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Nakshatra calculator

Find your birth nakshatra and pada, the lunar mansion your Moon was in, with its ruling planet, deity and symbol, plus your Vimshottari dasha periods.

Use the time on your birth certificate. Daylight saving time for your place and year is applied automatically. Places from GeoNames.

What nakshatras are

Vedic (Jyotish) astrology divides the zodiac into 27 nakshatras, or lunar mansions, of 13°20′ each, roughly the distance the Moon travels in a day. Each is split into four padas of 3°20′. Your birth nakshatra, called the janma nakshatra, is the one the Moon occupied when you were born, and Vedic astrologers treat it as central to temperament, compatibility and the timing of life periods.

Sidereal zodiac and ayanamsa

Nakshatras are measured in the sidereal zodiac, which is fixed against the stars. The difference from the tropical zodiac used in Western astrology is the ayanamsa. It grows by about 50 arcseconds a year because of the slow wobble of Earth’s axis, and it was 24°14′ (Lahiri) when this page was built.

The 27 nakshatras

Nakshatras in the sidereal zodiac, with their Vimshottari ruling planet
NakshatraRangeRulerDeitySymbol
1. Ashwini0°00′ Mesha – 13°20′ MeshaKetuthe Ashvins, divine physiciansa horse’s head
2. Bharani13°20′ Mesha – 26°40′ MeshaVenusYama, lord of death and restraintthe yoni
3. Krittika26°40′ Mesha – 10°00′ VrishabhaSunAgni, god of firea razor or a flame
4. Rohini10°00′ Vrishabha – 23°20′ VrishabhaMoonBrahma (Prajapati), the creatoran ox cart or chariot
5. Mrigashira23°20′ Vrishabha – 6°40′ MithunaMarsSoma, the Moona deer’s head
6. Ardra6°40′ Mithuna – 20°00′ MithunaRahuRudra, the storma teardrop
7. Punarvasu20°00′ Mithuna – 3°20′ KarkaJupiterAditi, mother of the godsa quiver of arrows
8. Pushya3°20′ Karka – 16°40′ KarkaSaturnBrihaspati, teacher of the godsa cow’s udder or a flower
9. Ashlesha16°40′ Karka – 30°00′ KarkaMercurythe Nagas, serpent beingsa coiled serpent
10. Magha0°00′ Simha – 13°20′ SimhaKetuthe Pitris, the ancestorsa royal throne
11. Purva Phalguni13°20′ Simha – 26°40′ SimhaVenusBhaga, god of delightthe front legs of a bed
12. Uttara Phalguni26°40′ Simha – 10°00′ KanyaSunAryaman, god of contracts and friendshipthe back legs of a bed
13. Hasta10°00′ Kanya – 23°20′ KanyaMoonSavitar, the rising sunan open hand
14. Chitra23°20′ Kanya – 6°40′ TulaMarsVishvakarma (Tvashtar), the divine architecta bright jewel
15. Swati6°40′ Tula – 20°00′ TulaRahuVayu, the winda young shoot swaying in the wind
16. Vishakha20°00′ Tula – 3°20′ VrishchikaJupiterIndra and Agnia triumphal arch
17. Anuradha3°20′ Vrishchika – 16°40′ VrishchikaSaturnMitra, god of friendshipa lotus
18. Jyeshtha16°40′ Vrishchika – 30°00′ VrishchikaMercuryIndra, king of the godsa circular amulet or earring
19. Mula0°00′ Dhanu – 13°20′ DhanuKetuNirriti, goddess of dissolutiona bunch of roots
20. Purva Ashadha13°20′ Dhanu – 26°40′ DhanuVenusApas, the watersan elephant’s tusk or a winnowing fan
21. Uttara Ashadha26°40′ Dhanu – 10°00′ MakaraSunthe Vishvedevas, universal godsan elephant’s tusk
22. Shravana10°00′ Makara – 23°20′ MakaraMoonVishnu, the preserveran ear or three footprints
23. Dhanishta23°20′ Makara – 6°40′ KumbhaMarsthe eight Vasusa drum
24. Shatabhisha6°40′ Kumbha – 20°00′ KumbhaRahuVaruna, god of cosmic watersan empty circle
25. Purva Bhadrapada20°00′ Kumbha – 3°20′ MeenaJupiterAja Ekapada, the one-footed goatthe front of a funeral cot
26. Uttara Bhadrapada3°20′ Meena – 16°40′ MeenaSaturnAhir Budhnya, serpent of the deepthe back of a funeral cot
27. Revati16°40′ Meena – 30°00′ MeenaMercuryPushan, the nourisher and guidea fish or a drum

Vimshottari dasha

The Vimshottari system divides a 120-year cycle into nine planetary periods. Your sequence starts with the ruler of your birth nakshatra, and the first period is shortened by how far the Moon had already moved through it. The periods last: Ketu 7 years, Venus 20 years, Sun 6 years, Moon 10 years, Mars 7 years, Rahu 18 years, Jupiter 16 years, Saturn 19 years, Mercury 17 years.

Questions

Why is my Vedic Moon sign different from my Western one?

Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, which is tied to the stars, while Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac, tied to the seasons. The two are currently about 24 degrees apart, so many people’s Moon falls one sign earlier in Vedic astrology.

Do I need my birth time?

The Moon moves through a whole nakshatra in about a day, so the time often matters. Without it, the calculator tells you whether the Moon stayed in one nakshatra all day.

Which ayanamsa do you use?

Lahiri (Chitrapaksha), the standard adopted by the Indian government’s calendar reform committee and the default in most Vedic software. Our values match the Swiss Ephemeris Lahiri ayanamsa within two arcseconds.

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