Dhanishta

Dhanishta, the 23rd nakshatra, in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).

The 22nd and 23rd nakshatra mapped to the star chart at Aquila and Delphinus. Dhanishta is the eastern (left) one.

Dhaniṣṭhā (श्रविष्ठा), "most famous", 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

• Dhaniṣṭhā
• Dhanishta
• Vāsava,
• Vasubha,
• Śraviṣṭhā ("the swiftest")

Origin of Constellation

The term "dhanishta" literally means "most famous" which may refer to the recognizable shape of stars of Delphinus that are identified here. An laternative name is Shravishthā, "swiftest".

Its depiction in temples displays a huge jar containing exactly 100 small stars, likely symbolizing the stream of the Milky Way next to the asterism in Delphinus with which the jar-like form perfectly and recognizably matches. For whatever reason (not given here) here are exactly 100 stars in the jar (neighbouring the "100 physicians"-asterism Shatabhisa in the sky) and they are only inside the jar. This contrasts the depiction of Revati (रेवती) which is a jar with fewer star among which two are outside of the jar.  

The standard identification is the group of the brightest stars in Delphinus: α, β, γ, δ Delphini

Stars within the Constellation Area

id	Label	IAU design.	description	Vmag
1	Rotanev	HIP 101769	Constellation lines (Vertex)	3.63
2	Sualocin	HIP 101958	Constellation lines (Vertex)	3.8
3	Aldulfin	HIP 101421	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.03
4	γ 2 Delphini	HIP 102532	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.25
5	δ Delphini	HIP 102281	Inside the hull	4.417
6	κ Delphini	HIP 101916	Constellation lines (Vertex)	5.07
7	ι Delphini	HIP 101800	Inside the hull	5.418
8	θ Delphini	HIP 101882	Inside the hull	5.71
9	10 Del	HIP 102080	Inside the hull	5.998
10	-	HIP 101966	Inside the hull	6.385

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

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  Dhanishta nakshatra in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).

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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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  Dhanishta Tibetean

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  Dhanishta Chinese

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  Dhanishta Indonesian drum

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  Dhanishta as reconstructed by Jones (1720).

Mythology

mnemonic tales and cultural significance

References

• References (general)