नक्षत्र
The Twenty-Seven Nakṣatras
Lunar mansions of the classical tradition
The Moon completes one revolution of the zodiac in approximately 27.3 days. Ancient Indian astronomers divided the ecliptic into 27 equal portions of 13°20' each, one for each day of the Moon's journey — these are the nakṣatras. Each carries a distinct quality, a presiding deity, a ruling planet, and a body of classical knowledge accumulated over millennia. The nakṣatra of the Moon at birth reveals the precise emotional and instinctual character of the individual. In Praśna (horary astrology), the Moon's nakṣatra at the moment of the question carries decisive interpretive weight.
अश्विनी
Aśvinī
Born of the horse; the horse woman
भरणी
Bharaṇī
The bearer; she who bears
कृत्तिका
Kṛttikā
The cutters; the Pleiades
रोहिणी
Rohiṇī
The red one; the growing one
मृगशीर्षा
Mṛgaśīrṣā
The deer's head
आर्द्रा
Ārdrā
The moist one; the green one; fresh after rain
पुनर्वसु
Punarvasu
The return of light; becoming good again; restoring the dwelling
पुष्य
Puṣya
Nourisher; the flower; that which nourishes
आश्लेषा
Āśleṣā
The embrace; the clinging star; the entwiner
मघा
Maghā
The mighty; the great; the bountiful
पूर्व फाल्गुनी
Pūrva Phālgunī
The former reddish one; the former fig tree
उत्तर फाल्गुनी
Uttara Phālgunī
The latter reddish one; the latter fig tree
हस्त
Hasta
The hand
चित्रा
Citrā
The bright one; the variegated; the brilliant
स्वाती
Svātī
The self-going; the independent; the good one
विशाखा
Viśākhā
The forked branch; the star of purpose
अनुराधा
Anurādhā
Following Rādhā; subsequent success; the star of devotion
ज्येष्ठा
Jyeṣṭhā
The eldest; the senior; the supreme
मूल
Mūla
The root; the foundation; that which is most essential
पूर्वाषाढा
Pūrvāṣāḍhā
The former invincible one; the earlier victory
उत्तराषाढा
Uttarāṣāḍhā
The latter invincible one; the later victory
श्रवण
Śravaṇa
Hearing; the listener; that which is heard
धनिष्ठा
Dhaniṣṭhā
The wealthiest; most swift; the star of symphony
शतभिषा
Śatabhiṣā
The hundred physicians; the hundred healers; possessing a hundred medicines
पूर्व भाद्रपदा
Pūrva Bhādrapadā
The former auspicious one; the first of the blessed feet
उत्तर भाद्रपदा
Uttara Bhādrapadā
The latter auspicious one; the second of the blessed feet
रेवती
Revatī
The wealthy; the abundant; the prosperous
The Classical Framework
The nakṣatra system predates the rāśi (zodiac sign) system in Indian astronomy — the lunar mansions are among the oldest organizational frameworks in Vedic literature. The Ṛgveda, the Atharva Veda, and the Taittirīya Saṃhitā all reference the nakṣatras as the Moon's dwelling-places. The full systematic treatment of their astrological significance is found in Parāśara's Bṛhat Parāśara Horā Śāstra, Varāhamihira's Bṛhat Saṃhitā, and the Praśna Mārga.
Each nakṣatra is exactly 13°20' (or 800 minutes of arc) in extent. The nakṣatra sequence begins at 0° of Meṣa (sidereal Aries) and proceeds through the entire zodiac. The sidereal positions used in this system employ the Lahiri ayanamsa — the standard for modern Indian Jyotiṣa — which differs from the tropical zodiac used in Western astrology by approximately 23–24° (the value increases slightly each year due to precession).
To discover your janma nakṣatra (birth nakṣatra), you need the sidereal position of your Moon at birth. The Praśna tool calculates nakṣatra positions for any given moment using Swiss Ephemeris.