The 27 Nakshatras

The nakshatras are the twenty-seven lunar mansions: equal parts of the zodiac, each 13°20′ long, through which the Moon passes in about a day each. They are older than the twelve signs in Indian astronomy, and they remain at the heart of Jyotisha. The nakshatra the Moon occupied at birth is the birth star: it sets the order of the Vimshottari dasha, it gives three of the eight kootas of kundali matching, and the panchang names the day's nakshatra along with its tithi. Each nakshatra has four quarters, or padas, of 3°20′, and each quarter falls in a sign of the navamsa chart. The table below gives all twenty-seven with their span, lord, gana, yoni and nadi; each name leads to a page with the nakshatra's deity and symbol, its padas, its place in matching and the taras counted from it.

#NakshatraSpanLordDeityGanaYoniNadi
1 Ashwini 0°00′ Aries – 13°20′ Aries Ketu Ashwini Kumaras Deva Horse Aadi
2 Bharani 13°20′ Aries – 26°40′ Aries Venus Yama Manushya Elephant Madhya
3 Krittika 26°40′ Aries – 10°00′ Taurus Sun Agni Rakshasa Sheep Antya
4 Rohini 10°00′ Taurus – 23°20′ Taurus Moon Brahma / Prajapati Manushya Serpent Antya
5 Mrigashira 23°20′ Taurus – 6°40′ Gemini Mars Soma / Chandra Deva Serpent Madhya
6 Ardra 6°40′ Gemini – 20°00′ Gemini Rahu Rudra Manushya Dog Aadi
7 Punarvasu 20°00′ Gemini – 3°20′ Cancer Jupiter Aditi Deva Cat Aadi
8 Pushya 3°20′ Cancer – 16°40′ Cancer Saturn Brihaspati Deva Sheep Madhya
9 Ashlesha 16°40′ Cancer – 30°00′ Cancer Mercury Nagas (Serpent deities) Rakshasa Cat Antya
10 Magha 0°00′ Leo – 13°20′ Leo Ketu Pitris (Ancestors) Rakshasa Rat Antya
11 Purva Phalguni 13°20′ Leo – 26°40′ Leo Venus Bhaga Manushya Rat Madhya
12 Uttara Phalguni 26°40′ Leo – 10°00′ Virgo Sun Aryaman Manushya Cow Aadi
13 Hasta 10°00′ Virgo – 23°20′ Virgo Moon Savitar (Sun) Deva Buffalo Aadi
14 Chitra 23°20′ Virgo – 6°40′ Libra Mars Tvashtar / Vishwakarma Rakshasa Tiger Madhya
15 Swati 6°40′ Libra – 20°00′ Libra Rahu Vayu (Wind) Deva Buffalo Antya
16 Vishakha 20°00′ Libra – 3°20′ Scorpio Jupiter Indra-Agni Rakshasa Tiger Antya
17 Anuradha 3°20′ Scorpio – 16°40′ Scorpio Saturn Mitra Deva Deer Madhya
18 Jyeshtha 16°40′ Scorpio – 30°00′ Scorpio Mercury Indra Rakshasa Deer Aadi
19 Mula 0°00′ Sagittarius – 13°20′ Sagittarius Ketu Nirriti / Kali Rakshasa Dog Aadi
20 Purva Ashadha 13°20′ Sagittarius – 26°40′ Sagittarius Venus Apas (Waters) Manushya Monkey Madhya
21 Uttara Ashadha 26°40′ Sagittarius – 10°00′ Capricorn Sun Vishvadevas (Universal Gods) Manushya Mongoose Antya
22 Shravana 10°00′ Capricorn – 23°20′ Capricorn Moon Vishnu Deva Monkey Antya
23 Dhanishtha 23°20′ Capricorn – 6°40′ Aquarius Mars Vasus (Eight Vasus) Rakshasa Lion Madhya
24 Shatabhisha 6°40′ Aquarius – 20°00′ Aquarius Rahu Varuna Rakshasa Horse Aadi
25 Purva Bhadrapada 20°00′ Aquarius – 3°20′ Pisces Jupiter Aja Ekapada Manushya Lion Aadi
26 Uttara Bhadrapada 3°20′ Pisces – 16°40′ Pisces Saturn Ahir Budhnya Manushya Cow Madhya
27 Revati 16°40′ Pisces – 30°00′ Pisces Mercury Pushan Deva Elephant Antya

Reading the table

The span is where each nakshatra lies in the sidereal zodiac, reckoned with the Lahiri ayanamsa, in degrees and minutes of its sign. The lords repeat in a cycle of nine — Ketu, Venus, the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury — three times round the twenty-seven, which is the order of the Vimshottari dasha. Gana, yoni and nadi are the three kootas of Ashtakoota matching read from the birth star; the site's kundali matching scores them from exactly these values.

To find your own birth star, make a free birth chart: it gives the nakshatra and the quarter of your Moon. The panchang gives the nakshatra of any day, with the time it ends.