How many nakshatras are there?

27 (some traditions add Abhijit as a 28th in specific uses). Each spans 13°20′ of the zodiac.

How do I find my nakshatra?

From the Moon's position at your birth time; use a nakshatra calculator with your date, time and place.

A quarter of a nakshatra, 3°20′ wide. Four padas make one nakshatra and nine make one rashi.

Basics

The 27 Nakshatras: Complete List with Ruling Planet, Deity and Rashi

By NamaJyoti editorial · Wednesday, 4 November 2026 · 3 min read

In short

The zodiac is divided into 27 nakshatras (lunar mansions) of 13°20′ each, and each nakshatra has four padas of 3°20′. Your janam nakshatra is the one the Moon was in at your birth. Each is ruled by one of nine planets in a repeating order — Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury — and that ruler sets where your Vimshottari dasha starts.

The complete list

Nakshatra	Ruling planet	Deity	Rashi (sign)	Keywords
1. Ashwini	Ketu	Ashwini Kumaras	Mesh	swift, healing, new beginnings
2. Bharani	Venus	Yama	Mesh	bearing burdens, transformation
3. Krittika	Sun	Agni	Mesh → Vrishabh	sharp, purifying
4. Rohini	Moon	Brahma (Prajapati)	Vrishabh	growth, beauty, fertility
5. Mrigashira	Mars	Soma (Chandra)	Vrishabh → Mithun	seeking, curious
6. Ardra	Rahu	Rudra	Mithun	storm, renewal
7. Punarvasu	Jupiter	Aditi	Mithun → Kark	return, renewal
8. Pushya	Saturn	Brihaspati	Kark	nourishing, the most auspicious
9. Ashlesha	Mercury	Nagas (Sarpas)	Kark	coiling, intuitive
10. Magha	Ketu	Pitris	Singh	royalty, ancestors
11. Purva Phalguni	Venus	Bhaga	Singh	pleasure, creativity
12. Uttara Phalguni	Sun	Aryaman	Singh → Kanya	patronage, agreements
13. Hasta	Moon	Savitar (Surya)	Kanya	skill, craftsmanship
14. Chitra	Mars	Tvashtar (Vishwakarma)	Kanya → Tula	design, brilliance
15. Swati	Rahu	Vayu	Tula	independence, trade
16. Vishakha	Jupiter	Indra and Agni	Tula → Vrishchik	determination, goals
17. Anuradha	Saturn	Mitra	Vrishchik	devotion, friendship
18. Jyeshtha	Mercury	Indra	Vrishchik	seniority, protection
19. Mula	Ketu	Nirriti	Dhanu	roots, investigation
20. Purva Ashadha	Venus	Apas (Waters)	Dhanu	invigoration, victory
21. Uttara Ashadha	Sun	Vishvadevas	Dhanu → Makar	final victory, permanence
22. Shravana	Moon	Vishnu	Makar	listening, learning
23. Dhanishta	Mars	Vasus	Makar → Kumbh	rhythm, wealth
24. Shatabhisha	Rahu	Varuna	Kumbh	healing, secrecy
25. Purva Bhadrapada	Jupiter	Aja Ekapada	Kumbh → Meen	intensity, transformation
26. Uttara Bhadrapada	Saturn	Ahir Budhnya	Meen	depth, stability
27. Revati	Mercury	Pushan	Meen	nourishing, safe journeys

Ruling planet is the Vimshottari lord. Spans use the sidereal (Lahiri) zodiac; where a nakshatra crosses a sign border, both signs are shown.

The nine rulers and their dasha years

Ruling planet	Vimshottari dasha years	Nakshatras it rules
Ketu	7	Ashwini, Magha, Mula
Venus	20	Bharani, Purva Phalguni, Purva Ashadha
Sun	6	Krittika, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashadha
Moon	10	Rohini, Hasta, Shravana
Mars	7	Mrigashira, Chitra, Dhanishta
Rahu	18	Ardra, Swati, Shatabhisha
Jupiter	16	Punarvasu, Vishakha, Purva Bhadrapada
Saturn	19	Pushya, Anuradha, Uttara Bhadrapada
Mercury	17	Ashlesha, Jyeshtha, Revati

The nine periods add up to 120 years, the full Vimshottari cycle.

Why the nakshatra matters

Dasha. The ruler of your birth nakshatra is the planet of your first Vimshottari dasha; the rest of your life's planetary periods follow from it.
Matching. Tara, Yoni, Gana and Nadi in kundli matching all come from the two nakshatras (how it works).
Naming. Each pada has a syllable, which is where traditional baby-name letters come from (explained here).
Muhurat. Weddings, griha pravesh and other ceremonies favour particular nakshatras (see the dates).

How to find yours

You need the date, time and place of birth: the Moon moves about 13° a day, so the day alone is not enough and an hour's error can change the pada. Enter your details in the nakshatra calculator. If you do not know your birth time, a pandit can often narrow it down from family records.

Two people can share a rashi but sit in different nakshatras — a rashi covers 2¼ nakshatras. That finer detail is why serious matching and dasha work use the nakshatra, not just the sign.

Find my nakshatra →My dasha →

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Questions

How many nakshatras are there?: 27 (some traditions add Abhijit as a 28th in specific uses). Each spans 13°20′ of the zodiac.
How do I find my nakshatra?: From the Moon's position at your birth time; use a nakshatra calculator with your date, time and place.
What is a pada?: A quarter of a nakshatra, 3°20′ wide. Four padas make one nakshatra and nine make one rashi.

Keep reading

BasicsHindu Baby Names by Nakshatra Pada: How the First Letter Is Chosen (and Naam Rashi vs Janam Rashi)Panchang & muhuratHow to Read a Panchang in 5 Minutes: Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga, Karana and Vaar Marriage & doshaKundli Matching: Ashtakoot (36 Gunas) Explained — How Many Gunas Are Enough?

Astrology is guidance, not medical, legal or financial advice. Dates and tables in this article are calculated from the sky — see how we calculate.