The 27 Nakshatras: Names, Ruling Planets, Degrees and Padas

The complete list

Why there are 27

The Moon returns to the same star in about 27.3 days. Dividing the sky into 27 parts gives the Moon one "mansion" for each day of that journey, which is exactly what the system was designed to track. Twenty-seven nakshatras of 13°20′ make up the full 360°.

Nine nakshatras fit into every four signs, so the nakshatras and the twelve signs run side by side without lining up — most nakshatras straddle two signs. Krittika, for instance, begins near the end of Aries and continues into Taurus.

Padas: the four quarters

Each nakshatra is divided into four padas of 3°20′. That gives 27 × 4 = 108 padas across the zodiac — the same 108 divisions as the Navamsa chart. So a nakshatra and pada together tell you a planet's Navamsa sign.

Padas also carry the traditional naming sounds. Every pada is assigned a syllable, and a child's name is traditionally chosen to begin with the syllable of the pada the Moon occupied at birth.

The ruling planets

The nakshatras are ruled by the nine grahas in a fixed order that repeats three times: Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury. Each planet therefore rules three nakshatras, spaced exactly 120° apart.

Ketu rules Ashwini, Magha, Mula; Venus rules Bharani, Purva Phalguni, Purva Ashadha; the Sun rules Krittika, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashadha; and the Moon rules Rohini, Hasta, Shravana.

This order is not decorative. It is the order of the Vimshottari dasha: the ruler of your birth star is the planet whose period you are born into.

The three ganas

Each nakshatra belongs to one of three temperament groups, or ganas — nine nakshatras in each. The gana is one of the eight tests in marriage matching.

• Deva (gentle, harmonious): Ashwini, Mrigashira, Punarvasu, Pushya, Hasta, Swati, Anuradha, Shravana, Revati
• Manushya (human, practical): Bharani, Rohini, Ardra, Purva Phalguni, Uttara Phalguni, Purva Ashadha, Uttara Ashadha, Purva Bhadrapada, Uttara Bhadrapada
• Rakshasa (intense, independent): Krittika, Ashlesha, Magha, Chitra, Vishakha, Jyeshtha, Mula, Dhanishtha, Shatabhisha

The names are labels for temperament, not judgments of character. "Rakshasa" nakshatras are associated with drive, strong will and independence.

What the birth star is used for

• Dasha: the ruling planet of the birth star starts your Vimshottari sequence, and how far the Moon had travelled through the nakshatra sets how much of that first period remains.
• Naming: the syllable for the birth star's pada gives the first sound of the name.
• Marriage matching: four of the eight kootas — Tara, Yoni, Gana and Nadi — are read from the two birth stars.
• Muhurat: an auspicious day is chosen partly by counting from your birth star to the star of the day (tara bala).
• Daily life: many observances, from a child's first birthday by the lunar calendar to annual remembrance rites, are fixed by nakshatra and tithi rather than by calendar date.

A note on Abhijit

Some texts add a 28th nakshatra, Abhijit, occupying a small arc in Capricorn between Uttara Ashadha and Shravana. It is used in certain muhurat calculations but not in the standard 27-fold division, which is what dashas, padas and matching are built on.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find my nakshatra?

Your nakshatra is the one the Moon occupied at the moment of your birth. Because the Moon crosses a nakshatra in about a day, you usually need your birth time as well as the date to be sure of it.

What is a nakshatra pada?

One quarter of a nakshatra — 3°20′ of the zodiac. There are four padas in each nakshatra and 108 in all, and each corresponds to one division of the Navamsa chart.

Which planet rules which nakshatra?

The nine grahas rule the nakshatras in a repeating order: Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury. Each rules three nakshatras; the full list is in the table above.

What is the difference between rashi and nakshatra?

A rashi is one of twelve signs of 30°; a nakshatra is one of 27 divisions of 13°20′. Your rashi is the sign the Moon was in at birth and your nakshatra is the finer division it was in. The nakshatra is the more specific of the two.

Are some nakshatras bad to be born in?

No nakshatra is bad. Certain junction points between water and fire signs — the ends of Ashlesha, Jyeshtha and Revati and the starts of Magha, Mula and Ashwini — are called gandanta and were traditionally marked with a simple ritual at birth, but they are not a sign of misfortune.

How this guide was written

The reference tables on this page are generated from the same data Astronaad’s calculators run on, so the guide and the tools cannot disagree. Where classical authorities differ, the text says so and names the convention Astronaad follows. Astrology is a traditional system of interpretation: nothing here is medical, legal or financial advice. Spotted an error? Tell us.

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