A nakshatra is one of 27 birth stars along the sidereal ecliptic. The Moon's nakshatra at birth is the Janma Nakshatra. Daanyam uses it to start Vimshottari Dasha. It is finer than the Moon sign. The Moon nakshatra calculator returns it from date, time, and place. This page lists the 27 stars and their lords.
Definition
The sidereal ecliptic is divided into 27 nakshatras. Each has a ruling graha. The Moon's nakshatra at birth is the star Vimshottari counts from. The Moon sign is the wider rashi that contains that star. Sade Sati uses the rashi. Dasha uses the nakshatra.
How it works
Twenty-seven nakshatras cover the sidereal circle. Their names and lords below come from Daanyam's nakshatra table, not from a sample chart.
The birth Moon's longitude picks one nakshatra. That star, and how far the Moon has travelled through it, sets the first Mahadasha.
Each nakshatra is 13°20′ and has four padas of 3°20′. A pada is a quarter of the birth star. The golden fixture does not store a pada, so this page does not invent one. The Moon nakshatra calculator is where a personal star is returned.
Reference
The 27 nakshatras and the graha that rules each one.
| Nakshatra | Lord |
|---|---|
| Ashwini | Ketu |
| Bharani | Venus |
| Krittika | Sun |
| Rohini | Moon |
| Mrigashirsha | Mars |
| Ardra | Rahu |
| Punarvasu | Jupiter |
| Pushya | Saturn |
| Ashlesha | Mercury |
| Magha | Ketu |
| Purva Phalguni | Venus |
| Uttara Phalguni | Sun |
| Hasta | Moon |
| Chitra | Mars |
| Swati | Rahu |
| Vishakha | Jupiter |
| Anuradha | Saturn |
| Jyeshtha | Mercury |
| Mula | Ketu |
| Purva Ashadha | Venus |
| Uttara Ashadha | Sun |
| Shravana | Moon |
| Dhanishta | Mars |
| Shatabhisha | Rahu |
| Purva Bhadrapada | Jupiter |
| Uttara Bhadrapada | Saturn |
| Revati | Mercury |
Worked example
The Moon nakshatra in the table is the published golden for that birth. It is one person's Janma Nakshatra, not a match result and not your star.
| Birth | Male, born 12 Aug 1995, 14:30 IST, Delhi |
|---|---|
| Date | 1995-08-12 |
| Time | 14:30 |
| Timezone | Asia/Kolkata |
| Lagna | Vrishchika (sidereal Scorpio) |
| Moon sign | Kumbha (sidereal Aquarius) |
| Moon nakshatra | Shatabhisha |
| Birth Mahadasha lord | Rahu |
| Lahiri ayanamsa | 23.798597° |
A common confusion
Nakshatra is not the Moon sign, and it is not a thirteenth rashi. Chandra rashi is the 30° sign. The nakshatra is the 13°20′ star inside the signs. Ashtakuta needs two charts and is not this page.
Calculate it
The Moon nakshatra calculator returns the birth star. The Dasha calculator continues from that star into Mahadasha and Antardasha. The Vedic birth chart page is the doorway into the wider chart.
How the numbers are computed
Nakshatra boundaries, Lahiri, and the ephemeris are on the method page. The lord column is the nakshatra table Daanyam already uses.
Questions
What is a nakshatra?
It is one of 27 sidereal birth stars. The Moon's nakshatra at birth is the Janma Nakshatra. Daanyam calculates it with the Lahiri ayanamsa from date, time, and place.
Is a nakshatra the same as a Moon sign?
No. The Moon sign is the sidereal rashi. The nakshatra is a finer division. Sade Sati uses the rashi. Vimshottari Dasha starts from the nakshatra.
What is a nakshatra pada?
A pada is one quarter of a nakshatra, 3°20′ of the sidereal ecliptic. Four padas make one nakshatra. This page explains that division. It does not print a pada for the sample birth, because the golden fixture does not store one.
Does this page calculate my birth star?
No. The worked example is one published birth. Use the Moon nakshatra calculator with your own date, time, and place.