The 27 Nakshatras: A Complete Guide to Your Birth Star, Its Ruler, Deity and Pada

Guide · 9 min read · by AstroTwinz Editorial

Ask a Hindu family about a newborn and one of the first questions is usually "which Nakshatra?" The Nakshatra, or birth star, is one of the most used ideas in Vedic astrology: it decides the first letter of many baby names, it drives marriage matching, and it sets the opening planetary period of a horoscope. This guide explains what a Nakshatra is, how it is measured, and gives the ruling planet, deity and symbol of all 27.

What a Nakshatra is

The Moon takes about 27.3 days to travel once around the zodiac. Ancient Indian astronomers divided that path into 27 equal sections, one for each day the Moon is roughly "staying" in a part of the sky, and named each after a prominent star or star group near it. Each section is 13 degrees 20 minutes wide (360 divided by 27). Those sections are the Nakshatras, often translated as lunar mansions.

Your birth Nakshatra (Janma Nakshatra) is simply the one the Moon was in at the moment you were born. It does not describe where your Sun or any planet was. Because the Moon changes Nakshatra about once a day, the date, time and place of birth all matter. Use the free Nakshatra calculator to find yours.

Pada: each Nakshatra has four quarters

Each Nakshatra is split into four equal quarters of 3 degrees 20 minutes called padas. 27 Nakshatras times four padas gives 108 padas, which is why 108 is a sacred number in Indian tradition. Every pada corresponds to one of the 12 signs of the zodiac, nine padas per sign. The pada decides your Moon sign when a Nakshatra straddles two signs (Krittika, Mrigashira, Punarvasu, Uttara Phalguni, Chitra, Vishakha, Uttara Ashadha, Dhanishta and Purva Bhadrapada do), and it decides the starting syllable traditionally used for a child's name.

Sidereal, not tropical

Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, fixed to the stars, while Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac, fixed to the seasons. Today the two differ by about 24 degrees (the ayanamsa), which is why a Vedic Moon sign is often one sign earlier than the Western one. Our calculations use the Lahiri ayanamsa, the standard adopted by the Government of India's calendar reform committee, with the Swiss Ephemeris for planetary positions.

The 27 Nakshatras at a glance

The table lists each Nakshatra with the zodiac degree at which it begins, the planet that rules it in the Vimshottari Dasha system, its presiding deity and its symbol. Click a name for its page with celebrity examples and compatible partners.

The nine rulers repeat three times

The Nakshatras are ruled by nine planets (including the lunar nodes Rahu and Ketu) in a fixed order: Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury. The cycle repeats three times to cover all 27. The ruler of your birth Nakshatra is the planet whose period opens your Vimshottari Dasha, the system most Vedic astrologers use for timing.

• Ketu: Ashwini, Magha, Mula
• Venus: Bharani, Purva Phalguni, Purva Ashadha
• Sun: Krittika, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashadha
• Moon: Rohini, Hasta, Shravana
• Mars: Mrigashira, Chitra, Dhanishta
• Rahu: Ardra, Swati, Shatabhisha
• Jupiter: Punarvasu, Vishakha, Purva Bhadrapada
• Saturn: Pushya, Anuradha, Uttara Bhadrapada
• Mercury: Ashlesha, Jyeshtha, Revati

How the Nakshatra is used in practice

• Names: traditional starting syllables come from the pada. See baby names by Nakshatra.
• Marriage matching: the Nakshatras of both partners feed five of the eight kootas in Gun Milan.
• Muhurat: a day's Nakshatra is checked when choosing a date for a wedding, housewarming or journey, as in our muhurat guides.
• Panchang: the Moon's Nakshatra is one of the five limbs (panchang means five limbs) of the daily almanac. See today's panchang.

What a Nakshatra does not do

Descriptions of each Nakshatra, such as "swiftness and healing" for Ashwini, are cultural and symbolic traditions. They are fun to read, and many people find them meaningful. Treat a Nakshatra as part of a rich cultural vocabulary and a tool for ritual and timing rather than a rulebook for a life.

Explore

• Find famous people who share your Nakshatra at Celebrities by Nakshatra, or try Celebrity Twin Matching.
• Starting a family? The free Birth Planner shows Kundli-aligned birth windows for a baby, including windows that share the Moon sign, Nakshatra and Lagna of a celebrity you admire. It is based on astrology and only works inside the dates your doctor confirms are safe.

Method: Nakshatra boundaries are exact 13° 20' divisions of the sidereal zodiac (Lahiri ayanamsa), computed with the Swiss Ephemeris. Rulers follow the Vimshottari Dasha order. Last reviewed 25 October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Nakshatra?

One of 27 divisions of the Moon's path around the zodiac, each 13 degrees 20 minutes wide. Your birth Nakshatra is the one the Moon was in when you were born.

How do I find my Nakshatra?

Enter your birth date, time and place in the free Nakshatra calculator. A birth time within an hour or two is usually enough, but the exact time matters when the Moon is near a boundary.

How many padas are there in a Nakshatra?

Four, each 3 degrees 20 minutes. That makes 108 padas in total across the 27 Nakshatras.

Why is my Vedic Moon sign different from my Western one?

Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, which is about 24 degrees behind the tropical zodiac used in the West, so the Moon often falls in the previous sign.

Next step

• Find your Nakshatra
• Find your celebrity twin
• November 2026 birth dates · December 2026 birth dates

More from the blog

• Vedic vs Western Astrology: The Real Differences (Zodiac, Moon, Houses and Timing)
• How to Read a Kundli: A Beginner's Guide to Houses, Signs, Planets and Dashas
• Introducing AstroTwinz: Find Your Celebrity Twin and Plan a Birth With Your Doctor, All in One Vedic Astrology Platform
• Your Astrological Twin: How to Find the Celebrities Who Share Your Chart, and Plan a Birth Around One