Ashwiniअश्विनी

Ashwini opens the sequence of twenty-seven lunar mansions. It begins at the very start of Aries, so the nakshatra count and the zodiac wheel both restart together here. The name comes from ashva, the Sanskrit word for horse, and the symbol is a horse head. In the Rigveda the Ashwins are twin horsemen who ride a golden chariot at the edge of dawn, which is one reason the nakshatra is linked with beginnings, speed and first light.

Its deity is the Ashwini Kumaras, the twin physicians of the gods. Tradition remembers them as divine healers who restore the old, mend the injured and rescue those in distress, and they are described as sons of the sun god. Its planetary lord is Ketu and its gana is Deva. Because the Moon in Ashwini is traditionally treated as the starting point of the Vimshottari dasha cycle through Ketu, astrologers often mention this nakshatra when explaining where a birth chart timeline begins.

In muhurat selection Ashwini is placed among the quick, light nakshatras, traditionally considered suited to starting journeys, learning a skill or beginning treatment, while slow, heavy tasks are usually scheduled elsewhere. Many naming ceremonies list the syllables Chu, Che, Cho and La for its four padas, though family and regional traditions can differ, so a priest should confirm them.