The 27 nakshatras
13°20′ each, from 0° Aries
Every arc, every ruling graha, and the four padas each divides into, with their naam akshar and the degrees printed, so any of it can be checked against a chart.
The 27, in order
13°20′ eachThe ecliptic is divided into twenty-seven equal arcs of 13°20′, starting at 0° Aries. The Moon covers about 13.18° a day against the stars, so it takes a little over a day to cross a nakshatra and roughly six hours to cross a pada. That is why the nakshatra is the most time-sensitive thing in a kundli.
| # | Nakshatra | Arc | Ruled by | Mahadasha | Naam akshar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashwini | 0°00′ Aries – 13°20′ Aries | Ketu | 7y | चू चे चो ला |
| 2 | Bharani | 13°20′ Aries – 26°40′ Aries | Venus (Shukra) | 20y | ली लू ले लो |
| 3 | Krittika | 26°40′ Aries – 10°00′ Taurus | Sun (Surya) | 6y | अ ई उ ए |
| 4 | Rohini | 10°00′ Taurus – 23°20′ Taurus | Moon (Chandra) | 10y | ओ वा वी वू |
| 5 | Mrigashira | 23°20′ Taurus – 6°40′ Gemini | Mars (Mangal) | 7y | वे वो का की |
| 6 | Ardra | 6°40′ Gemini – 20°00′ Gemini | Rahu | 18y | कू घ ङ छ |
| 7 | Punarvasu | 20°00′ Gemini – 3°20′ Cancer | Jupiter (Guru) | 16y | के को हा ही |
| 8 | Pushya | 3°20′ Cancer – 16°40′ Cancer | Saturn (Shani) | 19y | हू हे हो डा |
| 9 | Ashlesha | 16°40′ Cancer – 0°00′ Leo | Mercury (Budh) | 17y | डी डू डे डो |
| 10 | Magha | 0°00′ Leo – 13°20′ Leo | Ketu | 7y | मा मी मू मे |
| 11 | Purva Phalguni | 13°20′ Leo – 26°40′ Leo | Venus (Shukra) | 20y | मो टा टी टू |
| 12 | Uttara Phalguni | 26°40′ Leo – 10°00′ Virgo | Sun (Surya) | 6y | टे टो पा पी |
| 13 | Hasta | 10°00′ Virgo – 23°20′ Virgo | Moon (Chandra) | 10y | पू ष ण ठ |
| 14 | Chitra | 23°20′ Virgo – 6°40′ Libra | Mars (Mangal) | 7y | पे पो रा री |
| 15 | Swati | 6°40′ Libra – 20°00′ Libra | Rahu | 18y | रू रे रो ता |
| 16 | Vishakha | 20°00′ Libra – 3°20′ Scorpio | Jupiter (Guru) | 16y | ती तू ते तो |
| 17 | Anuradha | 3°20′ Scorpio – 16°40′ Scorpio | Saturn (Shani) | 19y | ना नी नू ने |
| 18 | Jyeshtha | 16°40′ Scorpio – 0°00′ Sagittarius | Mercury (Budh) | 17y | नो या यी यू |
| 19 | Mula | 0°00′ Sagittarius – 13°20′ Sagittarius | Ketu | 7y | ये यो भा भी |
| 20 | Purva Ashadha | 13°20′ Sagittarius – 26°40′ Sagittarius | Venus (Shukra) | 20y | भू धा फा ढा |
| 21 | Uttara Ashadha | 26°40′ Sagittarius – 10°00′ Capricorn | Sun (Surya) | 6y | भे भो जा जी |
| 22 | Shravana | 10°00′ Capricorn – 23°20′ Capricorn | Moon (Chandra) | 10y | खी खू खे खो |
| 23 | Dhanishta | 23°20′ Capricorn – 6°40′ Aquarius | Mars (Mangal) | 7y | गा गी गू गे |
| 24 | Shatabhisha | 6°40′ Aquarius – 20°00′ Aquarius | Rahu | 18y | गो सा सी सू |
| 25 | Purva Bhadrapada | 20°00′ Aquarius – 3°20′ Pisces | Jupiter (Guru) | 16y | से सो दा दी |
| 26 | Uttara Bhadrapada | 3°20′ Pisces – 16°40′ Pisces | Saturn (Shani) | 19y | दू थ झ ञ |
| 27 | Revati | 16°40′ Pisces – 0°00′ Aries | Mercury (Budh) | 17y | दे दो चा ची |
They do not line up with the rashis
9 of 27 cross a signTwenty-seven arcs of 13°20′ do not divide into twelve of 30°, so 9 nakshatras begin in one rashi and end in the next. That is why "my rashi is Taurus and my nakshatra is Krittika" is an ordinary sentence: Krittika runs from 26°40′ Aries to 10°00′ Taurus.
| Nakshatra | Arc | Split |
|---|---|---|
| Krittika | 26°40′ Aries – 10°00′ Taurus | 1 pada in Aries + 3 padas in Taurus |
| Mrigashira | 23°20′ Taurus – 6°40′ Gemini | 2 padas in Taurus + 2 padas in Gemini |
| Punarvasu | 20°00′ Gemini – 3°20′ Cancer | 3 padas in Gemini + 1 pada in Cancer |
| Uttara Phalguni | 26°40′ Leo – 10°00′ Virgo | 1 pada in Leo + 3 padas in Virgo |
| Chitra | 23°20′ Virgo – 6°40′ Libra | 2 padas in Virgo + 2 padas in Libra |
| Vishakha | 20°00′ Libra – 3°20′ Scorpio | 3 padas in Libra + 1 pada in Scorpio |
| Uttara Ashadha | 26°40′ Sagittarius – 10°00′ Capricorn | 1 pada in Sagittarius + 3 padas in Capricorn |
| Dhanishta | 23°20′ Capricorn – 6°40′ Aquarius | 2 padas in Capricorn + 2 padas in Aquarius |
| Purva Bhadrapada | 20°00′ Aquarius – 3°20′ Pisces | 3 padas in Aquarius + 1 pada in Pisces |
Common questions
4 questionsWhat is a nakshatra?
One of twenty-seven equal divisions of the ecliptic, each 13°20′ wide, starting at 0° Aries. Your nakshatra is the one the Moon occupied at your birth. It is the basis of Vimshottari dasha and of most of kundli matching.
How do I find my nakshatra?
From the Moon's sidereal longitude at your birth, which needs date, time and place. The Moon takes a little over a day to cross a nakshatra and about six hours to cross a pada.
Why does my nakshatra not match my rashi?
Because twenty-seven arcs of 13°20′ do not line up with twelve of 30°. 9 nakshatras start in one rashi and finish in the next.
What is a pada?
A quarter of a nakshatra, 3°20′ wide, so 108 across the zodiac. Each pada maps to a navamsa sign and carries a naam akshar, the syllable a child is named by.
Your nakshatra is where the Moon was, to the minute.
It needs a birth time, because the Moon crosses a nakshatra in about a day. The free kundli gives you the nakshatra, the pada and the dasha that follows from it.
Create free kundli
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