Ashwini nakshatra
Ashwini falls in Mesha (Aries) and is ruled by Ketu. Below is what the tradition assigns it, and what each of those is actually used for — which is matching.
| Sign | Mesha (Aries) |
|---|---|
| Ruling graha | Ketu |
| Gana | Deva |
| Nadi | Vata |
| Yoni | Horse |
| Rajju | Pada (feet) |
Gana, nadi, yoni and rajju are stated here and not judged. None of them says anything about you on its own; each one only means something when compared with a second chart, which is what porutham does. If a relative has told you your nadi or your rajju is a problem, that is a statement about a pairing and not about you.
The four padas
Each nakshatra spans 13°20′ and divides into four quarters of 3°20′. Which quarter the Moon fell in decides the navamsa — the divisional chart where a placement's real strength shows — so two people sharing a star but not a pada read differently.
| Pada | Navamsa |
|---|---|
| 1 | Mesha (Aries) |
| 2 | Vrishabha (Taurus) |
| 3 | Mithuna (Gemini) |
| 4 | Karka (Cancer) |
Matching
The ten poruthams are judged from the birth star, so Ashwini can be weighed against all twenty-seven without either birth time.