The 27 Nakshatras: Complete List, Meanings and How to Find Yours

A nakshatra is one of the 27 lunar mansions of Vedic astrology: equal segments of 13 degrees 20 minutes that divide the sidereal zodiac, each named after a star or star group the Moon passes. Your birth nakshatra (janma nakshatra) is the one the Moon occupied when you were born, and it sets your Vimshottari dasha timeline, supplies the Gana, Yoni and Nadi used in kundli matching and, by tradition, the first syllable of your name. The list runs from Ashwini at 0 degrees of sidereal Aries to Revati at the end of sidereal Pisces. Every nakshatra has a ruling planet, a presiding deity, a symbol and four quarters called padas. The table below gives all 27, and every span in it is checked against the nakshatra table that powers our free Kundali.

What is a nakshatra?

Divide the 360 degrees of the zodiac by 27 and you get 13 degrees 20 minutes, the width of one nakshatra. The number is not arbitrary. The Moon takes about 27.3 days to return to the same star, so it spends roughly one day in each mansion. Across 2026 the Moon's average stay in a nakshatra is 24 hours 15 minutes, with the shortest about 21 hours and the longest about 27 hours, because the Moon speeds up and slows down along its elliptical orbit.

Many nakshatras are linked to real stars near the Moon's path. Krittika is the Pleiades, Rohini is Aldebaran, Magha is Regulus, Chitra is Spica and Ardra is Betelgeuse. That is why nakshatras are measured in the sidereal zodiac, which is anchored to the stars, rather than the tropical zodiac of Western astrology, which is anchored to the equinox. The gap between the two zodiacs is called the ayanamsa. By the Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsa, the standard in India and the one our Kundali uses, it is 24 degrees 14 minutes in October 2026 and grows by about 50 seconds of arc a year. Vedic vs Western astrology explains the two zodiacs in full.

So a nakshatra is a Moon-sized slice of the sky. A sign (rashi) is 30 degrees and a nakshatra is 13 degrees 20 minutes, so nine nakshatras fit exactly into four signs.

The 27 nakshatras: complete list

Spans are sidereal (Lahiri). Ruling planets follow the Vimshottari order. Common alternative spellings and South Indian names are in brackets.

Nine nakshatras straddle two signs: Krittika, Mrigashira, Punarvasu, Uttara Phalguni, Chitra, Vishakha, Uttara Ashadha, Dhanishta and Purva Bhadrapada. Two people can share one of these nakshatras and still have different Moon signs, which matters in kundli matching.

Vedic astrology · the lunar mansions

The 27 nakshatras on the sidereal zodiac

nakshatras

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13°20′

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ayanamsa, 2026

24°13′

ayanamsa, 2026

A wheel of the 27 nakshatras, the lunar mansions of Vedic astrology, each spanning 13 degrees 20 minutes of the sidereal zodiac, beginning at 0 degrees sidereal Aries. Their rulers repeat three times in the Vimshottari order: Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury. 1, Ashwini, ruled by Ketu, from 0°00′ Aries to 13°20′ Aries. 2, Bharani, ruled by Venus, from 13°20′ Aries to 26°40′ Aries. 3, Krittika, ruled by Sun, from 26°40′ Aries to 10°00′ Taurus. 4, Rohini, ruled by Moon, from 10°00′ Taurus to 23°20′ Taurus. 5, Mrigashira, ruled by Mars, from 23°20′ Taurus to 6°40′ Gemini. 6, Ardra, ruled by Rahu, from 6°40′ Gemini to 20°00′ Gemini. 7, Punarvasu, ruled by Jupiter, from 20°00′ Gemini to 3°20′ Cancer. 8, Pushya, ruled by Saturn, from 3°20′ Cancer to 16°40′ Cancer. 9, Ashlesha, ruled by Mercury, from 16°40′ Cancer to 30°00′ Cancer. 10, Magha, ruled by Ketu, from 0°00′ Leo to 13°20′ Leo. 11, Purva Phalguni, ruled by Venus, from 13°20′ Leo to 26°40′ Leo. 12, Uttara Phalguni, ruled by Sun, from 26°40′ Leo to 10°00′ Virgo. 13, Hasta, ruled by Moon, from 10°00′ Virgo to 23°20′ Virgo. 14, Chitra, ruled by Mars, from 23°20′ Virgo to 6°40′ Libra. 15, Swati, ruled by Rahu, from 6°40′ Libra to 20°00′ Libra. 16, Vishakha, ruled by Jupiter, from 20°00′ Libra to 3°20′ Scorpio. 17, Anuradha, ruled by Saturn, from 3°20′ Scorpio to 16°40′ Scorpio. 18, Jyeshtha, ruled by Mercury, from 16°40′ Scorpio to 30°00′ Scorpio. 19, Mula, ruled by Ketu, from 0°00′ Sagittarius to 13°20′ Sagittarius. 20, Purva Ashadha, ruled by Venus, from 13°20′ Sagittarius to 26°40′ Sagittarius. 21, Uttara Ashadha, ruled by Sun, from 26°40′ Sagittarius to 10°00′ Capricorn. 22, Shravana, ruled by Moon, from 10°00′ Capricorn to 23°20′ Capricorn. 23, Dhanishta, ruled by Mars, from 23°20′ Capricorn to 6°40′ Aquarius. 24, Shatabhisha, ruled by Rahu, from 6°40′ Aquarius to 20°00′ Aquarius. 25, Purva Bhadrapada, ruled by Jupiter, from 20°00′ Aquarius to 3°20′ Pisces. 26, Uttara Bhadrapada, ruled by Saturn, from 3°20′ Pisces to 16°40′ Pisces. 27, Revati, ruled by Mercury, from 16°40′ Pisces to 30°00′ Pisces. The sidereal zodiac sits 24°13′ behind the Western tropical zodiac in 2026 (the Lahiri ayanamsa), which is why a Vedic sign is often the sign before your Western one.

The 27 nakshatras on the sidereal zodiac

The outer ring is the sidereal zodiac, measured from the stars. The gold arc is the gap to the Western zodiac, which starts 24°13′ earlier at the March equinox point. Each nakshatra is tinted by its ruling planet; the nine rulers repeat three times round the wheel.

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

1. 1AshwiniKetu
2. 2BharaniVenus
3. 3KrittikaSun
4. 4RohiniMoon
5. 5MrigashiraMars
6. 6ArdraRahu
7. 7PunarvasuJupiter
8. 8PushyaSaturn
9. 9AshleshaMercury
10. 10MaghaKetu
11. 11Purva PhalguniVenus
12. 12Uttara PhalguniSun
13. 13HastaMoon
14. 14ChitraMars
15. 15SwatiRahu
16. 16VishakhaJupiter
17. 17AnuradhaSaturn
18. 18JyeshthaMercury
19. 19MulaKetu
20. 20Purva AshadhaVenus
21. 21Uttara AshadhaSun
22. 22ShravanaMoon
23. 23DhanishtaMars
24. 24ShatabhishaRahu
25. 25Purva BhadrapadaJupiter
26. 26Uttara BhadrapadaSaturn
27. 27RevatiMercury

›All 27 nakshatras: spans, rulers, deities and symbols

Nakshatra	Sidereal span	Western span, 2026	Ruler	Deity	Symbol
1. Ashwini	0°00′ Aries to 13°20′ Aries	24°13′ Aries to 7°33′ Taurus	Ketu	Ashwini Kumaras	Horse's head
2. Bharani	13°20′ Aries to 26°40′ Aries	7°33′ Taurus to 20°53′ Taurus	Venus	Yama	Yoni
3. Krittika	26°40′ Aries to 10°00′ Taurus	20°53′ Taurus to 4°13′ Gemini	Sun	Agni	Razor / flame
4. Rohini	10°00′ Taurus to 23°20′ Taurus	4°13′ Gemini to 17°33′ Gemini	Moon	Brahma	Chariot / ox-cart
5. Mrigashira	23°20′ Taurus to 6°40′ Gemini	17°33′ Gemini to 0°53′ Cancer	Mars	Soma	Deer's head
6. Ardra	6°40′ Gemini to 20°00′ Gemini	0°53′ Cancer to 14°13′ Cancer	Rahu	Rudra	Teardrop
7. Punarvasu	20°00′ Gemini to 3°20′ Cancer	14°13′ Cancer to 27°33′ Cancer	Jupiter	Aditi	Quiver of arrows
8. Pushya	3°20′ Cancer to 16°40′ Cancer	27°33′ Cancer to 10°53′ Leo	Saturn	Brihaspati	Cow's udder / lotus
9. Ashlesha	16°40′ Cancer to 30°00′ Cancer	10°53′ Leo to 24°13′ Leo	Mercury	Nagas	Coiled serpent
10. Magha	0°00′ Leo to 13°20′ Leo	24°13′ Leo to 7°33′ Virgo	Ketu	Pitris	Throne
11. Purva Phalguni	13°20′ Leo to 26°40′ Leo	7°33′ Virgo to 20°53′ Virgo	Venus	Bhaga	Front legs of a bed
12. Uttara Phalguni	26°40′ Leo to 10°00′ Virgo	20°53′ Virgo to 4°13′ Libra	Sun	Aryaman	Back legs of a bed
13. Hasta	10°00′ Virgo to 23°20′ Virgo	4°13′ Libra to 17°33′ Libra	Moon	Savitr	Hand / fist
14. Chitra	23°20′ Virgo to 6°40′ Libra	17°33′ Libra to 0°53′ Scorpio	Mars	Tvashtar	Bright jewel / pearl
15. Swati	6°40′ Libra to 20°00′ Libra	0°53′ Scorpio to 14°13′ Scorpio	Rahu	Vayu	Young sprout in wind
16. Vishakha	20°00′ Libra to 3°20′ Scorpio	14°13′ Scorpio to 27°33′ Scorpio	Jupiter	Indra-Agni	Triumphal archway
17. Anuradha	3°20′ Scorpio to 16°40′ Scorpio	27°33′ Scorpio to 10°53′ Sagittarius	Saturn	Mitra	Lotus / staff
18. Jyeshtha	16°40′ Scorpio to 30°00′ Scorpio	10°53′ Sagittarius to 24°13′ Sagittarius	Mercury	Indra	Earring / umbrella
19. Mula	0°00′ Sagittarius to 13°20′ Sagittarius	24°13′ Sagittarius to 7°33′ Capricorn	Ketu	Nirriti	Tied roots
20. Purva Ashadha	13°20′ Sagittarius to 26°40′ Sagittarius	7°33′ Capricorn to 20°53′ Capricorn	Venus	Apas	Elephant tusk / fan
21. Uttara Ashadha	26°40′ Sagittarius to 10°00′ Capricorn	20°53′ Capricorn to 4°13′ Aquarius	Sun	Vishvedevas	Elephant tusk / planks
22. Shravana	10°00′ Capricorn to 23°20′ Capricorn	4°13′ Aquarius to 17°33′ Aquarius	Moon	Vishnu	Three footprints / ear
23. Dhanishta	23°20′ Capricorn to 6°40′ Aquarius	17°33′ Aquarius to 0°53′ Pisces	Mars	Vasus	Drum / flute
24. Shatabhisha	6°40′ Aquarius to 20°00′ Aquarius	0°53′ Pisces to 14°13′ Pisces	Rahu	Varuna	Empty circle / 100 stars
25. Purva Bhadrapada	20°00′ Aquarius to 3°20′ Pisces	14°13′ Pisces to 27°33′ Pisces	Jupiter	Aja Ekapada	Front of a funeral cot
26. Uttara Bhadrapada	3°20′ Pisces to 16°40′ Pisces	27°33′ Pisces to 10°53′ Aries	Saturn	Ahir Budhnya	Back of a funeral cot
27. Revati	16°40′ Pisces to 30°00′ Pisces	10°53′ Aries to 24°13′ Aries	Mercury	Pushan	Fish / drum

Nakshatra spans are fixed by tradition; the Lahiri ayanamsa (24°13′ on January 1, 2026) is computed from precession, the same value the Natal Junction kundali uses.

Where the sources differ. The ruling planets and spans are fixed by the arithmetic and agree everywhere. Deities and symbols are traditional and vary a little between texts and teachers. Rohini's deity is given as Brahma or Prajapati, Chitra's as Tvashtar or Vishwakarma and Mula's as Nirriti, with some lists naming Varuna. Some texts swap the deities of the two Phalgunis. Symbols vary most of all: Rohini is a cart, a temple or a banyan tree, Ardra a teardrop or a diamond, Anuradha a lotus or an archway and Shatabhisha an empty circle or a thousand flowers. The table uses the most common version of each.

What does each nakshatra mean?

The traditional meaning of a nakshatra grows out of its deity and its symbol. These one-line readings follow that logic. Treat them as starting points: in a real chart the nakshatra is read together with the planet in it, the sign and the house.

1. Ashwini. The Ashwini Kumaras, twin physicians of the gods with the heads of horses. Speed, first aid, fresh starts and an instinct to rescue.
2. Bharani. Yama, lord of restraint and endings, with the womb as its symbol. Carrying things to term: birth, death, discipline and moral weight.
3. Krittika. The fire god Agni and a razor. Cutting through, purifying, protecting and saying the sharp true thing.
4. Rohini. The creator and a laden cart. Growth, beauty, fertility, comfort and a love of the good life.
5. Mrigashira. Soma and the deer's head. Searching, curiosity, gentleness and a restless mind that follows a scent.
6. Ardra. The storm god Rudra and a teardrop. Upheaval that clears the air, emotional intensity and breakthroughs after loss.
7. Punarvasu. Aditi, the boundless mother. Return, renewal and recovery, coming home after a long way out.
8. Pushya. The divine teacher Brihaspati and the udder that feeds. Nourishment, teaching, care and steady faith. Panchangs count it among the most auspicious nakshatras, especially when it falls on a Thursday (Guru Pushya yoga).
9. Ashlesha. The serpents and the coil. Grip, hypnotic insight, strategy, secrets and a talent for reading people.
10. Magha. The ancestors and the throne. Lineage, status, legacy and the duty to honour where you came from.
11. Purva Phalguni. Bhaga (the giver of delight) and the bed. Rest, pleasure, romance, play and creative ease.
12. Uttara Phalguni. Aryaman, keeper of contracts and marriage. Commitment, patronage, generosity and reliable partnership.
13. Hasta. Savitr (the Sun as the spark of action) and the hand. Skill, craft, dexterity, wit and getting things done.
14. Chitra. The divine architect and a bright jewel. Design, beauty made by hand and the urge to stand out.
15. Swati. The wind god Vayu and a shoot bending in it. Independence, flexibility, trade and movement.
16. Vishakha. Indra and Agni together and the victory arch. Single-minded ambition and the patience to reach a goal.
17. Anuradha. Mitra (god of friendship) and the lotus. Devotion, loyalty and success through cooperation.
18. Jyeshtha. Indra, chief of the gods. Seniority, protection and responsibility: power that has to be earned and carried.
19. Mula. Nirriti (goddess of dissolution) and the roots. Getting to the root, uprooting, research and radical change.
20. Purva Ashadha. The waters and the fan. Conviction, persuasion, purification and the feeling of being unbeatable.
21. Uttara Ashadha. The universal gods and the elephant's tusk. The final, lasting victory, won with integrity.
22. Shravana. Vishnu and the ear. Listening, learning, preserving knowledge and connecting people.
23. Dhanishta. The Vasus (gods of abundance) and the drum. Rhythm, music, wealth and group effort.
24. Shatabhisha. Varuna (lord of the cosmic waters) and the empty circle. Healing, solitude, research and keeping counsel.
25. Purva Bhadrapada. Aja Ekapada (the one-footed goat) and the front of the funeral cot. Intensity, idealism and transformation through fire.
26. Uttara Bhadrapada. Ahir Budhnya, the serpent of the deep. Depth, patience, restraint and quiet wisdom.
27. Revati. Pushan (the nourisher who guards travellers) and the fish. Safe passage, compassion and completion.

What are the 4 padas of a nakshatra?

Each nakshatra splits into four padas (quarters) of 3 degrees 20 minutes, which gives 108 padas around the zodiac. The Moon spends about six hours in each one. Every pada corresponds to one sign of the navamsa (D9) chart, traditionally the most important divisional chart in Jyotish. The padas walk through the twelve signs in order and start again every three nakshatras.

When a planet's pada falls in the same sign it already occupies, for example the first pada of Ashwini, which is the Aries navamsa inside Aries, the planet is called vargottama, traditionally a mark of strength. Each pada also carries a sound used to choose a baby's name. Ashwini's four padas, for example, give Chu, Che, Cho and La. That custom is why many Indian families still name a child from the Moon's pada at birth.

How does your nakshatra set your Vimshottari dasha?

The Vimshottari dasha is the main timing system of Vedic astrology: a 120-year cycle of planetary periods (mahadashas). Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra gives the rule. Count from Krittika to your birth nakshatra and the remainder after dividing by nine tells you which planet's period you were born into. In practice that is simply the ruling planet of your Moon's nakshatra.

How far the Moon has already travelled through its nakshatra decides how much of that first period is left at birth, the dasha balance. Two worked examples, computed with the same dasha code our Kundali runs:

• Moon at 15 degrees 00 minutes of sidereal Taurus. That is Rohini, pada 2, ruled by the Moon. The Moon is 5 degrees into the 13 degree 20 minute mansion, so 37.5% of it is behind and 62.5% is ahead. 62.5% of the Moon's 10 years leaves a balance of 6 years 3 months. The periods then run Mars to age 13 years 3 months, Rahu to 31 years 3 months, Jupiter to 47 years 3 months and Saturn to 66 years 3 months.
• Moon at 20 degrees 00 minutes of sidereal Cancer. That is Ashlesha, pada 1, ruled by Mercury and a quarter traversed. The balance is three quarters of 17 years: 12 years 9 months of Mercury, then Ketu, then Venus.

This is why an accurate birth time matters so much in Jyotish. The Moon moves about half a degree an hour, which shifts the dasha balance by around 4% of the first planet's years for every hour of error. For a Venus nakshatra that is close to ten months per hour.

What is Abhijit, the 28th nakshatra?

Older Vedic star lists count 28 lunar mansions, not 27. The extra one is Abhijit, linked to the bright star Vega. When the system settled on 27 equal divisions, Abhijit was folded into its neighbours. It is not used for dashas and has no ruling planet in the Vimshottari scheme.

The most common definition gives Abhijit the last pada of Uttara Ashadha plus the first fifteenth of Shravana: from 6 degrees 40 minutes to 10 degrees 53 minutes 20 seconds of sidereal Capricorn, a span of 4 degrees 13 minutes 20 seconds. Muhurta (electional) astrology still uses it to time important beginnings. Do not confuse it with Abhijit muhurta, a daily window around local midday that panchangs list for auspicious work.

How are nakshatras used in kundli matching?

Guna Milan scores a couple out of 36 across eight kootas, and four of them are read straight from the two Moon nakshatras: Tara (3 points), Yoni (4), Gana (6) and Nadi (8). Together they carry 21 of the 36 points. Our kundli matching guide explains how each koota is scored and how Nadi dosha is cancelled. Here is what each nakshatra brings to the table.

A few patterns make the table easier to remember:

• Each gana and each nadi holds exactly nine nakshatras. So any two random people share a nadi one time in three, which is why Nadi dosha is common rather than rare.
• The nadis zigzag. Read down the list and the order runs Adi, Madhya and Antya, then back through Antya, Madhya and Adi, over and over. Ashwini is Adi. So are Ardra and Punarvasu, Uttara Phalguni and Hasta, Jyeshtha and Mula, Shatabhisha and Purva Bhadrapada.
• Thirteen animals appear twice and one appears once. Uttara Ashadha's mongoose has no partner among the 27.
• Tables differ at the edges. Krittika and Pushya's animal is given as sheep or goat, and Anuradha and Jyeshtha's as deer or hare. Ganas and nadis are far more consistent from one table to the next.

Because these factors come from the Moon alone, a Moon a few minutes either side of a nakshatra boundary can change Tara, Yoni, Gana and Nadi at once. Matching needs both full birth times. Mars is checked separately for Manglik dosha.

How do I find my nakshatra?

You need your date of birth, the time and the place. Enter them in our free Kundali and your Janma Nakshatra appears at the top of the result with its pada, next to your Moon sign (rashi). The planets table lists the nakshatra and pada of every graha, and the dasha section shows your full Vimshottari timeline from birth. The Kundali uses the Lahiri ayanamsa, measures the nodes as mean Rahu and Ketu and gives you a PDF to keep.

Three practical notes:

• Date alone is usually not enough. The Moon changes nakshatra roughly once a day, at a different hour each day, so a birth date on its own usually leaves two candidates. That is why searches for "nakshatra by date of birth" give conflicting answers. With the time, there is only one.
• Your Western Moon sign will not match. Take away about 24 degrees. A tropical Moon at 5 degrees Gemini becomes about 10 degrees 46 minutes of sidereal Taurus, which is Rohini. Your Western placements come from our free birth chart reading. Our Moon sign guide covers the Western Moon.
• Different software can disagree near a boundary. Raman, Krishnamurti (KP) and other ayanamsas start the zodiac at slightly different points. Some apps also use the true node instead of the mean node. If your Moon sits within about a degree of a nakshatra or pada boundary, check which ayanamsa your astrologer uses before reading too much into the difference.

Which nakshatra is the best?

None. Each nakshatra has a gift and a shadow, and the planet sitting in it, its sign and its house change the reading. What tradition does rank is timing. Muhurta, the art of choosing a moment, favours some nakshatras for particular acts and avoids others. Pushya is the best known: a Thursday with the Moon in Pushya is Guru Pushya yoga, a favourite day for starting study, new work or a big purchase. Panchangs list the day's nakshatra for exactly that reason.

The same Moon nakshatra also drives other Vedic timing tools. The sign around your Moon decides your Sade Sati dates, and the dasha it sets is the clock most Jyotishis read first. To see all of it from your own birth moment, cast your free Kundali.