Nakshatra in English, All 27 Names with Meanings

A nakshatra is a lunar mansion, one of 27 segments the Vedic sky is divided into. Where Western astrology tracks the Sun through 12 signs, Vedic astrology tracks the Moon through 27 nakshatras, and this is the layer that carries most of the practical detail in a birth chart.

This page lists all 27 in English, with the ruling planet, presiding deity and exact zodiac span for each.

What a nakshatra actually is

The zodiac is a circle of 360 degrees. Divide it by 27 and each nakshatra gets 13 degrees and 20 minutes of sky.

The number 27 is not arbitrary. The Moon takes roughly 27.3 days to complete one orbit against the background stars, so it crosses about one nakshatra per day. Your janma nakshatra, or birth star, is simply whichever one the Moon occupied at the moment you were born.

Each nakshatra is further divided into 4 padas (quarters) of 3 degrees 20 minutes each, giving 108 padas in total. That is where the 108 in Vedic tradition comes from, and it is also what determines the traditional first syllable of your name.

All 27 nakshatras

#NakshatraSanskrit / HindiRuling planetDeityRashiSpan (degrees)
1Ashwiniअश्विनीKetuAshwini KumarasAries0 to 13 20
2BharaniभरणीVenusYamaAries13 20 to 26 40
3Krittikaकृत्तिकाSunAgniAries to Taurus26 40 to 10 00
4RohiniरोहिणीMoonBrahmaTaurus10 00 to 23 20
5MrigashiraमृगशिराMarsSomaTaurus to Gemini23 20 to 6 40
6Ardraआर्द्राRahuRudraGemini6 40 to 20 00
7Punarvasuपुनर्वसुJupiterAditiGemini to Cancer20 00 to 3 20
8Pushyaपुष्यSaturnBrihaspatiCancer3 20 to 16 40
9Ashleshaआश्लेषाMercuryNagasCancer16 40 to 30 00
10MaghaमघाKetuPitrisLeo0 to 13 20
11Purva Phalguniपूर्वा फाल्गुनीVenusBhagaLeo13 20 to 26 40
12Uttara Phalguniउत्तरा फाल्गुनीSunAryamanLeo to Virgo26 40 to 10 00
13Hastaहस्तMoonSavitarVirgo10 00 to 23 20
14Chitraचित्राMarsTvashtarVirgo to Libra23 20 to 6 40
15Swatiस्वातिRahuVayuLibra6 40 to 20 00
16VishakhaविशाखाJupiterIndra and AgniLibra to Scorpio20 00 to 3 20
17AnuradhaअनुराधाSaturnMitraScorpio3 20 to 16 40
18Jyeshthaज्येष्ठाMercuryIndraScorpio16 40 to 30 00
19MulaमूलKetuNirritiSagittarius0 to 13 20
20Purva Ashadhaपूर्वाषाढ़ाVenusApasSagittarius13 20 to 26 40
21Uttara Ashadhaउत्तराषाढ़ाSunVishvedevasSagittarius to Capricorn26 40 to 10 00
22Shravanaश्रवणMoonVishnuCapricorn10 00 to 23 20
23Dhanishtaधनिष्ठाMarsVasusCapricorn to Aquarius23 20 to 6 40
24ShatabhishaशतभिषाRahuVarunaAquarius6 40 to 20 00
25Purva Bhadrapadaपूर्वा भाद्रपदJupiterAja EkapadaAquarius to Pisces20 00 to 3 20
26Uttara Bhadrapadaउत्तरा भाद्रपदSaturnAhir BudhnyaPisces3 20 to 16 40
27RevatiरेवतीMercuryPushanPisces16 40 to 30 00

How the ruling planets repeat

The planetary rulership follows a fixed nine-planet cycle that repeats exactly three times across the 27:

Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury

So Ashwini (1), Magha (10) and Mula (19) all belong to Ketu. Bharani (2), Purva Phalguni (11) and Purva Ashadha (20) all belong to Venus, and so on.

This is not a curiosity. It is the backbone of the Vimshottari Dasha system, which uses your birth nakshatra to work out which planetary period you are running at any point in your life. Your nakshatra sets the starting point of the entire 120 year sequence.

Why nakshatras matter more than sun signs here

If you have only ever read Western horoscopes, the sun sign is the familiar unit. In Vedic practice it is a fairly coarse one, because the Sun spends a full month in each sign, so everyone born within that month shares it.

The Moon moves through a whole nakshatra in roughly a day, and through a pada in about six hours. That is a far finer filter. It is the reason Vedic astrology asks for your time of birth, not just the date.

Nakshatras drive several things directly:

  • Vimshottari Dasha, the timing system for when events are likely to unfold
  • Gun Milan, the 36 point marriage compatibility score, which is calculated entirely from the two birth nakshatras
  • Namakaran, the traditional choice of first syllable for a child's name
  • Muhurat, choosing auspicious timing for important work

Nakshatras that straddle two signs

A nakshatra is 13 degrees 20 minutes and a sign is 30 degrees, so the two grids do not line up. Several nakshatras therefore begin in one sign and finish in the next:

  • Krittika starts in Aries and ends in Taurus
  • Mrigashira starts in Taurus and ends in Gemini
  • Punarvasu starts in Gemini and ends in Cancer
  • Uttara Phalguni starts in Leo and ends in Virgo
  • Chitra starts in Virgo and ends in Libra
  • Vishakha starts in Libra and ends in Scorpio
  • Uttara Ashadha starts in Sagittarius and ends in Capricorn
  • Dhanishta starts in Capricorn and ends in Aquarius
  • Purva Bhadrapada starts in Aquarius and ends in Pisces

This is why two people can share a nakshatra and still have different Moon signs. The pada decides it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find my nakshatra?

You need your date, exact time and place of birth. From these the Moon's precise longitude is calculated, and that longitude falls in one nakshatra and one pada. There is no way to work it out from your name or your sun sign alone.

Is nakshatra the same as rashi?

No. Rashi is one of 12 signs of 30 degrees each. Nakshatra is one of 27 segments of 13 degrees 20 minutes each. Your Moon sits in both at once, so you have a Moon rashi and a nakshatra simultaneously.

What is a pada?

A quarter of a nakshatra, 3 degrees 20 minutes wide. Four padas per nakshatra, 108 in total. The pada determines your Navamsa position and the traditional naming syllable.

Do these names change by language?

The Sanskrit names are common across India, but everyday regional names differ. Ashwini is Ashwathi in Malayalam, Krittika is Karthigai in Tamil and Pushya is Pushyami in Telugu. The nakshatra itself is identical, only the name changes.

Find your nakshatra now

Your nakshatra depends on where the Moon actually stood at the moment you were born, so it cannot be worked out by guesswork.

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