Kṛttikā spans the final portion of Meṣa (26°40’) and the first portion of Vṛṣabha (up to 10°00’), making it one of the nakṣatras that bridges two rāśis — a characteristic reflected in the native’s capacity to inhabit two worlds simultaneously, to act as a bridge between opposing forces. Governed by the Sun and presided over by Agni, the Vedic fire deity, Kṛttikā is associated with heat, purification, sharpness, and nourishment. The Kṛttikās of the Vedas were the six or seven star-mothers who nursed the war-god Skanda — and the nakṣatra carries this complex identity: simultaneously fierce warriors and nurturing mothers.
The symbol of the razor or flame encapsulates the dual nature of Kṛttikā energy: it cuts, but it also illuminates and purifies. Fire destroys what is gross to reveal what is pure. In human character, Kṛttikā natives are described in Parāśara as sharp-minded, direct to the point of bluntness, possessed of penetrating intelligence, and constitutionally unable to tolerate pretense. They are the critics, the discerners, the quality-controllers of any endeavor — and while this makes them invaluable as editors, judges, or technical experts, it can make their personal relationships turbulent when the same razor-precision is applied to those they love.
The Sūrya (Sun) rulership gives Kṛttikā natives a fundamental orientation toward authority, father-figures, and the expression of authentic self-hood. Combined with Agni’s purifying nature, this creates individuals who are capable of sustained creative effort — but who must have work they believe in. They do not tolerate meaningless labor. When aligned with genuine purpose, they produce extraordinary results; when forced into roles they consider beneath their dignity or contrary to their values, they wither visibly. Classically, Kṛttikā is associated with military command, craftsmanship (particularly goldsmithing and metalwork — fire arts), surgery, cooking (the fire of transformation), and positions of administration requiring clear judgment.
Kṛttikā is classified as dāruṇa (dreadful or intense) in the classical scheme, and is traditionally avoided for gentle or diplomatic undertakings. It is, however, highly auspicious for fierce undertakings: cauterizing wounds (literal or metaphorical), cutting contracts decisively, starting rigorous training, or any act where sharpness and clarity of purpose are paramount. The four pādas of Kṛttikā fall in Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces navāṁśas — the Meṣa pāda (first) carries fiery philosophical energy; the Vṛṣabha pādas (second through fourth) add Taurean persistence and sensory awareness to the fiery base.
In the Mahābhārata, Skanda (Kārtikeya), the general of the divine armies, is explicitly linked to these six star-mothers who gave him their fire and sustenance. The Kṛttikā native carries something of this warrior-god: ready for battle, nourished by righteousness, and possessed of the kind of courage that springs from having been forged in fire rather than merely inherited. Varāhamihira’s Bṛhat Saṃhitā notes that those born under Kṛttikā are famous, fond of food (particularly cooked or prepared foods), and determined in the pursuit of their goals.