The nakshatras are the 27 equal parts of the zodiac, 13°20′ each, from Ashwini to Revati. Each has four padas of 3°20′, and the Avakahada chakra gives each pada a syllable. The 108 padas of the 27 nakshatras fall into the 12 rashis, nine to a rashi. By tradition the syllable of the nakshatra pada the Moon is in at birth begins the name, and the rashi of that pada is the name rashi.
The 27 nakshatras
| # | Nakshatra | Name letters (padas 1–4) | Rashi | Graha | Deity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashwini | चू, चे, चो, लाChu, Che, Cho, La | Aries (Mesha) | Ketu | the Ashvini Kumaras |
| 2 | Bharani | ली, लू, ले, लोLi, Lu, Le, Lo | Aries (Mesha) | Venus (Shukra) | Yama |
| 3 | Krittika | अ, ई, उ, एA, I, U, E | Aries (Mesha) (pada 1), Taurus (Vrishabha) (padas 2–4) | Sun (Surya) | Agni |
| 4 | Rohini | ओ, वा, वी, वूO, Va, Vi, Vu | Taurus (Vrishabha) | Moon (Chandra) | Brahma (Prajapati) |
| 5 | Mrigashira | वे, वो, का, कीVe, Vo, Ka, Ki | Taurus (Vrishabha) (padas 1–2), Gemini (Mithuna) (padas 3–4) | Mars (Mangal) | Chandra (Soma) |
| 6 | Ardra | कू, घ, ङ, छKu, Gha, Nga, Chha | Gemini (Mithuna) | Rahu | Rudra |
| 7 | Punarvasu | के, को, हा, हीKe, Ko, Ha, Hi | Gemini (Mithuna) (padas 1–3), Cancer (Karka) (pada 4) | Jupiter (Guru) | Aditi |
| 8 | Pushya | हू, हे, हो, डाHu, He, Ho, Ḍa | Cancer (Karka) | Saturn (Shani) | Brihaspati |
| 9 | Ashlesha | डी, डू, डे, डोḌi, Ḍu, Ḍe, Ḍo | Cancer (Karka) | Mercury (Budh) | the Sarpas (Nagas) |
| 10 | Magha | मा, मी, मू, मेMa, Mi, Mu, Me | Leo (Simha) | Ketu | the Pitars (ancestors) |
| 11 | Purva Phalguni | मो, टा, टी, टूMo, Ṭa, Ṭi, Ṭu | Leo (Simha) | Venus (Shukra) | Bhaga |
| 12 | Uttara Phalguni | टे, टो, पा, पीṬe, Ṭo, Pa, Pi | Leo (Simha) (pada 1), Virgo (Kanya) (padas 2–4) | Sun (Surya) | Aryaman |
| 13 | Hasta | पू, ष, ण, ठPu, Sha, Ṇa, Ṭha | Virgo (Kanya) | Moon (Chandra) | Savita (Surya) |
| 14 | Chitra | पे, पो, रा, रीPe, Po, Ra, Ri | Virgo (Kanya) (padas 1–2), Libra (Tula) (padas 3–4) | Mars (Mangal) | Tvashta (Vishwakarma) |
| 15 | Swati | रू, रे, रो, ताRu, Re, Ro, Ta | Libra (Tula) | Rahu | Vayu |
| 16 | Vishakha | ती, तू, ते, तोTi, Tu, Te, To | Libra (Tula) (padas 1–3), Scorpio (Vrishchika) (pada 4) | Jupiter (Guru) | Indra and Agni (Indragni) |
| 17 | Anuradha | ना, नी, नू, नेNa, Ni, Nu, Ne | Scorpio (Vrishchika) | Saturn (Shani) | Mitra |
| 18 | Jyeshtha | नो, या, यी, यूNo, Ya, Yi, Yu | Scorpio (Vrishchika) | Mercury (Budh) | Indra |
| 19 | Mula | ये, यो, भा, भीYe, Yo, Bha, Bhi | Sagittarius (Dhanu) | Ketu | Nirriti |
| 20 | Purva Ashadha | भू, धा, फा, ढाBhu, Dha, Pha, Ḍha | Sagittarius (Dhanu) | Venus (Shukra) | Apah (the waters) |
| 21 | Uttara Ashadha | भे, भो, जा, जीBhe, Bho, Ja, Ji | Sagittarius (Dhanu) (pada 1), Capricorn (Makara) (padas 2–4) | Sun (Surya) | the Vishvedevas |
| 22 | Shravana | खी, खू, खे, खोKhi, Khu, Khe, Kho | Capricorn (Makara) | Moon (Chandra) | Vishnu |
| 23 | Dhanishta | गा, गी, गू, गेGa, Gi, Gu, Ge | Capricorn (Makara) (padas 1–2), Aquarius (Kumbha) (padas 3–4) | Mars (Mangal) | the Vasus (the eight Vasus) |
| 24 | Shatabhisha | गो, सा, सी, सूGo, Sa, Si, Su | Aquarius (Kumbha) | Rahu | Varuna |
| 25 | Purva Bhadrapada | से, सो, दा, दीSe, So, Da, Di | Aquarius (Kumbha) (padas 1–3), Pisces (Meena) (pada 4) | Jupiter (Guru) | Aja Ekapada |
| 26 | Uttara Bhadrapada | दू, थ, झ, ञDu, Tha, Jha, Nya | Pisces (Meena) | Saturn (Shani) | Ahirbudhnya |
| 27 | Revati | दे, दो, चा, चीDe, Do, Cha, Chi | Pisces (Meena) | Mercury (Budh) | Pushan |
Graha in the Vimshottari order (Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, chapter 46); deities as in the Brihat Samhita (chapter 98). For some nakshatras Drik Panchang’s list names the deity differently; each nakshatra’s page notes it.
Gand mool: Ashwini, Ashlesha, Magha, Jyeshtha, Mula and Revati, the six nakshatras of the three junctions. The gand mool nakshatras and their 2026-27 dates
Nakshatras and name letters by rashi
Each rashi holds nine nakshatra padas. A name beginning with any of a rashi’s nine syllables has that rashi as its name rashi.
| Rashi | Nakshatras and padas | Name letters |
|---|---|---|
| Aries (Mesha) | Ashwini all four padas, Bharani all four padas, Krittika pada 1 | चू, चे, चो, ला, ली, लू, ले, लो, अ |
| Taurus (Vrishabha) | Krittika padas 2–4, Rohini all four padas, Mrigashira padas 1–2 | ई, उ, ए, ओ, वा, वी, वू, वे, वो |
| Gemini (Mithuna) | Mrigashira padas 3–4, Ardra all four padas, Punarvasu padas 1–3 | का, की, कू, घ, ङ, छ, के, को, हा |
| Cancer (Karka) | Punarvasu pada 4, Pushya all four padas, Ashlesha all four padas | ही, हू, हे, हो, डा, डी, डू, डे, डो |
| Leo (Simha) | Magha all four padas, Purva Phalguni all four padas, Uttara Phalguni pada 1 | मा, मी, मू, मे, मो, टा, टी, टू, टे |
| Virgo (Kanya) | Uttara Phalguni padas 2–4, Hasta all four padas, Chitra padas 1–2 | टो, पा, पी, पू, ष, ण, ठ, पे, पो |
| Libra (Tula) | Chitra padas 3–4, Swati all four padas, Vishakha padas 1–3 | रा, री, रू, रे, रो, ता, ती, तू, ते |
| Scorpio (Vrishchika) | Vishakha pada 4, Anuradha all four padas, Jyeshtha all four padas | तो, ना, नी, नू, ने, नो, या, यी, यू |
| Sagittarius (Dhanu) | Mula all four padas, Purva Ashadha all four padas, Uttara Ashadha pada 1 | ये, यो, भा, भी, भू, धा, फा, ढा, भे |
| Capricorn (Makara) | Uttara Ashadha padas 2–4, Shravana all four padas, Dhanishta padas 1–2 | भो, जा, जी, खी, खू, खे, खो, गा, गी |
| Aquarius (Kumbha) | Dhanishta padas 3–4, Shatabhisha all four padas, Purva Bhadrapada padas 1–3 | गू, गे, गो, सा, सी, सू, से, सो, दा |
| Pisces (Meena) | Purva Bhadrapada pada 4, Uttara Bhadrapada all four padas, Revati all four padas | दी, दू, थ, झ, ञ, दे, दो, चा, ची |
The grahas in the Vimshottari order
In the Vimshottari dasha the nine grahas rule the nakshatras in turn, and the order goes three times round the 27. The Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (chapter 46, verses 12–14) counts from Krittika: Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus.
- Ketu: Ashwini, Magha, Mula
- Venus (Shukra): Bharani, Purva Phalguni, Purva Ashadha
- Sun (Surya): Krittika, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashadha
- Moon (Chandra): Rohini, Hasta, Shravana
- Mars (Mangal): Mrigashira, Chitra, Dhanishta
- Rahu: Ardra, Swati, Shatabhisha
- Jupiter (Guru): Punarvasu, Vishakha, Purva Bhadrapada
- Saturn (Shani): Pushya, Anuradha, Uttara Bhadrapada
- Mercury (Budh): Ashlesha, Jyeshtha, Revati
Nakshatras: questions and answers
How many nakshatras are there?
The panchang and the name syllables count 27 nakshatras, Ashwini to Revati, 13°20′ each. The Brihat Samhita (chapter 98) and the Avakahada books also count 28, with Abhijit between Uttara Ashadha and Shravana. With 27 nakshatras Abhijit is not counted on its own.
How do I find my birth nakshatra?
The birth nakshatra is the one the Moon is in at birth. The Moon crosses about one nakshatra a day, so the nakshatra and its pada follow from the date, time and place of birth. Enter these in SanatanBodh’s birth panchang to get the nakshatra, pada and name letter.
How do I find the nakshatra and rashi from a name?
By tradition the nakshatra pada whose syllable a name begins with is the name’s nakshatra, and the rashi of that pada is the name rashi. “Ram” begins with Ra, the syllable of the third pada of Chitra, so its name rashi is Tula. SanatanBodh’s “rashi by name” page does this for any name.
How many nakshatras are in a rashi?
Two and a quarter: each rashi spans 30° and holds nine nakshatra padas (9 × 3°20′). So some nakshatras fall in two rashis: the first pada of Krittika is in Mesha and the other three in Vrishabha.
Sources
- Name syllables: Brihad Avakahada Chakram, Nakshatra Prakarana, Shatapada Chakra verses 9–15 (archive.org); Pt. Sitarama Sharma, Ati Brihat Avakahada Chakram (1932), pp. 22–24; Drik Panchang, nakshatra pada swar siddhanta
- Nine nakshatra padas to a rashi: Pt. Sitarama Sharma, Ati Brihat Avakahada Chakram (1932), p. 26; the span of each nakshatra: Drik Panchang’s nakshatra pages (drikpanchang.com/tutorials/nakshatra/)
- Graha: Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, chapter 46, verses 12–14 (counted from Krittika: Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus), R. Santhanam’s English translation, vol. 2, pp. 507–508; Drik Panchang’s nakshatra and navagraha pages
- Deity: Varahamihira, Brihat Samhita, chapter 98, verses 4–5, English translation by V. Subrahmanya Sastri and M. Ramakrishna Bhat (Bangalore, 1946), p. 742; Drik Panchang’s nakshatra lists (Swami) and nakshatra pages
- The Moon entering and leaving each nakshatra: SanatanBodh panchang calculation (astronomy-engine, Lahiri ayanamsha); compared with Drik Panchang’s 2026 and 2027 nakshatra lists (New Delhi), every time within 2 minutes (4 October 2026)
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