Punarvasu is the seventh nakshatra, stretching from 20° Gemini to 3°20′ Cancer in the sidereal zodiac, and its lord is Jupiter. Its deity is Aditi, the boundless mother of the gods, and its symbol is a quiver of arrows, so Punarvasu is the nakshatra of renewal, of returning home and of starting again with hope.
The name says it plainly: punar means "again" and vasu means "good", "wealth" or "light". Coming straight after stormy Ardra, Punarvasu is the sky clearing after the rain. Its two bright stars are the ones known in the West as Castor and Pollux, the heavenly twins.
Jupiter across two signs
Three of Punarvasu's padas are in Gemini, ruled by Mercury, and the last is in Cancer, ruled by the Moon. The nakshatra lord is Jupiter, the great benefic of wisdom, faith and teaching. In Gemini, Jupiter's wisdom works through words, learning and ideas. In Cancer, it becomes nurturing and protective. Jupiter is exalted in Cancer, with its exact exaltation point at 5° Cancer in the next nakshatra, Pushya, and Punarvasu's last pada leads straight into it.
Jupiter rules three nakshatras: Punarvasu, Vishakha and Purva Bhadrapada. Each has three padas in one sign and its last pada in the next. All three are idealistic and goal-directed, and Punarvasu's version is the gentlest and most forgiving.
Aditi, the boundless mother
Aditi's name means "unbound" or "without limits". She is the mother of the Adityas, the solar gods, and of Vishnu in his dwarf form, Vamana. She stands for space, generosity and a kind of forgiveness that makes room for everyone. Where Rudra in Ardra breaks things apart, Aditi gathers her children back together.
Punarvasu also has a famous birth attached to it. The Valmiki Ramayana says Rama was born when the Moon was in Punarvasu, the nakshatra of Aditi. The story fits the nakshatra's theme of dharma returning to the world and of exile ending in homecoming.
Symbol: the quiver
A quiver holds arrows that can be drawn and fired again and again. It stands for resources that are always replenished, a second chance, the ability to aim again after a miss. Some texts also describe the symbol as a house, which carries the same idea of returning to a safe home. Either way, the image is of steady, renewable supply.
Gana, yoni and nadi
Punarvasu is Deva gana, divine in temperament: kindly, content and generous. Its yoni is the cat (female), whose partner is Ashlesha (male cat). Its nadi is Adi (vata), the same as Ardra just before it.
These count for 6, 4 and 8 points in gun milan. Two Adi-nadi Moons, for example Punarvasu with Ashwini, Ardra, Uttara Phalguni, Hasta, Jyeshtha, Mula, Shatabhisha or Purva Bhadrapada, score zero on nadi unless an exception applies. One factor never decides a chart, and a sensible match looks at both complete kundlis.
Muhurta nature: movable (chara)
The Muhurta Chintamani puts Punarvasu among the chara, or movable, nakshatras, with Swati, Shravana, Dhanishta and Shatabhisha. These suit movement and anything meant to change and flow, such as setting out on a journey, buying or first using a vehicle, going on a pilgrimage, gardening and other work that grows. The panchang shows each day's nakshatra so you can see when the Moon is in Punarvasu.
Temperament
With the Moon in Punarvasu, the mind tends to be optimistic, kind, adaptable and content with little. Strengths include forgiveness, resilience after setbacks, a gift for teaching and explaining, honesty, and a warm feeling for home and family. Many Punarvasu people are drawn to education, counselling, writing, travel and caring work.
The growth areas are the other side of easy contentment. They include too much trust, a lack of follow-through when life is comfortable, restlessness in the Gemini padas and a habit of starting over instead of repairing what exists. Punarvasu grows by keeping its hope and adding persistence.
The four padas of Punarvasu
Punarvasu's padas return to the start of the navamsa cycle: Aries, Taurus, Gemini and Cancer. Two of them are vargottama.
Pada 1: 20° to 23°20′ Gemini (Aries navamsa)
Mars's navamsa gives Punarvasu energy, courage and a sporting, adventurous spirit. It is the most assertive pada, quick to begin again after a fall.
Pada 2: 23°20′ to 26°40′ Gemini (Taurus navamsa)
Venus's earthy navamsa makes this pada practical and comfort-loving, with a good head for money and a love of home, beauty and good food.
Pada 3: 26°40′ to 30° Gemini (Gemini navamsa)
Sign and navamsa are both Gemini, so this pada is vargottama. It is intellectual, communicative and versatile, well suited to writing, teaching, study and conversation.
Pada 4: 0° to 3°20′ Cancer (Cancer navamsa)
Sign and navamsa are both Cancer, so this pada is also vargottama. It is the most emotional and devoted, centred on family, nourishment and faith, and sits in Jupiter's sign of exaltation.
Naming syllables
The naam akshar for Punarvasu are Ke, Ko, Ha and Hi.
Punarvasu as Moon, lagna or planet placement
- Moon in Punarvasu: life begins in Jupiter mahadasha, 16 years in full, with the remaining balance set by the Moon's degree.
- Lagna in Punarvasu: a pleasant, open face, a patient manner and an air of goodwill.
- Planets in Punarvasu: planets here take on Jupiter's generosity. They often give results that come back or improve after a first setback.
A free kundli shows your janma nakshatra and pada. Neighbouring pages: Ardra before, Pushya after, or the nakshatras overview.