The 27 nakshatras: ruler, deity and meaning of every birth star

The Moon takes about 27.3 days to circle the sky against the stars. Ancient Indian astronomers divided its path into 27 equal parts — one for each night — and named each after the star or group of stars it contained. These are the nakshatras, the oldest layer of Jyotish, already listed in the Vedas.

The basics

Each nakshatra spans 13°20′ of the zodiac.
Each is split into four padas of 3°20′, so there are 108 padas in all — one reason 108 is a sacred number.
Nine padas make one rashi, so each sign contains two and a quarter nakshatras.
Your janma nakshatra (birth star) is the nakshatra the Moon was in when you were born.

All 27 at a glance

#	Nakshatra	Ruler	Deity
1	Ashwini	Ketu	Ashwini Kumaras
2	Bharani	Venus	Yama
3	Krittika	Sun	Agni
4	Rohini	Moon	Prajapati (Brahma)
5	Mrigashira	Mars	Soma
6	Ardra	Rahu	Rudra
7	Punarvasu	Jupiter	Aditi
8	Pushya	Saturn	Brihaspati
9	Ashlesha	Mercury	Nagas
10	Magha	Ketu	Pitris (ancestors)
11	Purva Phalguni	Venus	Bhaga
12	Uttara Phalguni	Sun	Aryaman
13	Hasta	Moon	Savitr
14	Chitra	Mars	Vishwakarma
15	Swati	Rahu	Vayu
16	Vishakha	Jupiter	Indra and Agni
17	Anuradha	Saturn	Mitra
18	Jyeshtha	Mercury	Indra
19	Mula	Ketu	Nirriti
20	Purva Ashadha	Venus	Apas (waters)
21	Uttara Ashadha	Sun	Vishvedevas
22	Shravana	Moon	Vishnu
23	Dhanishta	Mars	Ashta Vasus
24	Shatabhisha	Rahu	Varuna
25	Purva Bhadrapada	Jupiter	Aja Ekapada
26	Uttara Bhadrapada	Saturn	Ahir Budhnya
27	Revati	Mercury	Pushan

The rulers repeat in the order Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury. That same order drives the Vimshottari dasha.

How the birth star is used

Naming. Each pada has a starting syllable (for example, Ashwini's are Chu, Che, Cho, La). The naamkaran tradition chooses a name beginning with the syllable of the baby's birth pada.

Match-making. Four of the eight kootas in guna milan — Tara, Yoni, Gana and Nadi — come from the two birth stars. Read what the 36 points actually measure.

Dasha. The ruler of the birth star gives the first mahadasha of life.

Muhurat. Every muhurat — for griha pravesh, a vehicle, a wedding — checks the day's nakshatra. Rohini, Mrigashira, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashadha, Uttara Bhadrapada and Revati are among the most widely favoured for new beginnings.

Daily life. Tara bala counts from your birth star to the day's star to judge whether the day is supportive.

Gana: the three temperaments

Each nakshatra is also given a gana:

Deva (divine) — gentle, generous: Ashwini, Mrigashira, Punarvasu, Pushya, Hasta, Swati, Anuradha, Shravana, Revati.
Manushya (human) — balanced, worldly: Bharani, Rohini, Ardra, the three Purvas, the three Uttaras.
Rakshasa (fierce) — independent, intense: Krittika, Ashlesha, Magha, Chitra, Vishakha, Jyeshtha, Mula, Dhanishta, Shatabhisha.

Rakshasa is not an insult; it describes strength of will. Gana compatibility is one of the kootas in match-making.

Gandmool nakshatras

Six nakshatras sit at the junctions between water and fire signs: Ashwini, Ashlesha, Magha, Jyeshtha, Mula and Revati. A child born in them is called gandmool, and many families perform a Gandmool shanti pooja on the 27th day after birth, when the Moon returns to the same nakshatra.

Find your birth star, its pada and your naming syllable with the free nakshatra finder.