Dhanishta nakshatra baby names: starting letters धनिष्ठा

Last updated 18 October 2026

Dhanishta is nakshatra number 23 of 27, ruled by Mars. A baby born with the Moon in Dhanishta is traditionally given a name that starts with the syllable of its pada: Ga, Gi, Gu, Ge.

The four Dhanishta pada letters

Dhanishta at a glance

• Position: 23°20′ Makar to 6°40′ Kumbh of the sidereal zodiac, four padas of 3°20′ each.
• Ruling planet: Mars.
• Deity: The eight Vasus, the gods of the elements and of abundance.
• Symbol: a drum; some texts give a flute.
• Rashi: Makar and Kumbh (the nakshatra crosses a rashi boundary).
• Gana, yoni and nadi: Rakshasa gana, lion yoni, Madhya nadi (the matching tradition; see the nakshatra gana calculator).
• Rajju and vedha: Shiro rajju (head); vedha star Mrigashira; some lists add Chitra, and some give none. These are South Indian porutham groupings; see the rajju dosha calculator.

How to use these letters

Take the Moon’s nakshatra and pada from the birth chart (or the nakshatra calculator by date of birth), then choose a name that begins with that pada’s letter. If the pada is unknown, the four letters above are the ones for this nakshatra. Without birth details, the rashi name finder shows the letters for any nakshatra and pada, and rashi by name shows where a name you already like falls.

Neighbouring nakshatras

Before Dhanishta comes Shravana, after it Shatabhisha. See all 27 on the list of 27 nakshatras, the nakshatra letters chart or the 27 nakshatras explained.