Krittika

For other uses, see Kritika (disambiguation).

Kṛttikā (Sanskrit: कृत्तिका, pronounced [kr̩ttɪkaː], popularly transliterated Krittika), sometimes known as Kārtikā, is the third of the 27 nakṣatras (lunar mansions) in Indian astronomy. It corresponds to the open star cluster called the Pleiades in Western astronomy; it is in the constellation Taurus. The name Kṛttikā literally translates to "the cutters".

It is also the name of its goddess-personification, who is a daughter of Daksha and Panchajani, and thus a half-sister to Khyati. Spouse of Kṛttikā is Chandra ("moon").

Alternative accounts suggest that Kritika was the name of six celestial women. The six Krittikas who raised the Hindu God Kartikeya are Śiva, Sambhūti, Prīti, Sannati, Anasūya and Kṣamā.

In Hindu astrology (Jyotiṣa), Kṛttikā is ruled by the Sun. Under the traditional Hindu principle of naming individuals according to their Ascendant/Lagna nakṣatra, the following Sanskrit syllables correspond with this nakṣatra, and would belong at the beginning of the first name of an individual born under it: A (अ), I (ई), U (उ) and E (ए).

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