The 27 Vedic Nakshatras and their meanings

In Vedic astrology (Jyotish), your Nakshatra — often called your birth star — is considered as telling as your Moon sign. There are twenty-seven of them, each a segment of the sky the Moon passes through. Here is what they are, how they are worked out, and what the ruling planet and pada of each one mean.

What is a Nakshatra?

A Nakshatra is one of 27 “lunar mansions” — equal segments of the ecliptic, the band of sky the Sun and Moon travel along. The Moon completes one circuit of the sky in about 27.3 days, so it spends roughly a day in each Nakshatra. The one the Moon occupies at the moment of your birth is your birth star, and it is said to colour your temperament and life path.

How the 27 divisions work

The full circle of 360° is divided into 27 equal parts of 13°20' each. Vedic astrology is sidereal — it measures positions against the fixed stars rather than the seasons — so an offset called the ayanamsa (commonly the Lahiri value) is subtracted from the tropical position first. Each Nakshatra is further split into four quarters called padas of 3°20', which refine the reading, so knowing your exact birth time matters for pinning down the pada.

Ruling planets

The 27 Nakshatras run in a repeating cycle of nine planetary rulers — Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury — which also governs the sequence of the Vimshottari Dasha, the Vedic system of timed life periods. That is why the ruling planet of your birth star carries so much weight.

The 27 Nakshatras and their rulers

Here is the full sequence, in order, with the planet that rules each:

• 1. Ashwini — ruled by Ketu
• 2. Bharani — ruled by Venus
• 3. Krittika — ruled by Sun
• 4. Rohini — ruled by Moon
• 5. Mrigashira — ruled by Mars
• 6. Ardra — ruled by Rahu
• 7. Punarvasu — ruled by Jupiter
• 8. Pushya — ruled by Saturn
• 9. Ashlesha — ruled by Mercury
• 10. Magha — ruled by Ketu
• 11. Purva Phalguni — ruled by Venus
• 12. Uttara Phalguni — ruled by Sun
• 13. Hasta — ruled by Moon
• 14. Chitra — ruled by Mars
• 15. Swati — ruled by Rahu
• 16. Vishakha — ruled by Jupiter
• 17. Anuradha — ruled by Saturn
• 18. Jyeshtha — ruled by Mercury
• 19. Mula — ruled by Ketu
• 20. Purva Ashadha — ruled by Venus
• 21. Uttara Ashadha — ruled by Sun
• 22. Shravana — ruled by Moon
• 23. Dhanishta — ruled by Mars
• 24. Shatabhisha — ruled by Rahu
• 25. Purva Bhadrapada — ruled by Jupiter
• 26. Uttara Bhadrapada — ruled by Saturn
• 27. Revati — ruled by Mercury

Nakshatra, Rashi and birth time

Your Nakshatra and your Rashi (Moon sign) are related but not the same: the 27 Nakshatras map onto the 12 Rashis, so each sign contains two-and-a-quarter birth stars. Because the Moon moves about half a degree an hour, your exact birth time can shift the pada — and occasionally the Nakshatra itself — so a precise time gives the most accurate reading.

How to find your Nakshatra

The age calculator computes the Moon's sidereal position for your birth date and shows your Nakshatra, its pada and ruling planet, along with your Rashi. For the other calendar traditions it also converts, see the Desi Bikrami calendar and the Islamic Hijri calendar.

Note: astrology is a cultural and symbolic tradition offered here for interest, not a science.