Anuradha
- Type
- Nakshatras
- Section
- Nakshatras
- Number
- 17
- Literal meaning
- "following Radha"
- Degrees
- 213°20′–226°40′ (zodiac, 13°20′ step)
- Ruling planet (Vimshottari)
- Saturn
- Symbol
- lotus, staff varies by school
Anuradha is nakshatra of friendship and devotion.
Anuradha (anurādhā) is the seventeenth nakshatra; its name means "following Radha". It is lunar mansion No. 17, ruled by Saturn. Anuradha is about friendship, loyalty, and the ability to gather people around a shared undertaking.
Place in the system
Anuradha occupies 213°20′–226°40′, in Scorpio, and divides into four padas of 3°20′ each, fitting entirely within the sign and touching neither neighbor. In the Vimshottari system it is ruled by Saturn, and together with Pushya and Uttara Bhadrapada it belongs to the trio of "Saturn" nakshatras.
The deep sign of Scorpio and disciplining Saturn give this nakshatra constancy and persistence in relationships: friendship here is not easy companionship but a bond tested by time and difficulty.
Practical meaning
By tradition its symbol is a lotus and a staff: friendship and devotion that flower even in hard conditions. The Brihat Samhita (XV.15) assigns to this mansion people of prowess, heads of corporations, friends of the virtuous, lovers of assemblies and travel, and honest people; also autumn produce. This is a recurring theme of the mansion, not a portrait of any one person: classical lists describe tendencies, not fate.
This is a nakshatra of fellowship and cooperation: it is strong wherever success depends on coordination and trust between people. Its strength lies in the capacity to befriend and to unite, but Saturn as ruler adds a taste of trial: real closeness comes to Anuradha slowly and through difficulty.
In daily practice
When the Moon moves through Anuradha, the day is good for friendship, teamwork, negotiations, and anything built on trust and joint effort. It is a favorable time to strengthen relationships, make peace, and gather like-minded people around a common task.
How favorable such a day is for you personally is refined by Tara Bala, counted from your birth nakshatra. A day under Anuradha is a sign that the moment suits alliance, friendship, and shared work. Solitary, self-enclosed tasks suit such a day less than what is done together and in trust.