Jyeshthaज्येष्ठा

Jyeshtha is the eighteenth nakshatra and covers the last stretch of Scorpio, from 16 degrees 40 minutes to 30 degrees. The word means eldest or most senior, and its brightest star is Antares, the red heart of Scorpius, whose name even means rival of Mars. The symbol of an earring or umbrella points to the insignia of rank that an elder carries.

Indra, king of the gods, is the deity. The Puranas and the Rigveda celebrate how he slew the demon Vritra and freed the waters, a victory that made him the leader of the devas. Mercury is the planetary lord and the gana is Rakshasa, which in classical usage names a temperament and implies no moral failing. The month of Jyeshtha takes its name from the full moon near this nakshatra.

The end of Jyeshtha forms a gandanta junction with the start of Mula, where a water sign gives way to a fire sign. Traditional texts treat birth in that narrow stretch with special care, and some families arrange a shanti ritual. In the muhurat system Jyeshtha is one of the tikshna or sharp nakshatras along with Ardra, Ashlesha and Mula, normally set aside for severe or forceful work. Syllables commonly listed for naming are No, Ya, Yi and Yu.