Kanya (Virgo) Rashi

The 6th sign is Kanya (Virgo). Parashara describes Kanya as follows:

“It is a resident of the hills, and is strong in daytime. It rises with its head and has a medium build. It is a biped rashi and resides in the south. It has grains and fire in its hands. It belongs to the business community and is variegated. It relates to hurricanes (‘Prabharanjani’). It is a Virgin and is Tamasic (a disposition of demons). Its ruler is Buddha.”

Budha (Mercury) is the ruler and Kanya is a dual, earthy female sign. As compared to Mithuna, Budha’s qualities manifest very differently in an Earthy sign, as the excellent discriminative qualities of Budha are expressed in a more physical form. The result is an unsurpassed eye for details in practical matters. Budha is a neuter Graha, and Kanya is female, causing a rather tender combination.

The symbol for Kanya is a young woman, standing in a boat, holding wheat (or corn) and fire. This image symbolizes an industrious but homely quality. Just like in the case of Mithuna (Gemini) the dual quality of the sign is reflected by having opposite elements in the symbol.

People with a prominent Kanya will be somewhat shy, and have a soft, tender disposition. They are very good at organizing and keeping track of details, and tend to worry more than necessary. They are likely to have practical skills, especially related to communication and information processing.