27 Nakshatra

What a nakshatra is

A nakshatra is one of the 27 lunar mansions of Vedic astrology. The word is often translated as "star" or "constellation," but in jyotish a nakshatra is better understood as a division of the zodiac that the Moon passes through in its monthly journey. Each nakshatra carries its own name, its own presiding deity, and its own traditional character, and together the 27 form a complete circle.

The 27 nakshatras, in order, are:

• Ashwini
• Bharani
• Krittika
• Rohini
• Mrigashira
• Ardra
• Punarvasu
• Pushya
• Ashlesha
• Magha
• Purva Phalguni
• Uttara Phalguni
• Hasta
• Chitra
• Swati
• Vishakha
• Anuradha
• Jyeshtha
• Mula
• Purva Ashadha
• Uttara Ashadha
• Shravana
• Dhanishta
• Shatabhisha
• Purva Bhadrapada
• Uttara Bhadrapada
• Revati

How your birth nakshatra is found

Your birth nakshatra is the nakshatra in which the Moon was placed at the moment of your birth. Because the Moon moves relatively quickly through the zodiac, the nakshatra changes more often than the Moon sign itself, so the exact birth time matters. A jyotishi prepares your chart from your date, time, and place of birth, and reads the Moon's position against the 27 divisions.

Many readers first meet their nakshatra through a family record, a temple horoscope, or a jyotishi's reading. If you do not have your birth details, a qualified jyotishi can help you work with what is available. Traditions differ on some finer points of calculation and naming, and that is expected; the nakshatra framework itself is shared.

Using nakshatras in naming and matching

Two common uses of the nakshatra are naming a child and matching a couple. In the naming tradition, the nakshatra of birth is associated with a syllable or set of syllables, and families choose a name beginning with that sound. The specific syllables follow the family's regional and sampradaya conventions, so they are best confirmed with a jyotishi rather than taken from a general list.

In matching, the birth nakshatras of both individuals are compared as part of a broader set of considerations. Schools differ — North and South Indian traditions, Smarta and Vaishnava customs, and amanta and purnimanta reckonings each have their own emphasis — so a reading is best done for the specific charts involved. For personal guidance, consult a qualified jyotishi.