Zastrolo guide

The 27 nakshatras: list and meaning

Nakshatras are the 27 lunar mansions of Vedic astrology. Each covers 13°20′ of the sky, and the one your Moon sat in at birth is your janma nakshatra, used for naming, matching and timing.

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The 27 nakshatras circle the 12 signs. Tap any segment to meet it.

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#	Nakshatra	Degrees (sidereal)	Lord
1	Ashwini	Aries 0°00′ – 13°20′	Ketu
2	Bharani	Aries 13°20′ – 26°40′	Venus
3	Krittika	Aries 26°40′ – Taurus 10°00′	Sun
4	Rohini	Taurus 10°00′ – 23°20′	Moon
5	Mrigashira	Taurus 23°20′ – Gemini 6°40′	Mars
6	Ardra	Gemini 6°40′ – 20°00′	Rahu
7	Punarvasu	Gemini 20°00′ – Cancer 3°20′	Jupiter
8	Pushya	Cancer 3°20′ – 16°40′	Saturn
9	Ashlesha	Cancer 16°40′ – 30°00′	Mercury
10	Magha	Leo 0°00′ – 13°20′	Ketu
11	Purva Phalguni	Leo 13°20′ – 26°40′	Venus
12	Uttara Phalguni	Leo 26°40′ – Virgo 10°00′	Sun
13	Hasta	Virgo 10°00′ – 23°20′	Moon
14	Chitra	Virgo 23°20′ – Libra 6°40′	Mars
15	Swati	Libra 6°40′ – 20°00′	Rahu
16	Vishakha	Libra 20°00′ – Scorpio 3°20′	Jupiter
17	Anuradha	Scorpio 3°20′ – 16°40′	Saturn
18	Jyeshtha	Scorpio 16°40′ – 30°00′	Mercury
19	Mula	Sagittarius 0°00′ – 13°20′	Ketu
20	Purva Ashadha	Sagittarius 13°20′ – 26°40′	Venus
21	Uttara Ashadha	Sagittarius 26°40′ – Capricorn 10°00′	Sun
22	Shravana	Capricorn 10°00′ – 23°20′	Moon
23	Dhanishta	Capricorn 23°20′ – Aquarius 6°40′	Mars
24	Shatabhisha	Aquarius 6°40′ – 20°00′	Rahu
25	Purva Bhadrapada	Aquarius 20°00′ – Pisces 3°20′	Jupiter
26	Uttara Bhadrapada	Pisces 3°20′ – 16°40′	Saturn
27	Revati	Pisces 16°40′ – 30°00′	Mercury

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What is a nakshatra?

The Moon takes about 27.3 days to circle the zodiac, spending roughly one day in each of 27 star groups. Ancient Indian astronomers named these groups nakshatras. 360° divided by 27 gives 13°20′ for each one, and each nakshatra is split into four padas (quarters) of 3°20′.

Your birth nakshatra is the one the Moon occupied when you were born. Because the Moon moves about 13° a day, an exact birth time matters: on some days the Moon changes nakshatra in the middle of the day.

The nine lords repeat three times

The ruling planets run in a fixed order: Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury. This sequence repeats three times across the 27 nakshatras. The lord of your birth nakshatra decides which planetary period (Vimshottari dasha) you are born into, which is why the nakshatra is central to timing in a kundli.

All 27 in brief

1. Ashwini (Aries 0°00′ – 13°20′, lord Ketu). Deity: Ashwini Kumaras, the divine healers. Quick, energetic, healing and pioneering; loves speed and fresh starts.

2. Bharani (Aries 13°20′ – 26°40′, lord Venus). Deity: Yama, lord of dharma. Strong-willed, responsible and intense; carries heavy duties well.

3. Krittika (Aries 26°40′ – Taurus 10°00′, lord Sun). Deity: Agni, the fire. Sharp, truthful and protective; cuts through confusion.

4. Rohini (Taurus 10°00′ – 23°20′, lord Moon). Deity: Brahma (Prajapati), the creator. Charming, artistic and fertile in ideas; loves beauty and comfort.

5. Mrigashira (Taurus 23°20′ – Gemini 6°40′, lord Mars). Deity: Soma, the Moon. Curious, gentle and searching; always looking for something new.

6. Ardra (Gemini 6°40′ – 20°00′, lord Rahu). Deity: Rudra, the storm. Intense, emotional and transforming; grows through change.

7. Punarvasu (Gemini 20°00′ – Cancer 3°20′, lord Jupiter). Deity: Aditi, mother of the gods. Hopeful, kind and generous; bounces back after setbacks.

8. Pushya (Cancer 3°20′ – 16°40′, lord Saturn). Deity: Brihaspati, teacher of the gods. Nourishing, disciplined and caring; one of the most auspicious stars.

9. Ashlesha (Cancer 16°40′ – 30°00′, lord Mercury). Deity: The Nagas, serpent deities. Perceptive, clever and private; understands people deeply.

10. Magha (Leo 0°00′ – 13°20′, lord Ketu). Deity: The Pitris, the ancestors. Dignified, proud of family and tradition; natural authority.

11. Purva Phalguni (Leo 13°20′ – 26°40′, lord Venus). Deity: Bhaga, god of good fortune. Warm, creative, sociable; loves pleasure, art and rest.

12. Uttara Phalguni (Leo 26°40′ – Virgo 10°00′, lord Sun). Deity: Aryaman, god of friendship and contracts. Reliable, helpful and loyal; good at partnerships.

13. Hasta (Virgo 10°00′ – 23°20′, lord Moon). Deity: Savitar, the Sun as creator. Skilful with the hands, witty and resourceful.

14. Chitra (Virgo 23°20′ – Libra 6°40′, lord Mars). Deity: Vishvakarma, the divine architect. Stylish, creative and design-minded; builds beautiful things.

15. Swati (Libra 6°40′ – 20°00′, lord Rahu). Deity: Vayu, the wind. Independent, flexible and fair; good in trade and travel.

16. Vishakha (Libra 20°00′ – Scorpio 3°20′, lord Jupiter). Deity: Indra and Agni. Goal-driven, determined and ambitious; keeps going until it wins.

17. Anuradha (Scorpio 3°20′ – 16°40′, lord Saturn). Deity: Mitra, god of friendship. Devoted, organised and friendly; succeeds through teamwork.

18. Jyeshtha (Scorpio 16°40′ – 30°00′, lord Mercury). Deity: Indra, king of the gods. Protective, capable and senior-minded; takes charge.

19. Mula (Sagittarius 0°00′ – 13°20′, lord Ketu). Deity: Nirriti, goddess of dissolution. Searches for the root of things; deep, philosophical and bold.

20. Purva Ashadha (Sagittarius 13°20′ – 26°40′, lord Venus). Deity: Apas, the waters. Confident, persuasive and hard to defeat.

21. Uttara Ashadha (Sagittarius 26°40′ – Capricorn 10°00′, lord Sun). Deity: The Vishvadevas, universal gods. Principled, patient and lasting in success.

22. Shravana (Capricorn 10°00′ – 23°20′, lord Moon). Deity: Vishnu, the preserver. A good listener and learner; gains through knowledge.

23. Dhanishta (Capricorn 23°20′ – Aquarius 6°40′, lord Mars). Deity: The eight Vasus. Musical, prosperous and energetic; does well in groups.

24. Shatabhisha (Aquarius 6°40′ – 20°00′, lord Rahu). Deity: Varuna, lord of the waters. Private, scientific and healing; works alone with focus.

25. Purva Bhadrapada (Aquarius 20°00′ – Pisces 3°20′, lord Jupiter). Deity: Aja Ekapada, the one-footed goat. Intense, idealistic and spiritual; passionate about causes.

26. Uttara Bhadrapada (Pisces 3°20′ – 16°40′, lord Saturn). Deity: Ahir Budhnya, serpent of the deep. Calm, wise and self-controlled; steady in hard times.

27. Revati (Pisces 16°40′ – 30°00′, lord Mercury). Deity: Pushan, the protector of travellers. Gentle, caring and safe-guiding; kind to all living beings.

How nakshatras are used

Naming: the first syllable of a baby name traditionally comes from the birth nakshatra pada. Matching: kundli milan compares the two birth nakshatras for several of its points. Muhurat: auspicious times are chosen partly by the day's nakshatra. Daily guidance: today's Moon nakshatra, read against your own, colours the day.

How to find your nakshatra

You need your date, time and place of birth. Zastrolo calculates the Moon's sidereal position and shows your nakshatra and pada in the free kundli. Without a birth time, the result can be uncertain on days when the Moon changes nakshatra.

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Questions people ask

How many nakshatras are there?

Twenty-seven in common use, each of 13°20′. Some traditions add a 28th, Abhijit, for timing.

Which nakshatra is most auspicious?

Pushya is traditionally considered one of the most auspicious, but every nakshatra has its own strengths.

Is nakshatra the same as rashi?

No. Rashi is the Moon's sign (1 of 12); nakshatra is the finer division (1 of 27).