Punarvasu nakshatra
Punarvasu is the seventh nakshatra, spanning 20°00′ Gemini to 3°20′ Cancer. Ruled by Jupiter with Aditi, mother of the gods, as its deity, it is the star of the ‘return of the light’: renewal and homecoming.
Also known as: Punarpoosam, Punartham, Punarvas, Punarvasu star
Punarvasu means ‘good again’ or ‘return of the light’. Its stars are Castor and Pollux, the twins of Gemini, and its symbol is a quiver of arrows. Its deity is Aditi, the boundless mother of the gods. Three padas lie in Gemini and the last in Cancer.
Punarvasu is one of the movable (chara) nakshatras, favoured for travel, buying a vehicle and anything that should flow. It is also on the classical lists for naming ceremonies and mundan. Ruled by Jupiter, it begins life in Jupiter’s 16-year dasha. Tradition holds that Rama was born under Punarvasu.
Its padas give the name syllables Ke, Ko, Ha and Hi. ‘Movable’ does not mean unstable: in muhurat language it simply marks stars that suit movement and change, and Punarvasu’s own theme is renewal and second chances.