruled by Mercury) for pada 3 and Cancer (ruled by Moon) for pada 4. Pada 3 and Pada 4 are vargottama, the same sign as lagna and as navamsa lagna.
Related
Punarvasu as a birth (Moon) nakshatra is on the Punarvasu page; the Gemini and Cancer ascendants house by house on Gemini ascendant and Cancer 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: पुनर्वसु नक्षत्र में लग्न.