Nakshatra · the 27 lunar mansions
Nakshatra list: the 27 nakshatras, their lords, rashis and padas
The 27 nakshatras in order, with each one's degrees, rashi, lord, gana and nadi; how to find your birth nakshatra; and how nakshatras are used in dashas, matching and muhurat.
In short
The nakshatra list has 27 lunar mansions of 13°20' each, from Ashwini at 0° Aries to Revati at the end of Pisces. Each has 4 padas and a ruling planet. Your nakshatra is the one the Moon was in at your birth, and its lord starts your Vimshottari dasha.
The 27 nakshatras in order
| No. | Nakshatra | Span (sidereal) | Rashi | Lord | Gana | Nadi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashwini | 0°–13°20' | Mesha | Ketu | Deva | Adya |
| 2 | Bharani | 13°20'–26°40' | Mesha | Venus | Manushya | Madhya |
| 3 | Krittika | 26°40'–40° | Mesha, Vrishabha | Sun | Rakshasa | Antya |
| 4 | Rohini | 40°–53°20' | Vrishabha | Moon | Manushya | Antya |
| 5 | Mrigashira | 53°20'–66°40' | Vrishabha, Mithuna | Mars | Deva | Madhya |
| 6 | Ardra | 66°40'–80° | Mithuna | Rahu | Manushya | Adya |
| 7 | Punarvasu | 80°–93°20' | Mithuna, Karka | Jupiter | Deva | Adya |
| 8 | Pushya | 93°20'–106°40' | Karka | Saturn | Deva | Madhya |
| 9 | Ashlesha | 106°40'–120° | Karka | Mercury | Rakshasa | Antya |
| 10 | Magha | 120°–133°20' | Simha | Ketu | Rakshasa | Antya |
| 11 | Poorva Phalguni | 133°20'–146°40' | Simha | Venus | Manushya | Madhya |
| 12 | Uttara Phalguni | 146°40'–160° | Simha, Kanya | Sun | Manushya | Adya |
| 13 | Hasta | 160°–173°20' | Kanya | Moon | Deva | Adya |
| 14 | Chitra | 173°20'–186°40' | Kanya, Tula | Mars | Rakshasa | Madhya |
| 15 | Swati | 186°40'–200° | Tula | Rahu | Deva | Antya |
| 16 | Vishakha | 200°–213°20' | Tula, Vrishchika | Jupiter | Rakshasa | Antya |
| 17 | Anuradha | 213°20'–226°40' | Vrishchika | Saturn | Deva | Madhya |
| 18 | Jyeshtha | 226°40'–240° | Vrishchika | Mercury | Rakshasa | Adya |
| 19 | Moola | 240°–253°20' | Dhanu | Ketu | Rakshasa | Adya |
| 20 | Poorva Ashadha | 253°20'–266°40' | Dhanu | Venus | Manushya | Madhya |
| 21 | Uttara Ashadha | 266°40'–280° | Dhanu, Makara | Sun | Manushya | Antya |
| 22 | Shravana | 280°–293°20' | Makara | Moon | Deva | Antya |
| 23 | Dhanishta | 293°20'–306°40' | Makara, Kumbha | Mars | Rakshasa | Madhya |
| 24 | Shatabhisha | 306°40'–320° | Kumbha | Rahu | Rakshasa | Adya |
| 25 | Poorva Bhadrapada | 320°–333°20' | Kumbha, Meena | Jupiter | Manushya | Adya |
| 26 | Uttara Bhadrapada | 333°20'–346°40' | Meena | Saturn | Manushya | Madhya |
| 27 | Revati | 346°40'–360° | Meena | Mercury | Deva | Antya |
Spans run from 0° Aries (Mesha) on the sidereal zodiac, Lahiri ayanamsa. Gana and nadi follow K. S. Charak's matching tables.
What is a nakshatra?
A nakshatra is one of 27 equal parts of the zodiac that the Moon passes through, about one a day. The rashis split the zodiac into 12 signs of 30°; the nakshatras split it into 27 of 13°20'. The Moon's nakshatra at birth is the janma nakshatra or birth star.
Each nakshatra has 4 padas of 3°20', so the 27 make 108 padas, 9 in each rashi. That is why most nakshatras sit wholly in one sign and some cross two: Krittika, for example, has pada 1 in Mesha and padas 2–4 in Vrishabha. See rashi by date of birth for the signs.
How to find your nakshatra
Find where the Moon was at the moment of birth on the sidereal zodiac, then the 13°20' slice it falls in. The Moon moves about 13° a day, so it changes nakshatra roughly once a day and changes pada every 6 hours or so. The birth date alone can give the wrong star; the time and place decide it.
Astrojar's chart card does this for you: sign up with your birth date, time and place and it shows your nakshatra, pada, rashi and Lagna.
Nakshatra lords and the Vimshottari dasha
Nine planets rule the 27 nakshatras in a fixed order, three rounds of nine. The lord of your birth nakshatra rules the first dasha of your life, and how far the Moon had gone through the nakshatra sets how much of that dasha was left at birth.
| Lord | Vimshottari dasha | Nakshatras |
|---|---|---|
| Ketu | 7 years | Ashwini, Magha, Moola |
| Venus | 20 years | Bharani, Poorva Phalguni, Poorva Ashadha |
| Sun | 6 years | Krittika, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashadha |
| Moon | 10 years | Rohini, Hasta, Shravana |
| Mars | 7 years | Mrigashira, Chitra, Dhanishta |
| Rahu | 18 years | Ardra, Swati, Shatabhisha |
| Jupiter | 16 years | Punarvasu, Vishakha, Poorva Bhadrapada |
| Saturn | 19 years | Pushya, Anuradha, Uttara Bhadrapada |
| Mercury | 17 years | Ashlesha, Jyeshtha, Revati |
Nakshatras in matching: gana, yoni and nadi
Ashtakoot matching compares the two birth stars in eight ways for 36 points. Three of them come straight from the nakshatra: gana (6 points), yoni (4) and nadi (8). The others use the rashi or count from one star to the other. Try the free star matching or read how ashtakoot matching works.
Nakshatras in muhurat
Muhurta Chintamani sorts the stars by nature, and a muhurat for a task is chosen on a star whose nature suits it. These are the groups Astrojar's muhurat finder uses; the other rules for a good day are in shubh muhurat, and the day's tithi and timings in the panchang.
| Nature | Nakshatras | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Dhruva (fixed) | Rohini, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashadha, Uttara Bhadrapada | Starting things meant to last: foundations, planting, long commitments |
| Chara (moving) | Punarvasu, Swati, Shravana, Dhanishta, Shatabhisha | Travel, vehicles and outings |
| Ugra (bold) | Bharani, Magha, Poorva Phalguni, Poorva Ashadha, Poorva Bhadrapada | Hard or pending work that needs courage |
| Mishra (mixed) | Krittika, Vishakha | Routine work and everyday business |
| Kshipra (quick) | Ashwini, Pushya, Hasta | Quick tasks: trade, learning, medicine and short trips |
| Mridu (gentle) | Mrigashira, Chitra, Anuradha, Revati | Friendship, arts and music, new clothes and jewellery, celebrations |
| Tikshna (sharp) | Ardra, Ashlesha, Jyeshtha, Moola | Ending what no longer serves: clearing old debts and bad habits |
For weddings, Muhurta Chintamani ch. 6 names eleven stars: Rohini, Mrigashira, Magha, Uttara Phalguni, Hasta, Swati, Anuradha, Moola, Uttara Ashadha, Uttara Bhadrapada, Revati.
Questions about the nakshatras
How many nakshatras are there?
There are 27 nakshatras, each 13°20' of the zodiac, from Ashwini to Revati. A 28th, Abhijit, is used in some muhurat rules but is never a birth star.
How do I find my nakshatra?
Your nakshatra (janma nakshatra, or birth star) is the one the Moon was in when you were born. The Moon moves through a nakshatra in about a day, so the date alone is often not enough: you need the birth time and place. Astrojar's free chart card shows your nakshatra and pada from those three.
What is a nakshatra pada?
Each nakshatra has 4 padas (quarters) of 3°20'. The pada places the Moon in a navamsa sign and decides which rashi it is in when a nakshatra spans two signs. 27 nakshatras × 4 padas = 108 padas, 9 to each rashi.
What is the lord of a nakshatra?
Each nakshatra is ruled by one of 9 planets, in the order Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, three times round. The lord of your birth nakshatra rules the first Vimshottari dasha of your life.
What are gana, yoni and nadi?
They are three of the eight kootas of Ashtakoot matching, read from the two birth stars. Gana is Deva, Manushya or Rakshasa; yoni is one of 14 animals; nadi is Adya, Madhya or Antya. Nadi carries the most points, 8 of 36.
Is nakshatra the same as rashi?
No. The rashi is the sign (30°) the Moon is in, and the nakshatra is the smaller division (13°20') within it. Each rashi holds 9 padas, so it contains parts of three nakshatras.
Sources
- The 27 nakshatras of 13°20' and their 4 padas of 3°20': Astrojar's engine (Lahiri ayanamsa, sidereal zodiac).
- Nakshatra lords and Vimshottari years: BPHS, the chapter on the Vimshottari dasha, as coded in Astrojar's engine (Ketu 7, Venus 20, Sun 6, Moon 10, Mars 7, Rahu 18, Jupiter 16, Saturn 19, Mercury 17 years).
- Gana, yoni and nadi: K. S. Charak, Elements of Vedic Astrology, ch. XXVII (pp. 456, 458, 460), the tables Astrojar's star matching uses.
- Nature of each star for muhurat: Muhurta Chintamani ch. 2. The eleven marriage stars: Muhurta Chintamani ch. 6.
This is the traditional reading of the classical texts, given for learning and reflection. It is not a prediction for you, and not medical, legal or financial advice.
Which nakshatra were you born in?
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