Dhanu Rashi in English
Dhanu rashi is Sagittarius, the archer: a dual fire sign ruled by Jupiter and named after the bow.
Dhanu rashi in English is Sagittarius. Dhanu, also written Dhanus or Dhanush, is the Sanskrit word for a bow, and the sign is the ninth of the twelve Vedic rashis: a dual fire sign ruled by Jupiter. If you want to know whether Dhanu is your own rashi, the chart above works it out from your date, time and place of birth.
By Astro Ashish · Last verified: October 7, 2026
What does Dhanu mean, and why is the English name Sagittarius?
Dhanu means bow, and Sagittarius is Latin for archer, so the Vedic name points at the weapon and the English name at the one holding it. The picture is the same in both, an archer with a drawn bow, and that is why dhanu rashi in English is Sagittarius and not simply the bow. Parashara adds a detail that explains the half-horse figure. He calls the first half of the sign two-footed and the second half four-footed, and says it carries a bow. That is the centaur archer of the Western zodiac, described in other words.
Dhanu rashi ko English mein 'Sagittarius' kehte hain. हिंदी में: धनु राशि को अंग्रेज़ी में Sagittarius (सैजिटेरियस) कहते हैं।
Dhanu rashi: key facts
Dhanu rashi in English is Sagittarius, and the sign runs from 240 to 270 degrees of the sidereal zodiac. Everything usually asked about it is in one table.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit | Dhanu (Dhanus) |
| Hindi | धनु |
| English sign | Sagittarius ♐︎ |
| Symbol | Archer with a bow |
| Ruling planet (lord) | Jupiter (Guru, Brihaspati) |
| Element | Fire (Agni) |
| Quality | Dual (Dvisvabhava) |
| Nakshatras spanned | Mula (full), Purva Ashadha (full), Uttara Ashadha (pada 1) |
| Common spellings | Dhanu, Dhanus, Dhanush, Dhanur |
| Tamil / Malayalam name | Dhanusu (தனுசு) / Dhanu (ധനു) |
| Name letters (naam akshar) | Ye, Yo, Bha, Bhi, Bhu, Dha, Pha, Dha, Bhe (ये, यो, भा, भी, भू, धा, फा, ढा, भे) |
| Sun enters Dhanu, 2026 (sidereal, Lahiri) - Dhanu Sankranti | 16 December 2026, 10:25 IST |
| Sun enters Dhanu, 2027 (sidereal, Lahiri) - Dhanu Sankranti | 16 December 2027, 16:38 IST |
| Western (tropical) Sagittarius dates | 23 November - 21 December |
| Why the dates differ | Vedic astrology measures the zodiac from the stars, Western astrology from the equinox. They are about 24 degrees apart today. |
Jupiter and the first ten degrees of Dhanu
Jupiter rules two signs, Dhanu and Meena, and Parashara ranks Dhanu higher for it: the first third of the sign, 0 to 10 degrees, is Jupiter's mulatrikona, and the remaining 20 degrees are its own house. Dhanu is a fire sign with Mesha and Simha. Of the three it is the dual one, and it lies opposite Mithuna, the dual air sign of Mercury. Jupiter is exalted elsewhere, in Karka, so Dhanu is where the planet is at home and not where it peaks.
Dhanu rashi name letters: the two Dha sounds
The nine Dhanu letters are Ye, Yo, Bha, Bhi, Bhu, Dha, Pha, Dha and Bhe (ये, यो, भा, भी, भू, धा, फा, ढा, भे). Ye, Yo, Bha and Bhi are the four padas of Mula. Bhu, Dha, Pha and the second Dha are Purva Ashadha. Bhe is the first pada of Uttara Ashadha. Dha appears twice in Roman script because Hindi has two such sounds. The first is the dental धा, as in Dhananjay, and the second is the retroflex ढा, which is rare at the start of a name. Both belong to Purva Ashadha, its second and fourth padas.
Dhanu Sankranti, Dhanurmasa and Margazhi
The Sun enters Dhanu on 16 December 2026 at 10:25 IST and on 16 December 2027 at 16:38 IST. The solar month that starts then is Dhanurmasa. It runs from mid-December to mid-January and ends when the Sun moves into Makara on Makar Sankranti. The Tamil calendar calls this month Margazhi. It is kept as a month of early-morning temple visits, when devotees recite the Tiruppavai of the poet-saint Andal.
Are you a Dhanu Moon? How to confirm it
A December birthday does not make Dhanu your rashi. The Sun's sidereal passage runs from mid-December to mid-January, while your janam rashi follows the Moon at birth. Check the Moon-sign result in the chart above; a birth close to a sign change needs a reliable recorded time.
- Give the form above your date of birth.
- Enter the time of birth.
- Select the place of birth.
- Read the Moon sign shown. Dhanu, or Sagittarius, means it is your rashi, and the nakshatra pada next to it points to your name letter.
References for this page
Sun-entry times are from the Swiss Ephemeris, computed in the sidereal zodiac with the Lahiri ayanamsa and given in IST. The sign's description and Jupiter's dignities are Parashara's, as given in Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra.
Related
Frequently asked
What is Dhanu rashi called in English?
Dhanu rashi in English is Sagittarius. Dhanu is the ninth sign of the Vedic zodiac, a dual fire sign ruled by Jupiter. Dhanu means bow and Sagittarius means archer.
Is Dhanush rashi the same as Dhanu rashi?
Yes. Dhanu, Dhanus, Dhanush and Dhanur are spellings of one Sanskrit word for a bow. All of them name the ninth rashi, so dhanush rashi in English and dhanu rashi in English are both Sagittarius.
What is Dhanusu rasi in English?
Dhanusu (தனுசு) is the Tamil name of Dhanu rashi, and Malayalam calls it Dhanu (ധനു). In English both are Sagittarius, the same as dhanu rashi in English.
Who is the lord of Dhanu rashi?
Jupiter (Guru) is the lord of Dhanu rashi. The first 10 degrees of the sign are Jupiter's mulatrikona and the other 20 degrees are its own house.
What are the name letters of Dhanu rashi?
Dhanu rashi has nine letters: Ye, Yo, Bha, Bhi, Bhu, Dha, Pha, Dha and Bhe (ये, यो, भा, भी, भू, धा, फा, ढा, भे). Dha is listed twice because धा and ढा are separate Hindi letters.
Which nakshatras are in Dhanu rashi?
Dhanu holds all four padas of Mula, all four padas of Purva Ashadha, and the first pada of Uttara Ashadha.
When does the Sun enter Dhanu rashi?
On the Lahiri ayanamsa the Sun enters Dhanu on 16 December 2026 at 10:25 IST and on 16 December 2027 at 16:38 IST. Western Sagittarius begins on 23 November.
What is Dhanurmasa?
Dhanurmasa is the solar month in which the Sun is in Dhanu, from about mid-December to mid-January. In the Tamil calendar the same month is called Margazhi.
Is Dhanu rashi a fire sign?
Yes. Dhanu is one of the three fire signs, with Mesha and Simha, and it is the dual sign among them.
How do I find out if Dhanu is my rashi?
Enter the day, time and place you were born in the form above. It shows the sign the Moon was in at your birth, and if that sign is Dhanu then Dhanu is your janam rashi. Dhanu rashi in English is Sagittarius, so a result that reads Sagittarius means the same thing.