Your nakshatra is the lunar mansion the Moon occupied at your birth — one of twenty-seven divisions of 13°20′ each. More depends on it than on almost anything else in a Vedic chart: your dasha sequence begins from its ruling planet, muhurtas are chosen against it, marriages are matched by it, and traditionally your name began with a syllable it assigns. Every one is below, in order.
Long before the twelve rashis were adopted, Indian astronomy divided the sky by the Moon. The Moon takes about twenty-seven and a third days to circle the zodiac, so the path was divided into twenty-seven equal parts of 13°20′ — one for roughly every night’s journey. Each was named for the star or star-group marking it, and given a presiding deity.
The rashis came later and were laid over the same circle, which is why the two do not align neatly: a nakshatra can straddle two signs, and each divides further into four padas of 3°20′ that map onto the navamsa chart. The older lunar system was never displaced. For anything requiring precision — timing, matching, the dasha sequence — it carries more weight than the solar one.
This is also why Vedic astrology reads from the Moon rather than the Sun. The framework was built around the Moon’s movement, and the nakshatra is the point at which that framework touches an individual life.
The finder gives your nakshatra and pada from your birth details, with the Moon’s exact degree so you can see how close to a boundary you sit.
Each entry below carries the same fields. Two of them do most of the work.
The descriptions below are of the nakshatra, not of you. A birth star is shared by roughly one person in twenty-seven, and what it contributes is one strand among the lagna, the houses, the planetary placements and the running dasha.
In order from 0° Mesha. Jump to any of them:
The first of the twenty-seven, and read as a beginning in every sense. The Ashwini Kumaras are the twin physicians of the gods, and the star carries their qualities — speed, healing, and the impulse to act before deliberating.
Natives are typically quick to start and quick to move on. The classical association with medicine is strong, and a great many practitioners of the healing arts are born under it. The difficulty is patience: what is begun swiftly is not always finished.
Presided over by Yama, lord of restraint and of death, and symbolised by the womb — bearing, holding, and the discipline that bearing requires. It is a star of endurance rather than ease.
The classical reading is of intensity held under control. Natives are often given responsibility early and carry it. Bharani is associated with the capacity to bear what others cannot, and with the moral weight that comes of it.
The star of fire. Agni presides, the symbol is a cutting edge, and the quality is purification through burning away — sharpness of perception and a low tolerance for pretence.
Natives are read as direct, discerning and difficult to deceive. The same edge that cuts through confusion can wound in ordinary conversation, and the classical advice is toward deliberate gentleness. Krittika spans two rashis, which is unusual and lends it a dual character.
The Moon’s favourite, in the classical account — Rohini is the star Chandra loved above his other wives, and the one where he is exalted. It is the nakshatra of growth, fertility and material beauty.
Read as the most fortunate of the twenty-seven for worldly matters. Natives are drawn to what is beautiful and what grows — art, cultivation, family. The caution attached is attachment itself: what is loved is held tightly.
The searching star. A deer’s head turned as if scenting the air — curiosity, restlessness, and the pursuit of something not yet identified.
Natives are read as seekers, often changing direction more than once. The quality is gentle rather than forceful, and the difficulty is arriving: Mrigashira searches well and settles reluctantly.
Rudra is the storm — the roaring form of Shiva — and Ardra means moist, the freshness after rain. The star is read as destruction that clears the ground.
One of the more demanding nakshatras, and one of the most transformative. Natives often pass through a period of real difficulty and emerge changed by it. The classical reading is not of misfortune but of upheaval that serves a purpose.
The name means return of the light. Aditi is the mother of the gods, boundless and forgiving, and the quiver holds arrows that can be shot again — recovery, renewal, second chances.
Read as the star of resilience. Natives recover from setbacks that would settle others, and the classical association is with generosity and an untroubled temperament. Repetition is the theme: things return, including difficulties.
The most auspicious of the twenty-seven in the classical reckoning, and the one most favoured for muhurta — with the single exception of marriage, for which it is avoided. Brihaspati, guru of the gods, presides.
Nourishment is the theme, and the symbol is the source of it. Natives are read as steady, protective and inclined to care for others. Pushya is where Jupiter is exalted, and the star carries something of that generosity.
The serpent star. The Nagas preside, and the symbol is a coil — containment, hidden knowledge, and the capacity to influence without appearing to.
Read as the most penetrating of the twenty-seven in perception, and the most difficult to read in turn. Natives are perceptive to the point of discomfort for others. The classical caution concerns using that perception well.
The throne, and the ancestors who occupied it. Magha is the star of lineage, inherited position and the obligations that come with both.
Natives are read as carrying their family’s weight, for good and otherwise. Dignity matters to them, sometimes excessively. The connection to the Pitrs is strong, and ancestral rites are held to be particularly significant for those born here.
Bhaga is the god of good fortune and of the share one is due. The symbol is the front of a bed — rest, pleasure, and the enjoyment of what has been earned.
Read as the star of ease and creativity. Natives are drawn to the arts, to company, and to comfort. The classical caution is indulgence: what is enjoyable is pursued past the point of usefulness.
Aryaman presides over patronage, contracts and friendship — the obligations freely entered into. The rear of the bed is the part that bears the weight.
Where Purva Phalguni enjoys, Uttara Phalguni sustains. Read as the star of reliable partnership and of help given without being asked. Marriage is favoured here, and the classical association is with steady, unglamorous decency.
The hand — skill, craft and what is made with it. Savitr is the Sun in its aspect as vivifier, the impulse that sets things in motion.
Read as the star of dexterity in every sense: manual craft, sleight of hand, and cleverness that can shade into cunning. Natives typically make things well. Hasta is favoured for beginning work of any skilled kind.
Tvashtar is the celestial architect, maker of forms, and Chitra means the brilliant or the variegated. It is the star of design and of visible beauty.
Natives are read as drawn to appearance, structure and craftsmanship — architects, designers, and those who care how things look. The classical caution concerns surface: what is beautifully made is not always well made.
Vayu is wind, and the symbol is a sapling bending with it — independence, flexibility, and the strength that comes of not resisting.
Read as the star of self-sufficiency. Natives dislike being directed and do well where they are left alone. Trade and negotiation are classically favoured, and Swati is among the better stars for anything requiring adaptability.
Two deities preside, which is unusual, and the symbol is an archway — passing through, arriving somewhere. Vishakha is the star of ambition brought to its object.
Read as determined and goal-directed, sometimes single-mindedly. Natives pursue what they want with unusual persistence. The classical caution is about what happens after arrival, when the object has been reached.
Mitra is friendship and covenant — the bond honoured because it was made. The lotus opens in difficult water.
Among the most socially fortunate of the twenty-seven. Natives make and keep friendships across boundaries, and are read as succeeding through cooperation rather than force. Anuradha is favoured for anything requiring trust.
The eldest. Indra presides — king of the gods, powerful and not untroubled by it — and the symbol is a protective charm.
Read as the star of seniority and of the burden that attends it. Natives often find themselves responsible for others early. The classical note is on pride: Jyeshtha carries authority well and relinquishes it poorly.
The root. Nirriti is dissolution, and Mula is read as the star that goes to the bottom of things — investigation, uprooting, and getting at the cause.
One of the more demanding nakshatras, and one of the most penetrating. Natives are drawn to research, philosophy and whatever lies underneath the apparent. Upheaval early in life is a classical indication, and so is the depth that follows it.
The name means the earlier invincible one. The waters preside — purification, and the force that wears down what stands against it.
Read as the star of conviction. Natives are difficult to argue out of a position and often persuasive in defending it. Confidence is the quality and overconfidence the classical caution.
The later invincible one, presided over by the assembled gods. Where Purva Ashadha is conviction, Uttara Ashadha is the victory that lasts because it was earned properly.
Read as the star of durable achievement. Natives succeed slowly and keep what they gain. Integrity is the classical association, and the difficulty is rigidity — what is principled can become inflexible.
Listening. The three footprints are Vishnu’s strides across the worlds, and the alternative symbol is the ear — knowledge received rather than seized.
Read as the star of learning and of counsel. Natives absorb well and are often sought out for advice. Teaching, scholarship and anything requiring careful attention are classically favoured.
The drum — rhythm, and the wealth that comes of keeping time with the world. The Vasus are the gods of the elements, abundant and material.
Read as the most materially fortunate after Rohini, and strongly associated with music and rhythm. Natives are typically prosperous and generous with it. The caution concerns pace: Dhanishta does not rest easily.
A hundred physicians, or a hundred stars, or an empty circle — the accounts differ, and the ambiguity suits the star. Varuna presides over cosmic order and hidden law.
Read as the star of healing and of secrecy. Natives are often solitary, drawn to medicine, research or the occult, and comfortable with what others avoid. Reserve is the quality and isolation the risk.
A severe star, and an unusual one. The one-footed goat is an ancient and obscure form of Rudra, and the symbol is the front of the bier — endings, and what lies past them.
Read as intense, ascetic and given to extremes. Natives are often drawn to the philosophical or the mystical, and the classical description is of someone not entirely at home in ordinary life.
The serpent of the depths, still and immensely old. Where Purva Bhadrapada is intensity, Uttara Bhadrapada is the calm that follows it.
Read as the most tranquil of the twenty-seven. Natives are patient, wise in an unhurried way, and often carry a depth others sense without being able to name. Among the most auspicious stars for spiritual practice.
The last of the twenty-seven, and the gentlest. Pushan is the protector of travellers and of herds, the one who ensures safe arrival — and Revati means wealthy or abundant.
Read as kind, protective and well disposed toward everyone. Natives are often drawn to caring for animals or for those in transit. As the final star it carries a quality of completion, and something of the sadness that attends endings.
Three classifications derive from the nakshatra and are used chiefly when two charts are compared.
Each star belongs to one of three groups. Deva gana is read as gentle and cooperative; Manushya as balanced and worldly; Rakshasa as forceful and intense. In matching, Deva with Deva and Manushya with Manushya score well, and Deva with Rakshasa is the difficult pairing.
The name Rakshasa misleads, and it is worth saying so plainly. It covers nine of the twenty-seven — Krittika, Ashlesha, Magha, Chitra, Vishakha, Jyeshtha, Mula, Dhanishta and Shatabhisha — which is a third of all people, including a great many of exceptional temperament. It describes an energetic register, not a moral one, and it matters in matching rather than in life.
Fourteen animal symbols, assigned in pairs across the twenty-seven. Compatibility is read between the animals: hostile pairs such as cow and tiger, or elephant and lion, score poorly. It is among the more colourful parts of matching and among the less heavily weighted.
Three groups — Adi, Madhya and Antya — corresponding loosely to the three doshas of Ayurveda. Where both partners fall in the same nadi, Nadi dosha is present, and it carries eight of the thirty-six Ashtakoota points, more than any other koota.
It is also cancelled more often than it is applied. Same nakshatra with different padas cancels it; same nakshatra and same rashi cancels it in several traditions; different nakshatras in the same nadi but different rashis is widely treated as mitigating. The cancellation rules in full →
Some classical texts recognise a twenty-eighth nakshatra, Abhijit, occupying a small span between Uttara Ashadha and Shravana — from 6°40′ to 10°53′ of Makara. It is not part of the twenty-seven-fold division that governs dashas and matching, and including it would break the Vimshottari arithmetic, which depends on twenty-seven.
Where it survives is in muhurta. Abhijit muhurta — roughly forty-eight minutes around solar noon — is named for it, and is the most reliably auspicious window of most days. More on muhurta timing →
The homa for a nakshatra is performed to its presiding deity, traditionally on the day the Moon returns to it — once every lunar month. Many families keep it annually near a birthday.
Your own birth star and pada, with the Moon’s exact degree.
How your nakshatra’s lord sets the sequence of your whole life.
The syllables each pada assigns, with name lists for all 27.
The rite for each birth star, performed individually in your name.
Each of the twenty-seven has a homa performed to its presiding deity, traditionally on the day the Moon returns to it. Ours are performed individually at our Yagna Ashram in Coimbatore, in your name and gotra, on a muhurta calculated from your own chart — and telecast live for you to watch.