Nakshatra Position Lookup: All 27 Nakshatras by Degree, Pada and Lord
A complete position-lookup reference for the 27 nakshatras. The exact sidereal degree span of each nakshatra, its ruling planet and deity, the pada structure and the traditional naming syllables, computed with True Pushya Paksha ayanamsa via Swiss Ephemeris.
The nakshatra is the finest layer of the Vedic sky map. Where the 12 rashi signs cut the zodiac into 30 degree arcs, the nakshatras cut it into 27 arcs of 13 degrees 20 minutes each. The Moon crosses one nakshatra roughly every day, and the nakshatra it occupies at birth fixes the starting Vimshottari dasha. To read any chart you first need the exact nakshatra and pada of each planet, and that is a lookup against sidereal longitude.
The 27 nakshatras by degree, lord and deity
Each row gives the sidereal longitude span, the sign or signs the nakshatra falls in, the ruling planet (which is the Vimshottari dasha lord) and the presiding deity. Degrees are counted from 0 Aries in the sidereal zodiac.
| # | Nakshatra | Sidereal span | Sign | Lord | Deity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashwini | 0°00′ – 13°20′ | Aries | Ketu | Ashwini Kumaras |
| 2 | Bharani | 13°20′ – 26°40′ | Aries | Venus | Yama |
| 3 | Krittika | 26°40′ – 40°00′ | Aries – Taurus | Sun | Agni |
| 4 | Rohini | 40°00′ – 53°20′ | Taurus | Moon | Brahma (Prajapati) |
| 5 | Mrigashira | 53°20′ – 66°40′ | Taurus – Gemini | Mars | Soma |
| 6 | Ardra | 66°40′ – 80°00′ | Gemini | Rahu | Rudra |
| 7 | Punarvasu | 80°00′ – 93°20′ | Gemini – Cancer | Jupiter | Aditi |
| 8 | Pushya | 93°20′ – 106°40′ | Cancer | Saturn | Brihaspati |
| 9 | Ashlesha | 106°40′ – 120°00′ | Cancer | Mercury | Nagas |
| 10 | Magha | 120°00′ – 133°20′ | Leo | Ketu | Pitris |
| 11 | Purva Phalguni | 133°20′ – 146°40′ | Leo | Venus | Bhaga |
| 12 | Uttara Phalguni | 146°40′ – 160°00′ | Leo – Virgo | Sun | Aryaman |
| 13 | Hasta | 160°00′ – 173°20′ | Virgo | Moon | Savitr |
| 14 | Chitra | 173°20′ – 186°40′ | Virgo – Libra | Mars | Vishvakarma |
| 15 | Swati | 186°40′ – 200°00′ | Libra | Rahu | Vayu |
| 16 | Vishakha | 200°00′ – 213°20′ | Libra – Scorpio | Jupiter | Indra-Agni |
| 17 | Anuradha | 213°20′ – 226°40′ | Scorpio | Saturn | Mitra |
| 18 | Jyeshtha | 226°40′ – 240°00′ | Scorpio | Mercury | Indra |
| 19 | Mula | 240°00′ – 253°20′ | Sagittarius | Ketu | Nirriti |
| 20 | Purva Ashadha | 253°20′ – 266°40′ | Sagittarius | Venus | Apas |
| 21 | Uttara Ashadha | 266°40′ – 280°00′ | Sagittarius – Capricorn | Sun | Vishvedevas |
| 22 | Shravana | 280°00′ – 293°20′ | Capricorn | Moon | Vishnu |
| 23 | Dhanishta | 293°20′ – 306°40′ | Capricorn – Aquarius | Mars | Vasus |
| 24 | Shatabhisha | 306°40′ – 320°00′ | Aquarius | Rahu | Varuna |
| 25 | Purva Bhadrapada | 320°00′ – 333°20′ | Aquarius – Pisces | Jupiter | Aja Ekapada |
| 26 | Uttara Bhadrapada | 333°20′ – 346°40′ | Pisces | Saturn | Ahir Budhnya |
| 27 | Revati | 346°40′ – 360°00′ | Pisces | Mercury | Pushan |
How to find your nakshatra
The lookup is arithmetic once you have the sidereal longitude.
- Compute the sidereal longitude. Take the planet's tropical longitude and subtract the ayanamsa. Tempora uses True Pushya Paksha ayanamsa via Swiss Ephemeris.
- Divide by 13 degrees 20 minutes. That is 13.333 degrees. The integer part plus one is the nakshatra number counting from Ashwini.
- Read the pada. Within the nakshatra, each 3 degrees 20 minutes block is one of the four padas. The remainder after the division, split into quarters, gives the pada.
A worked case: a Moon at sidereal 100 degrees divides by 13.333 to give 7.5. The integer 7 plus one is nakshatra 8, Pushya. The remainder 0.5 of a nakshatra places the Moon in the second half, pada 2. Reading the ruling-planet column above for Pushya gives the nakshatra lord, which is the planet whose Vimshottari period the native begins life in.
Read your full nakshatra chart
Tempora computes every planet's nakshatra, pada and dasha from your birth data with True Pushya Paksha ayanamsa, then maps the windows.
Compute my chartPadas and the traditional naming syllables
Each nakshatra holds four padas of 3 degrees 20 minutes. The pada maps to a navamsa sign and fixes the traditional starting syllable used when naming a child born under that nakshatra. The syllable set below follows the standard classical naming convention; minor regional transliteration variants exist.
| Nakshatra | Pada syllables (1 to 4) |
|---|---|
| Ashwini | Chu, Che, Cho, La |
| Bharani | Lee, Lu, Le, Lo |
| Krittika | A, Ee, U, E |
| Rohini | O, Va, Vi, Vu |
| Mrigashira | Ve, Vo, Ka, Ki |
| Ardra | Ku, Gha, Nga, Chha |
| Punarvasu | Ke, Ko, Ha, Hi |
| Pushya | Hu, He, Ho, Da |
| Ashlesha | Dee, Doo, De, Do |
| Magha | Ma, Mi, Mu, Me |
| Purva Phalguni | Mo, Ta, Ti, Tu |
| Uttara Phalguni | Te, To, Pa, Pi |
| Hasta | Pu, Sha, Na, Tha |
| Chitra | Pe, Po, Ra, Ri |
| Swati | Ru, Re, Ro, Ta |
| Vishakha | Ti, Tu, Te, To |
| Anuradha | Na, Ni, Nu, Ne |
| Jyeshtha | No, Ya, Yi, Yu |
| Mula | Ye, Yo, Bha, Bhi |
| Purva Ashadha | Bhu, Dha, Pha, Dha |
| Uttara Ashadha | Bhe, Bho, Ja, Ji |
| Shravana | Ju, Je, Jo, Kha |
| Dhanishta | Ga, Gi, Gu, Ge |
| Shatabhisha | Go, Sa, Si, Su |
| Purva Bhadrapada | Se, So, Da, Di |
| Uttara Bhadrapada | Du, Tha, Jha, Tra |
| Revati | De, Do, Cha, Chi |
Why the ayanamsa matters at the boundary
Nakshatra boundaries are only 13 degrees 20 minutes apart, and pada boundaries are 3 degrees 20 minutes apart. The ayanamsa shifts every sidereal longitude by roughly 24 degrees, so a planet near a boundary can fall in a different nakshatra or pada under a different ayanamsa. This is not a rounding quibble. A Moon that Lahiri places in the last pada of one nakshatra can sit in the first pada of the next under True Pushya Paksha, which changes the starting dasha lord and the whole period timeline. Tempora anchors on True Pushya Paksha, where the star Pushya sits at the midpoint of sidereal Cancer, and every calibrated forward call uses this same setting.
Frequently asked
What is a nakshatra?
A nakshatra is one of the 27 equal divisions of the sidereal zodiac used in Vedic astrology. Each nakshatra spans exactly 13 degrees 20 minutes of ecliptic longitude, so 27 of them cover the full 360 degree circle. The nakshatra the Moon occupies at birth sets the starting Vimshottari dasha and carries its own deity, ruling planet and temperament. Nakshatras are older than the 12 rashi signs in the Vedic tradition and remain the finer layer of the reading.
How do I find which nakshatra a planet is in?
Take the planet's sidereal longitude and divide by 13 degrees 20 minutes (13.333 degrees). The whole-number result plus one gives the nakshatra number counting from Ashwini. For example a sidereal longitude of 100 degrees divided by 13.333 is 7.5, so the planet sits in the 8th nakshatra, Pushya. Tempora computes the sidereal longitude with True Pushya Paksha ayanamsa via Swiss Ephemeris, then reads the nakshatra and pada from the table above.
What is a pada?
A pada is a quarter of a nakshatra, spanning 3 degrees 20 minutes. Each nakshatra has 4 padas, so the 27 nakshatras hold 108 padas across the zodiac, which is why 108 is a sacred count in the tradition. The pada refines the reading: it maps to a navamsa sign and it fixes the traditional starting syllable used when naming a child born under that nakshatra.
Why does the ayanamsa change my nakshatra?
The ayanamsa is the offset between the tropical and sidereal zodiacs, and it shifts every planet's sidereal longitude by roughly 24 degrees. Because nakshatra boundaries are only 13 degrees 20 minutes apart, a planet sitting near a boundary can fall in a different nakshatra under a different ayanamsa. Tempora uses True Pushya Paksha ayanamsa, which anchors the star Pushya at the midpoint of sidereal Cancer. At borderline degrees this can change the nakshatra, the pada and therefore the starting dasha lord.
Which planet rules each nakshatra?
The 27 nakshatras map to 9 ruling planets in a fixed repeating order: Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury. Ashwini, Magha and Mula are ruled by Ketu. Bharani, Purva Phalguni and Purva Ashadha are ruled by Venus. The pattern repeats three times across the 27 nakshatras. This ruling planet is the Vimshottari dasha lord, which is why the nakshatra of the Moon sets the starting dasha.
Are nakshatra positions the same in every astrology app?
No. Apps that use Lahiri ayanamsa will place borderline planets in a slightly different nakshatra than apps using True Pushya Paksha, Raman or Krishnamurti ayanamsa. The nakshatra spans in the table above are fixed at 13 degrees 20 minutes each, but which nakshatra a given birth planet lands in depends on the sidereal longitude, and that depends on the ayanamsa. Always check which ayanamsa a tool uses before comparing results.