Ardra is nakshatra 6 of the 27 nakshatras, the lunar mansions of Vedic astrology. Its symbol is a teardrop, and its theme is storms that clear the air.
Positions in the sidereal zodiac with the Lahiri ayanamsa.
The four padas
Each nakshatra has four quarters of 3°20′. Each pada falls in a sign of the navamsa, the ninth-part chart.
Pada 1
6°40′ Gemini to 10°00′ Gemini
Navamsa Sagittarius
Pada 2
10°00′ Gemini to 13°20′ Gemini
Navamsa Capricorn
Pada 3
13°20′ Gemini to 16°40′ Gemini
Navamsa Aquarius
Pada 4
16°40′ Gemini to 20°00′ Gemini
Navamsa Pisces
Ardra and your dashas
If the Moon was in Ardra when you were born, your Vimshottari dashas start with a Rahu period, which lasts 18 years in full. You start partway through it, by how far the Moon had travelled through Ardra.
Is Ardra your birth star?
Your birth star is the nakshatra the Moon was in when you were born. The Moon moves into a new one about once a day, so it takes your birth date, time and place.