The 27 nakshatras: what your birth star means
Nakshatras are the 27 lunar mansions of Vedic astrology. The sidereal zodiac is split into 27 equal parts of 13°20', and each one has a ruling planet, a deity, a symbol and a temperament. Your birth nakshatra, or janma nakshatra, is the one the Moon was in when you were born. It shapes your emotional nature, sets the starting point of your Vimshottari dasha and is the basis of kundli matching.
Why nakshatras matter
Your Moon sign tells you which of 12 signs the Moon was in; your nakshatra narrows that to one of 27, so it is a much finer description of temperament. Nakshatras are also the backbone of three core techniques: the Vimshottari dasha (whose sequence starts from your nakshatra's ruler), guna milan (which compares the two partners' nakshatras) and muhurta (choosing auspicious dates).
All 27 nakshatras at a glance
| # | Nakshatra | Span (sidereal) | Ruler | Gana | Keywords |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashwini अश्विनी | 0° Aries to 13°20' Aries | Ketu | Deva | speed, beginnings, healing, initiative |
| 2 | Bharani भरणी | 13°20' Aries to 26°40' Aries | Venus | Manushya | bearing, intensity, responsibility, creativity |
| 3 | Krittika कृत्तिका | 26°40' Aries to 10° Taurus | Sun | Rakshasa | clarity, sharpness, purification, standards |
| 4 | Rohini रोहिणी | 10° Taurus to 23°20' Taurus | Moon | Manushya | growth, beauty, abundance, attraction |
| 5 | Mrigashira मृगशिरा | 23°20' Taurus to 6°40' Gemini | Mars | Deva | curiosity, searching, gentleness, travel |
| 6 | Ardra आर्द्रा | 6°40' Gemini to 20° Gemini | Rahu | Manushya | storms, renewal, intellect, honesty |
| 7 | Punarvasu पुनर्वसु | 20° Gemini to 3°20' Cancer | Jupiter | Deva | return, renewal, optimism, home |
| 8 | Pushya पुष्य | 3°20' Cancer to 16°40' Cancer | Saturn | Deva | nourishment, care, duty, wisdom |
| 9 | Ashlesha आश्लेषा | 16°40' Cancer to 30° Cancer | Mercury | Rakshasa | insight, perception, strategy, intensity |
| 10 | Magha मघा | 0° Leo to 13°20' Leo | Ketu | Rakshasa | lineage, dignity, leadership, legacy |
| 11 | Purva Phalguni पूर्व फाल्गुनी | 13°20' Leo to 26°40' Leo | Venus | Manushya | pleasure, rest, creativity, charm |
| 12 | Uttara Phalguni उत्तर फाल्गुनी | 26°40' Leo to 10° Virgo | Sun | Manushya | commitment, support, partnership, fairness |
| 13 | Hasta हस्त | 10° Virgo to 23°20' Virgo | Moon | Deva | skill, craft, humour, resourcefulness |
| 14 | Chitra चित्रा | 23°20' Virgo to 6°40' Libra | Mars | Rakshasa | design, brilliance, form, ambition |
| 15 | Swati स्वाति | 6°40' Libra to 20° Libra | Rahu | Deva | independence, flexibility, trade, balance |
| 16 | Vishakha विशाखा | 20° Libra to 3°20' Scorpio | Jupiter | Rakshasa | goals, determination, achievement, focus |
| 17 | Anuradha अनुराधा | 3°20' Scorpio to 16°40' Scorpio | Saturn | Deva | friendship, devotion, cooperation, perseverance |
| 18 | Jyeshtha ज्येष्ठा | 16°40' Scorpio to 30° Scorpio | Mercury | Rakshasa | seniority, responsibility, protection, courage |
| 19 | Mula मूल | 0° Sagittarius to 13°20' Sagittarius | Ketu | Rakshasa | roots, inquiry, truth, transformation |
| 20 | Purva Ashadha पूर्वाषाढ़ा | 13°20' Sagittarius to 26°40' Sagittarius | Venus | Manushya | conviction, invigoration, persuasion, purification |
| 21 | Uttara Ashadha उत्तराषाढ़ा | 26°40' Sagittarius to 10° Capricorn | Sun | Manushya | integrity, lasting victory, responsibility, ethics |
| 22 | Shravana श्रवण | 10° Capricorn to 23°20' Capricorn | Moon | Deva | listening, learning, connection, tradition |
| 23 | Dhanishta धनिष्ठा | 23°20' Capricorn to 6°40' Aquarius | Mars | Rakshasa | rhythm, abundance, ambition, music |
| 24 | Shatabhisha शतभिषा | 6°40' Aquarius to 20° Aquarius | Rahu | Rakshasa | healing, mystery, independence, research |
| 25 | Purva Bhadrapada पूर्व भाद्रपद | 20° Aquarius to 3°20' Pisces | Jupiter | Manushya | idealism, intensity, transformation, vision |
| 26 | Uttara Bhadrapada उत्तर भाद्रपद | 3°20' Pisces to 16°40' Pisces | Saturn | Manushya | depth, calm, wisdom, restraint |
| 27 | Revati रेवती | 16°40' Pisces to 30° Pisces | Mercury | Deva | guidance, kindness, completion, safe passage |
The building blocks of each nakshatra
- Ruling planet: the nine planets rule three nakshatras each, in the order Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury. This links each nakshatra to a dasha.
- Deity: the presiding deity from Vedic tradition describes the nakshatra's deeper motive.
- Symbol: an image that captures its nature, such as Ashwini's horse's head or Hasta's open hand.
- Gana: temperament: Deva (gentle, idealistic), Manushya (human, balanced) or Rakshasa (intense, independent). Rakshasa does not mean "bad"; it means strong-willed and self-protective.
- Yoni: an animal symbol used in matching to describe instinct and intimacy.
- Nadi: Adi, Madhya or Antya, used in the 8-point Nadi koota of matching.
How to find your nakshatra
You need the Moon's sidereal longitude at your birth, which requires your date, time and place of birth. Divide the longitude by 13°20' to find which of the 27 segments it falls in. Because the Moon moves through a whole nakshatra in roughly a day, people born on the same date can have different nakshatras. Naksha calculates it for you, along with the pada and your dasha timeline.
Frequently asked questions
What is a nakshatra?
A nakshatra is one of the 27 lunar mansions of Vedic astrology. The 360° sidereal zodiac is divided into 27 equal segments of 13°20', roughly the distance the Moon travels in one day. Each has a ruling planet, a deity, a symbol and a temperament.
How do I find my nakshatra?
Your birth nakshatra (janma nakshatra) is the one the Moon occupied at your birth. You need your date, time and place of birth to calculate the Moon's sidereal position. Because the Moon changes nakshatra about once a day, the date alone is often not enough.
What is a nakshatra pada?
Each nakshatra is divided into four padas (quarters) of 3°20'. Each pada corresponds to a navamsa sign, which adds detail to the nakshatra's meaning and is used in naming traditions and the navamsa (D9) chart.
Why are there sometimes 28 nakshatras?
Some older and muhurta traditions add Abhijit, a short segment within Uttara Ashadha and Shravana. Standard birth-chart, dasha and matching calculations use the 27-nakshatra system.
Which nakshatra is the best?
None is better than another. Each has strengths and growth edges. Pushya is traditionally considered very auspicious for starting things, but for a birth star, what matters is how your nakshatra works with the rest of your chart.
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