27 Nakshatras List: Names, Lords, Deities and Meanings

The 27 nakshatras are the lunar mansions of Vedic astrology: 27 equal segments of 13°20′ that divide the zodiac, beginning with Ashwini at 0° Aries and ending with Revati at 30° Pisces. Your birth nakshatra, or janma nakshatra, is the one the Moon occupied when you were born, and it sets your Vimshottari dasha, your traditional name syllable and your profile in Kundli matching.

The complete list of 27 nakshatras

Spans are sidereal, as used in Indian astrology. Symbols vary slightly between texts, and the themes are the traditional associations each nakshatra carries.

How the nakshatras are built

Why 27? The Moon takes about 27.3 days to circle the zodiac against the stars, so it passes through roughly one lunar mansion a day. The 27 nakshatras cover 360° exactly: 27 × 13°20′. Each is divided into four padas, or quarters, of 3°20′. That gives 108 padas, the same number as the Navamsa divisions (12 signs × 9). Each pada therefore maps to one Navamsa sign, starting from Aries at Ashwini pada 1.

The ruling planets follow the fixed Vimshottari order, and the cycle of nine repeats three times. The nakshatra lord of your Moon becomes the first Mahadasha of your life.

Notice the rhythm. Ketu’s nakshatras (Ashwini, Magha and Mula) each begin a fire sign, and Mercury’s (Ashlesha, Jyeshtha and Revati) each end a water sign.

The three nakshatras of each lord also share a family likeness. Venus’s three are about pleasure, creativity and conviction. The Sun’s three are about duty, leadership and lasting achievement. The Moon’s three (Rohini, Hasta and Shravana) are about nurture, skill and listening. Saturn’s three (Pushya, Anuradha and Uttara Bhadrapada) are about nourishment, loyalty and depth. Reading a nakshatra through its lord is a quick way to remember its character.

Nine nakshatras that cross two signs

Because 13°20′ does not divide 30° evenly, nine nakshatras straddle two signs. For these, the pada decides the Moon sign.

So a person born in Krittika pada 1 has an Aries Moon, while Krittika pada 2 gives a Taurus Moon. That one pada changes their daily horoscope, their Sade Sati years and their Bhakoot score in matching. Always note the pada, not just the name of the nakshatra.

Your nakshatra in Kundli matching

Three of the eight kootas in Guna Milan come straight from the birth nakshatra.

Gana (temperament), worth 6 points. Every nakshatra belongs to one of three ganas:

• Deva (gentle): Ashwini, Mrigashira, Punarvasu, Pushya, Hasta, Swati, Anuradha, Shravana, Revati.
• Manushya (human): Bharani, Rohini, Ardra, Purva Phalguni, Uttara Phalguni, Purva Ashadha, Uttara Ashadha, Purva Bhadrapada, Uttara Bhadrapada.
• Rakshasa (fierce): Krittika, Ashlesha, Magha, Chitra, Vishakha, Jyeshtha, Mula, Dhanishta, Shatabhisha.

Rakshasa here means intense, independent and strong-willed, not wicked.

Nadi, worth 8 points. The Nadi runs through the list in a zig-zag of Adi, Madhya, Antya, Antya, Madhya, Adi, which places nine nakshatras in each Nadi. Partners who share a Nadi score zero, so it carries the most weight of any koota.

Yoni, worth 4 points. Each nakshatra has an animal yoni symbol, male or female, drawn from 14 animals. Ashwini and Shatabhisha share the horse, Bharani and Revati the elephant, and Rohini and Mrigashira the serpent. Uttara Ashadha alone carries the mongoose in the 27-star scheme.

What your birth nakshatra shows

Character. The deity and symbol give the nakshatra its flavour. Rohini, ruled by the Moon and presided over by Brahma the creator, is linked with growth, beauty and fertility. Mula, whose symbol is a bundle of roots, is linked with getting to the bottom of things.

Timing. The lord of your janma nakshatra starts your Vimshottari dasha. How far the Moon had travelled through that nakshatra decides how many years of that first period remain at birth.

Your name. Each pada carries a sound, the namakshar. Pushya’s four padas are Hu, He, Ho and Da, so a child born with the Moon in Pushya pada 2 traditionally receives a name beginning with “He”.

Good days. Many families count the day’s nakshatra from their birth star to judge favourable days, a practice called Tara bala. Count from your birth star to the day’s star and divide by nine: a remainder of 3, 5 or 7 (Vipat, Pratyak and Naidhana) is traditionally avoided for important beginnings.

Every planet, not just the Moon. Each planet and the Lagna also sit in a nakshatra. A planet tends to deliver results coloured by its nakshatra lord, so Jupiter in Ardra, ruled by Rahu, expresses its wisdom in a more restless, questioning way than Jupiter in Punarvasu, its own nakshatra.

Nakshatras in muhurat

Muhurta Chintamani, the classical text on electional astrology, groups the nakshatras by nature. These groups guide which day suits which kind of beginning.

A full muhurat also weighs the tithi, weekday, yoga and the Moon’s position for the people involved, so the nakshatra alone never settles it.

How to find your nakshatra

You need your birth date, time and place. The Moon spends roughly 21 to 27 hours in each nakshatra, so on many birthdays it changes nakshatra at some point during the day.

Create your free Kundli to see your janma nakshatra, pada, lord and deity, along with your gana, yoni, nadi and name syllable. To see which nakshatra is running today, open the free Panchang for your city.