Pushya is the eighth of the 27 nakshatras, covering 3°20′ to 16°40′ of sidereal Cancer, and it is ruled by Saturn with Brihaspati (Jupiter as the guru of the gods) as its deity. Its name means "that which nourishes", and in the Vedic tradition it is widely regarded as the most supportive and auspicious of all the lunar mansions.
The name has older forms too: Tishya and Sidhya, the second meaning "auspicious" or "successful". Both describe the same idea. Pushya is where things are fed, protected and helped to grow.
Where Pushya sits
The whole of Pushya falls inside Cancer, the Moon's own sign, between Punarvasu before it and Ashlesha after it. That placement matters. Cancer is the sign of the heart, home and care, and Pushya takes those qualities and gives them structure.
Two planets with a special stake in Cancer meet here. Jupiter reaches its deepest exaltation at 5° Cancer, which lies inside Pushya's first pada. Mars, by contrast, is debilitated at 28° Cancer, which is in the next nakshatra, not this one. So Pushya holds the most generous point of Jupiter in the zodiac, while being governed by Saturn in the Vimshottari scheme.
Lord and deity: Saturn and Brihaspati
At first sight Saturn and Brihaspati make an odd pair. Saturn is slow, dutiful and serious; Brihaspati is the teacher, priest and counsellor of the gods. In Pushya they work together. Brihaspati supplies the knowledge and the blessing, Saturn supplies patience and the willingness to keep showing up. The result is care that lasts: the teacher who returns every day, the parent who keeps the routine, the institution that serves people for generations.
In the stories, Brihaspati is the one the gods go to when they need guidance, ritual done correctly, or a way through a hard choice. Pushya people often find themselves in that role in their families and workplaces, as the dependable adviser rather than the loudest voice.
Symbol, gana, yoni and nadi
The symbol is a cow's udder, and some texts give a flower or a circle instead. The udder is the clearest image: steady milk that feeds others. It fits a nakshatra whose instinct is to provide.
Pushya is of Deva gana, the divine temperament: gentle, principled, inclined to kindness. Its yoni is the sheep, male. Its nadi is Madhya (pitta).
These three enter gun milan. Gana compares temperament and is worth 6 points; Deva pairs easily with Deva and Manushya. Yoni is worth 4 points, and the sheep's traditional enemy yoni is the monkey (Purva Ashadha and Shravana). Nadi is worth 8 points, and two charts with the same nadi score zero there unless one of the classical exceptions applies. None of this settles a match on its own; it is one layer of a comparison that should include both whole charts.
Muhurta nature: swift (kshipra)
Muhurta Chintamani places Pushya among the swift or light (kshipra, laghu) nakshatras, together with Ashwini and Hasta. Swift nakshatras suit actions you want to begin smoothly and see move: starting studies, opening a shop or trading, travel, learning a craft, beginning a course of treatment, and buying ornaments or useful goods.
Pushya on a Thursday is called Guru-Pushya and on a Sunday Ravi-Pushya; both are popular for purchases and new ventures. The one well-known exception is marriage. Many traditions leave Pushya out of the marriage list, and families usually follow their own regional practice. The muhurat page looks at tithi, weekday and yoga together, which is how a date should really be chosen.
Temperament
A Moon in Pushya tends to make a person protective, responsible and quietly religious or principled in some way. There is a strong sense of duty toward family and community, and a liking for tradition, ritual and order. These people are often good at caring for others over the long term, not only in a crisis.
The growth areas come from the same qualities. Care can tip into worry or control. Saturn's influence can bring caution that delays decisions, and a Cancer Moon can hold on to hurt for a long time. Many Pushya natives do well when they learn to receive support as readily as they give it, and to let others make their own mistakes.
The four padas
Each pada is 3°20′ wide and falls in one navamsa sign. For Pushya, the navamsas run from Leo to Scorpio.
Pada 1: Cancer 3°20′ to 6°40′, Leo navamsa
Leo navamsa adds warmth, dignity and a wish to be recognised for one's service. This pada holds Jupiter's exaltation point, and it is often read as generous, confident and suited to leadership in caring roles. Naming syllable: Hu.
Pada 2: Cancer 6°40′ to 10°, Virgo navamsa
Virgo brings method and attention to detail. The nourishing instinct turns practical: organising, healing routines, accounts, the careful work that keeps a household or office running. Naming syllable: He.
Pada 3: Cancer 10° to 13°20′, Libra navamsa
Libra softens the tone and turns it toward partnership, fairness and pleasant surroundings. This pada is usually described as sociable and diplomatic, good at bringing people together. Naming syllable: Ho.
Pada 4: Cancer 13°20′ to 16°40′, Scorpio navamsa
Scorpio adds depth, privacy and intensity. Emotions run strong and research, inner work or occult study may attract. It is the most inward of the four. Naming syllable: Da.
Naming syllables
In the north Indian tradition, the syllables for a child whose Moon is in Pushya are Hu, He, Ho and Da, by pada. South Indian lists differ slightly in places, so families often check with their own tradition. See naam akshar for how the first letter of a name is chosen.
Moon, lagna and planets in Pushya
Pushya matters most when the Moon is here, because the Moon's nakshatra sets the Vimshottari dasha: a Pushya Moon starts in Saturn's mahadasha, and how much of its 19 years remains at birth depends on how far the Moon had moved through the nakshatra.
With the lagna in Pushya, the Pushya themes shape the body and the approach to life, coloured by Cancer rising. Planets placed here take on its caring, preserving quality. Jupiter here is strong by sign and near its exaltation; Saturn here works in a friendlier way than its sign might suggest, because it rules the nakshatra. Remember that one nakshatra never decides a chart. The whole kundli is read together, with the lords, houses and dashas.
To see which nakshatra your Moon and lagna fall in, make a free chart on the kundli page. The neighbouring pages on Punarvasu and Ashlesha show how the same stretch of Cancer changes character from one nakshatra to the next.