Mula nakshatra
Mula is the 19th nakshatra, spanning 0°00′–13°20′ of sidereal Sagittarius. Ruled by Ketu with Nirriti as its deity, its symbol is a bundle of roots: a sharp star of getting to the root of things.
Also known as: Moola, Mool, Moolam, Mool nakshatra, Mula star
Mula means ‘root’. Its symbol is a bundle of roots tied together, and its stars form the curled tail and sting of the Scorpion, close to the direction of the centre of our galaxy. Its deity is Nirriti, who presides over endings and the clearing away of what has decayed, so that new growth can come.
Mula is one of the four sharp (tikshna) nakshatras, associated with investigation, research and getting to the bottom of things. Classical texts still include it in the list of wedding stars. Ruled by Ketu, it begins life in Ketu’s seven-year dasha.
Its padas give the name syllables Ye, Yo, Bha and Bhi. Mula begins at the junction of Scorpio and Sagittarius, making it one of six ‘gandmool’ stars, and old sayings about a Mula birth troubling the family have caused needless worry. Many families simply hold a Mool shanti puja about 27 days after the birth. It is a blessing, not a verdict.