Jyeshtha

Depiction of the 18th nakshatra, Jyeshtha, in temples.

The 17th, 18th, 19th nakshatra mapped to the Stellarium base chart, animated GIF, WGSN 2025: Jyeshtha is the middle one.

Jyeṣṭha (ज्येष्ठा), The Eldest, is an Indian name, used by the Indian Vedic tradition. Most of these names are roughly 3000 years old. They pre-date Hinduism but were taken over by it.

Etymology and History

Name Variants

• Jyeṣṭha,
• Jyeshtha,
• Śakra,
• Aindra

The Goddess with same name: Jyestha devi, Kailas temple, kanchipuram

Origin of Constellation

The asterism is depicted as a group of three stars and typically identified with the bright star Antares (α Sco). As the term "nakshatra" literally means "not bright", it is more likely that the stars surrounding Antares, τ and σ Scorpii plus i Sco (or d Sco?), were interpreted as an asterism framing the bright star in the center.

Jyeshtha is also the name of a goddess.

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

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  Jyeshta, 18th nakshatra, 10th century CE

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  Display of all 28th nakshatras in silver arch with candles in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).

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  Display of all 28th nakshatras in a door frame in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).

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  Jyeshta Gauri

• 

  Jyeshta Goddess

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  Jyeshta as recontructed by Jones (1720).

Mythology

Jyeshta was a favourite Goddess of Pallavas and worshipped as a Fertility Goddess and by some as Sanigraha's wife. She is one among the Parivara deities of Shiva, but with the popularity of Laxmi on the rise the Alaxmi worship had a downfall and she was moved far away from the temple premises. She is now found abandoned near Ponds and Water bodies with no worship. Only some temples have retained her within the premises.

References

• References (general)