Abhijit is a nakṣatra (nakshatra; star), the twenty second among the twenty eight major stars; Brahmā (Brahma)is its presiding deity. Abhijit was like the younger sister of the star Rohiṇī (Rohini), and she got jealous of Rohiṇī. In order to attain the respect due to seniority, she went off to forest to perform tapasyā (tapasya, hard penance) —
abhijit spardhamānā tu rohiṇyā kanyasī svasā
icchantī jyeṣṭhatāṃ devī papastapuṃ vanaṃ gatā.
When Abhijit thus left her place, she was replaced by the star Kṛttikā (Krittika). It seems that the tapasyā of Abhijit has been presented as an allegory for the system of counting days and months in an astral pattern.
Performing śrāddha (sraddha; rites dedicated to the deceased spirit) under Abhijit nakṣatra, one may achieve excellence in the Bhiṣakśāstra (Bhishak-sastra; medical knowledge). if one gives milk along with ghee and honey to a scholar, under Abhijit nakṣatra, one may attain a place the heavenly abode.
There is a nakṣatra muhūrta (nakshatra muhurta; astral moment). In Mahābhārata (Mahabharata) we see that Yudhiṣṭhira was born on the Purṇimā (Purnima) tithi (the fullmoon day) of the month of Jyaiṣṭha (Jyaishtha), at daytime, when Abhijit nakṣatra touched the eighth muhūrta of the day–
aindrecandrasamāyukte muhūrte’bhijite’ṣṭame.
In Purāṇa (Purana; Mythological Scripture) it is mentioned that Srī Kṛṣṇa(Sri Krishna) was also born under the Abhijit nakṣatra. When God Śiva (Siva) destroyed Tripura, that moment was also under Abhijit nakṣatra (nakshatra).