My Vedic Kundali › Find your nakshatra
What is my nakshatra?
Your janma nakshatra (birth star, natchathiram) is one of the most used facts in Vedic astrology: for names, matching, muhurthams and your dasha. Here is how it is found.
What a nakshatra is
The zodiac is divided into 27 equal nakshatras of 13°20′ each, starting from Ashwini at 0° Aries in the sidereal zodiac. Your birth nakshatra is the one the Moon was in at your birth, calculated for your exact time and place.
The 27 nakshatras and their lords
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. The lord of your nakshatra rules your first Vimshottari dasha.
Pada
Each nakshatra has four padas of 3°20′. The pada fixes your navamsa sign and the traditional first letter of a name, so two people with the same nakshatra but different padas can have different charts in detail.
Why the birth time matters
The Moon moves about 13° a day, so it changes nakshatra roughly once a day and changes pada about every six hours. If you were born near a change, a time difference of a few minutes can change your nakshatra. Use the time on a birth certificate or family record.
What your nakshatra says
Each nakshatra has a deity, a symbol, a shakti (power), a gana (deva, manushya or rakshasa), a yoni and a nadi. These are used in marriage matching (guna milan) and describe temperament. The Vedic Life Report has a birth-star profile with all of these and your pada's theme.
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Questions
Is nakshatra the same as rashi?
No. Your rashi (Moon sign) is one of 12 signs of 30°; your nakshatra is one of 27 smaller divisions of 13°20′. Each rashi holds two and a quarter nakshatras.
Can I find my nakshatra without a birth time?
Only roughly. If the Moon stayed in one nakshatra for the whole day you were born, the date is enough; otherwise you need the time.
Which nakshatra is the best?
None. Each has its own strengths, and the rest of the chart matters far more than the nakshatra alone.
Traditional Vedic astrology, explained for guidance and reflection. See how we calculate.