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Nakshatra Finder

Enter your date and time of birth to find your Nakshatra, Pada and Moon sign, calculated from the Moon's actual position at your birth.

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What a Nakshatra is

A Nakshatra is one of the 27 lunar mansions that divide the zodiac in Vedic astrology. Each one spans 13 degrees and 20 minutes of the 360 degree circle. Your Janma Nakshatra, or birth star, is simply the Nakshatra the Moon was passing through when you were born. It is one of the most-used points in a Vedic chart: it sets your starting Vimshottari Dasha, it carries most of the weight in Guna Milan marriage matching, and it traditionally decides the first syllable of a newborn's name.

All 27 Nakshatras: ruling planet, Gana, Nadi and Yoni

#	Nakshatra	Ruling planet	Gana	Nadi	Yoni
1	Ashwini	Ketu	Deva	Adi	Horse
2	Bharani	Venus	Manushya	Madhya	Elephant
3	Krittika	Sun	Rakshasa	Antya	Sheep
4	Rohini	Moon	Manushya	Antya	Serpent
5	Mrigashira	Mars	Deva	Madhya	Serpent
6	Ardra	Rahu	Manushya	Adi	Dog
7	Punarvasu	Jupiter	Deva	Adi	Cat
8	Pushya	Saturn	Deva	Madhya	Sheep
9	Ashlesha	Mercury	Rakshasa	Antya	Cat
10	Magha	Ketu	Rakshasa	Antya	Rat
11	Purva Phalguni	Venus	Manushya	Madhya	Rat
12	Uttara Phalguni	Sun	Manushya	Adi	Cow
13	Hasta	Moon	Deva	Adi	Buffalo
14	Chitra	Mars	Rakshasa	Madhya	Tiger
15	Swati	Rahu	Deva	Antya	Buffalo
16	Vishakha	Jupiter	Rakshasa	Antya	Tiger
17	Anuradha	Saturn	Deva	Madhya	Deer
18	Jyeshtha	Mercury	Rakshasa	Adi	Deer
19	Mula	Ketu	Rakshasa	Adi	Dog
20	Purva Ashadha	Venus	Manushya	Madhya	Monkey
21	Uttara Ashadha	Sun	Manushya	Antya	Mongoose
22	Shravana	Moon	Deva	Antya	Monkey
23	Dhanishta	Mars	Rakshasa	Madhya	Lion
24	Shatabhisha	Rahu	Rakshasa	Adi	Horse
25	Purva Bhadrapada	Jupiter	Manushya	Adi	Lion
26	Uttara Bhadrapada	Saturn	Manushya	Madhya	Cow
27	Revati	Mercury	Deva	Antya	Elephant

Gana, Nadi and Yoni are three of the eight factors in Kundli Milan: a shared Nadi costs 8 of the 36 points (Nadi Dosha), and Gana and Yoni together carry 10 more. The ruling planet matters because it decides which Vimshottari Dasha period you were born into, and therefore the sequence of planetary periods that runs through your life. A full Janam Kundli report maps that timeline out year by year.

Nakshatra questions

What is a Nakshatra?

A Nakshatra is one of the 27 lunar mansions that divide the 360 degrees of the zodiac in Vedic astrology. Each spans 13 degrees and 20 minutes. Your Janma Nakshatra, or birth star, is the Nakshatra the Moon occupied at the moment you were born.

What is a Pada?

Each Nakshatra is divided into four equal quarters called Padas, of 3 degrees 20 minutes each. Your Pada narrows down your birth star further and is used in marriage matching and in choosing the first syllable of a traditional name.

How is Nakshatra different from Rashi?

Rashi is your Moon sign, one of 12 divisions of the zodiac. Nakshatra is a finer division of the same zodiac into 27 parts. Both are calculated from the Moon's position at birth, so one Rashi always spans a little over two Nakshatras.

Do I need my birth time to find my Nakshatra?

Ideally yes. The Moon moves through roughly one Nakshatra per day, so a date alone is usually enough to get within one Nakshatra, but the exact Pada and any borderline case need the time of birth.

What is my Nakshatra used for?

Three things mainly: marriage matching, where Nakshatra drives most of the Ashta Koota score; Dasha calculation, since the Vimshottari Dasha at birth is set by the ruling planet of your birth Nakshatra; and traditional naming, where the Pada determines the suggested first syllable.