People born in Ardra nakshatra

Ardra, the moist one, is traditionally the nakshatra of the storm that clears the air - of deep feeling, sharp intelligence and renewal.

The story in the sky

Ardra's deity is Rudra, the roaring storm form of Shiva. The old story says that as soon as he was born he wept, and so was named Rudra, 'the one who cries out'. Another much-told tale says that tears Shiva once shed in deep feeling fell to earth and grew into the rudraksha tree, whose beads are still worn in prayer. A storm is fierce while it lasts, but its rain turns the fields green. Tradition sees that in Ardra people: strong feelings that pass, a sharp mind that asks hard questions, and a gift for clearing the air so that something fresh can grow.

What the name holds

Ardra means 'the moist one', like the earth after rain, and its symbol is a teardrop, the sign of feeling that softens and renews. Tradition gives each quarter (pada) of the nakshatra its own syllable for beginning a child's name, and the quarter the Moon stood in at birth chooses it: कु (ku), घ (gha), ङ (nga) or छ (chha).

Nature

People born with the Moon in Ardra are said to be intense, thoughtful and searching. Rahu, its ruling planet, gives an inquiring, unconventional mind that wants to understand how things really work.

Strengths

They are sharp, analytical and tireless when a problem catches their interest, and many do well in science, technology, research or any work that rewards deep thought. They are honest about difficult things and can face a crisis with clarity. Having felt deeply themselves, they are often truly compassionate towards others in hard times.

In family and marriage

At home they are loyal and caring, though they may show it more through effort than through words. Their moods can run like weather, stormy one day and bright the next, so they do well to give their feelings a calm outlet and to say what troubles them before it gathers. Once settled, they are protective, hardworking and devoted to the family's progress.

The partner who suits them

A partner who is patient, steady and emotionally secure tends to suit them, someone who does not take a passing cloud to heart and who meets intensity with calm. Shared conversation and intellectual companionship matter to them. With a spouse who understands their depth, they become a thoughtful, committed partner who grows wiser and gentler with time.

In kundali matching

Ardra is Manushya gana and Adi nadi, and its yoni animal is the dog. In a match these are set against the partner's nakshatra: a partner who is also Adi nadi brings Nadi dosha; a partner of Rakshasa gana brings Gana dosha; and Yoni compares the two animals. Other features of the two kundalis can cancel a dosha, so no nakshatra makes a match good or bad on its own. How kundali matching works explains the whole reading.

Related guides

• How kundali matching worksWhere the gunas and Manglik come from, and how to read the result
• How many gunas should match?The 18-guna mark, what a total means, and the four answers the Gun Milan app gives
• Manglik doshaWhat being Manglik means, and which pairings suit
• Nadi doshaHealth and children: the heaviest koota, and when its dosha is cancelled
• The 27 nakshatrasThe nature and story of the people of each birth star, and the partner they suit
• The 12 rashisWhat the people of each Moon sign are like, at home and in marriage