The 27 nakshatras are the lunar mansions of Indian astronomy: equal 13°20′ arcs of the sidereal zodiac, each about one day of the Moon's travel. This page lists every mansion with its meaning, presiding deity, planetary lord, sidereal range and commonly identified star, and shows which nakshatra the Moon is in now.
Mansion boundaries are calculated with the Lahiri ayanamsa. Names, deities and lords are traditional and are cited to Vedic and classical sources below; they describe a cultural system, not a measured influence.
Lunar mansions · nakshatra
The 27 nakshatras
Long before the twelve signs, the sky was read as a path of twenty-seven lodging places for the Moon. Each night the Moon moves on to the next one.
The Moon is in
Purva Phalguni पूर्व फाल्गुनी
Pada 4 of 4 · 95% through · about 1 hours until Uttara Phalguni
· Lahiri ayanamsa · time to the next mansion uses the Moon’s mean speed and can be off by a few hours
How the mansions work
TRADITIONThe Moon returns to the same star in 27.32 days, its sidereal month. Dividing that circuit into 27 gives mansions of 13°20′, roughly one night each. Every mansion is split into four padas of 3°20′, and 108 padas make the full circle.
Each mansion is ruled by one of nine planetary lords in a repeating order (Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury). This order drives the Vimśottarī daśā timing system. The colours on the wheel follow the lords.
- Ketu
- Venus
- Sun
- Moon
- Mars
- Rahu
- Jupiter
- Saturn
- Mercury
All 27 mansions
01 · 0°00′ Mesha – 13°20′ Mesha
Ashvini अश्विनी
Horse-born
- Deity
- The Ashvins
- Lord
- Ketu
- Star
- β Arietis
- Sign
- Mesha (Aries)
02 · 13°20′ Mesha – 26°40′ Mesha
Bharani भरणी
The bearer
- Deity
- Yama
- Lord
- Venus
- Star
- 41 Arietis
- Sign
- Mesha (Aries)
03 · 26°40′ Mesha – 10°00′ Vrishabha
Krittika कृत्तिका
The cutters
- Deity
- Agni
- Lord
- Sun
- Star
- The Pleiades (η Tauri)
- Sign
- Mesha (Aries) → Vrishabha (Taurus)
04 · 10°00′ Vrishabha – 23°20′ Vrishabha
Rohini रोहिणी
The red one
- Deity
- Prajapati
- Lord
- Moon
- Star
- Aldebaran (α Tauri)
- Sign
- Vrishabha (Taurus)
05 · 23°20′ Vrishabha – 6°40′ Mithuna
Mrigashira मृगशिरा
Deer's head
- Deity
- Soma
- Lord
- Mars
- Star
- λ Orionis
- Sign
- Vrishabha (Taurus) → Mithuna (Gemini)
06 · 6°40′ Mithuna – 20°00′ Mithuna
Ardra आर्द्रा
The moist one
- Deity
- Rudra
- Lord
- Rahu
- Star
- Betelgeuse (α Orionis)
- Sign
- Mithuna (Gemini)
07 · 20°00′ Mithuna – 3°20′ Karka
Punarvasu पुनर्वसु
Return of the light
- Deity
- Aditi
- Lord
- Jupiter
- Star
- Pollux (β Geminorum)
- Sign
- Mithuna (Gemini) → Karka (Cancer)
08 · 3°20′ Karka – 16°40′ Karka
Pushya पुष्य
The nourisher
- Deity
- Brihaspati
- Lord
- Saturn
- Star
- δ Cancri
- Sign
- Karka (Cancer)
09 · 16°40′ Karka – 30°00′ Karka
Ashlesha आश्लेषा
The embrace
- Deity
- The Sarpas (serpents)
- Lord
- Mercury
- Star
- ε Hydrae
- Sign
- Karka (Cancer)
10 · 0°00′ Simha – 13°20′ Simha
Magha मघा
The bountiful
- Deity
- The Pitris (ancestors)
- Lord
- Ketu
- Star
- Regulus (α Leonis)
- Sign
- Simha (Leo)
11 · 13°20′ Simha – 26°40′ Simha
Purva Phalguni पूर्व फाल्गुनी
The former reddish one
- Deity
- Bhaga
- Lord
- Venus
- Star
- δ Leonis
- Sign
- Simha (Leo)
12 · 26°40′ Simha – 10°00′ Kanya
Uttara Phalguni उत्तर फाल्गुनी
The latter reddish one
- Deity
- Aryaman
- Lord
- Sun
- Star
- Denebola (β Leonis)
- Sign
- Simha (Leo) → Kanya (Virgo)
13 · 10°00′ Kanya – 23°20′ Kanya
Hasta हस्त
The hand
- Deity
- Savitr
- Lord
- Moon
- Star
- δ Corvi
- Sign
- Kanya (Virgo)
14 · 23°20′ Kanya – 6°40′ Tula
Chitra चित्रा
The bright one
- Deity
- Tvashtr
- Lord
- Mars
- Star
- Spica (α Virginis)
- Sign
- Kanya (Virgo) → Tula (Libra)
15 · 6°40′ Tula – 20°00′ Tula
Svati स्वाति
The independent one
- Deity
- Vayu
- Lord
- Rahu
- Star
- Arcturus (α Boötis)
- Sign
- Tula (Libra)
16 · 20°00′ Tula – 3°20′ Vrischika
Vishakha विशाखा
The forked branch
- Deity
- Indra and Agni
- Lord
- Jupiter
- Star
- α Librae
- Sign
- Tula (Libra) → Vrischika (Scorpio)
17 · 3°20′ Vrischika – 16°40′ Vrischika
Anuradha अनुराधा
Following Radha
- Deity
- Mitra
- Lord
- Saturn
- Star
- δ Scorpii
- Sign
- Vrischika (Scorpio)
18 · 16°40′ Vrischika – 30°00′ Vrischika
Jyeshtha ज्येष्ठा
The eldest
- Deity
- Indra
- Lord
- Mercury
- Star
- Antares (α Scorpii)
- Sign
- Vrischika (Scorpio)
19 · 0°00′ Dhanus – 13°20′ Dhanus
Mula मूल
The root
- Deity
- Nirriti
- Lord
- Ketu
- Star
- λ Scorpii
- Sign
- Dhanus (Sagittarius)
20 · 13°20′ Dhanus – 26°40′ Dhanus
Purva Ashadha पूर्वाषाढा
The former invincible one
- Deity
- Apas (the waters)
- Lord
- Venus
- Star
- δ Sagittarii
- Sign
- Dhanus (Sagittarius)
21 · 26°40′ Dhanus – 10°00′ Makara
Uttara Ashadha उत्तराषाढा
The latter invincible one
- Deity
- The Vishvedevas
- Lord
- Sun
- Star
- σ Sagittarii
- Sign
- Dhanus (Sagittarius) → Makara (Capricorn)
22 · 10°00′ Makara – 23°20′ Makara
Shravana श्रवण
Hearing
- Deity
- Vishnu
- Lord
- Moon
- Star
- Altair (α Aquilae)
- Sign
- Makara (Capricorn)
23 · 23°20′ Makara – 6°40′ Kumbha
Dhanishtha धनिष्ठा
The most wealthy
- Deity
- The Vasus
- Lord
- Mars
- Star
- β Delphini
- Sign
- Makara (Capricorn) → Kumbha (Aquarius)
24 · 6°40′ Kumbha – 20°00′ Kumbha
Shatabhisha शतभिषा
A hundred healers
- Deity
- Varuna
- Lord
- Rahu
- Star
- λ Aquarii
- Sign
- Kumbha (Aquarius)
25 · 20°00′ Kumbha – 3°20′ Meena
Purva Bhadrapada पूर्व भाद्रपदा
The former blessed feet
- Deity
- Aja Ekapada
- Lord
- Jupiter
- Star
- α Pegasi
- Sign
- Kumbha (Aquarius) → Meena (Pisces)
26 · 3°20′ Meena – 16°40′ Meena
Uttara Bhadrapada उत्तर भाद्रपदा
The latter blessed feet
- Deity
- Ahir Budhnya
- Lord
- Saturn
- Star
- γ Pegasi
- Sign
- Meena (Pisces)
27 · 16°40′ Meena – 30°00′ Meena
Revati रेवती
The wealthy one
- Deity
- Pushan
- Lord
- Mercury
- Star
- ζ Piscium
- Sign
- Meena (Pisces)
Stars are the commonly identified junction stars (yogatārā); identifications differ between texts and commentators. English meanings are approximate renderings of the Sanskrit names.
Questions
What is a nakshatra?
A nakshatra is one of 27 lunar mansions in Indian astronomy and astrology. Together they divide the sidereal zodiac into equal arcs of 13°20′, about the distance the Moon travels in a day. Each mansion has a name, a presiding deity from Vedic literature, a planetary lord and four quarters called padas.
How do I find my birth nakshatra?
Your birth nakshatra (janma nakshatra) is the mansion the Moon occupied when you were born. It depends on the date, time and time zone of birth, because the Moon changes mansion roughly once a day. Lunologium's sidereal calculator reads the Moon's sidereal longitude with the Lahiri ayanamsa and names the nakshatra and pada.
Why 27 nakshatras and not 28?
Some early Vedic lists include a 28th mansion, Abhijit, near the star Vega. Later astronomy, including the Sūrya Siddhānta tradition, standardised 27 equal mansions so that each matches roughly one day of the Moon's sidereal month of 27.32 days. Abhijit survives in some timing traditions as a narrow overlay.
Sources
- Taittirīya Saṃhitā 4.4.10 — the Vedic list of nakshatras with their presiding deities. Keith, A. B. (Trans.). (1914). The Veda of the Black Yajus School entitled Taittiriya Sanhita (Part 2). Harvard University Press. Read the translation
- Sūrya Siddhānta, chapter 8 — the asterisms and their junction stars. Burgess, E. (Trans.). (1858–1860). Translation of the Sûrya-Siddhânta, a text-book of Hindu astronomy. Journal of the American Oriental Society, 6. Read the translation
- Bṛhat Parāśara Horā Śāstra, Vimśottarī daśā chapter — the nine planetary lords in nakshatra order. Santhanam, R. (Trans.). (1984). Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra (Vol. 2). Ranjan Publications.
- Mansion boundaries: 27 equal arcs of sidereal longitude from the Lahiri ayanamsa, computed from the Moon’s geocentric ecliptic position. See tropical vs sidereal.