Kṛttikā

3rd lunar mansion of Hindu astrology

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The star cluster Kṛttikā Sanskrit: कृत्तिका, pronounced [kr̩ttɪkaː], popularly transliterated Krittika), sometimes known as Kārtikā, corresponds to the open star cluster called Pleiades in western astronomy; it is one of the clusters which makes up the constellation Taurus. In Indian astronomy and Jyotiṣa (Hindu astrology) the name literally translates to "the cutters".^[1][2] It is also the name of its goddess-personification, who is a daughter of Daksha^[3] and Panchajani, and thus a half-sister to Khyati. Spouse of Kṛttikā is Chandra ("moon"). The six Krittikas who raised the Hindu God Kartikeya are Śiva, Sambhūti, Prīti, Sannati, Anasūya and Kṣamā.^[4]

In Hindu astrology, Kṛttikā is the third of the 27 nakṣatras. It is ruled by Sun. Under the traditional Hindu principle of naming individuals according to their Ascendant/Lagna nakṣatra, the following Sanskrit syllables correspond with this nakṣatra, and would belong at the beginning of the first name of an individual born under it: A (अ), I (ई), U (उ) and E (ए).

See also

• List of Nakshatras
• Pleione

References