Shravana Nakshatra

What is Shravana nakshatra?

Shravana is the 22nd of the 27 nakshatras, spanning 280°00' to 293°20', inside Makara. Its lord is Chandra, its deity is Vishnu, and its symbol is an ear, or three footprints. The name means "hearing" or "listening", and its main star is Altair.

The ear stands for learning by listening, the way the Vedas were handed down. The three footprints are Vishnu's three strides as Vamana, by which he measured the earth, the sky and the heavens. The month of Shravan takes its name from the full Moon near this nakshatra.

Which rashi is Shravana in, and who is its lord?

Shravana lies wholly in Makara, Shani's movable earth sign, and is ruled by Chandra. Its lord's Vimshottari dasha lasts 10 years. Chandra rules Rohini, Hasta and Shravana, one in each earth sign.

A Moon in Shravana at birth means life begins in the Chandra dasha. How much of it remains depends on how far the Moon had travelled, and then comes the Mangala dasha. A birth Moon here sits in a nakshatra it rules, in a sign it does not, and the texts read both sides of that.

What are the four padas of Shravana?

A pada is a quarter of 3°20', and each falls in a navamsa, the ninth-part chart read for strength and marriage. The four padas fall in the navamsas of Mesha, Vrishabha, Mithuna and Karka, all within the Makara rashi. The fourth pada falls in Karka, the Moon's own sign, and the second in Vrishabha, the sign of its exaltation, and the texts treat a Moon in either as well placed in the navamsa. Shravana is not gandamool.

What does tradition say about people born in Shravana?

The texts describe Shravana natives as attentive listeners and steady learners, respectful of teachers and tradition, careful with speech and well regarded for it. Vishnu is said to give a protective, orderly nature, and Chandra sensitivity and a good memory. Deva gana adds courtesy and a religious bent. Tradition also holds that they travel a good deal and can be quiet in company. These are classical descriptions, not predictions about anyone.

Which careers are traditionally linked with Shravana?

Tradition links Shravana with work built on listening and passing knowledge on: teaching, counselling, languages and translation, broadcasting and music, archives and libraries, and advisory roles. Makara adds administration and steady institutional work. The 10th house and its lord decide the career, not the birth nakshatra.

What does Shravana mean for marriage and kundli matching?

Shravana is of deva gana, monkey yoni (female) and antya nadi. Of the 36 Ashtakoota points, nadi carries 8, gana 6 and yoni 4. A deva gana Moon matches deva fully and manushya usually well; the texts' concern is a deva Moon paired with rakshasa. The monkey yoni does best with monkey, and Purva Ashadha holds the male; sheep is the yoni the tradition sets against it. If both Moons are antya nadi the nadi score is zero, the nadi dosha, with exceptions in the texts.

None of this reads the marriage itself, which comes from the 7th house, its lord, Shukra and the dashas of both charts.

What does Shravana not tell you?

Shravana says that the Chandra dasha opened the life. It does not give the ascendant or the houses, and it says nothing about Shani, the sign lord, whose strength colours a Makara Moon as much as the nakshatra does. Near 293°20' the Moon is a few hours from Dhanishta and a Mangala dasha, so the birth time matters. The listening and learning the texts describe show up only if Budha and the 4th and 5th houses support them. Two people born in Shravana can live very different lives. I read it from the whole chart.