27
Lunar mansions
Across the sidereal zodiac
Find your Janam Nakshatra, pada, Janma Rashi and ruling planet from the Moon's exact sidereal position at birth. This free Nakshatra calculator uses your exact date of birth, birth time and birthplace to give a personalised, verifiable Vedic astrology result.
Vedic astrology guide
Janam Nakshatra means “birth star.” In Jyotish, it is the one of 27 lunar mansions occupied by Chandra, the Moon, at the precise moment of birth. Because the Moon describes the mind, emotional habits, memory and instinctive response, the birth Nakshatra adds a more detailed layer than the Moon sign alone.
The complete zodiac contains 360 degrees. Dividing it into 27 equal Nakshatras gives each birth star a span of 13°20′. Every Nakshatra is then divided into four padas of 3°20′, creating 108 padas in total. The pada refines the reading and determines the traditional starting sound suggested for a name.
Because the Moon governs the mind, Janam Nakshatra is often read as a portrait of instinctive nature — how a person processes emotion, reacts under pressure, connects with others and pursues what they want. It is also the starting point for the Vimshottari Dasha (the sequence of planetary periods that time major life events), a key factor in marriage compatibility (Kundali Milan), the basis for choosing a baby's naming syllable, and an input for muhurta, or auspicious timing. Two people can share the same zodiac sign yet have very different birth stars, which is why Nakshatra is considered a finer, more personal layer of Vedic astrology.
27
Across the sidereal zodiac
13°20′
Four equal padas
108
One traditional syllable each
Verify your result
You don't have to take the result on faith. This is the same method professional Jyotish software uses, so you can cross-check it against your existing Kundali.
Your local birth time and your birthplace's historical time zone are combined to convert your birth into a precise UTC moment — the starting point for every calculation that follows.
Using an astronomical ephemeris, the Moon's geocentric ecliptic longitude (0°–360°) is calculated for that exact UTC moment.
The Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsa value for that date is subtracted from the tropical longitude to get the Moon's sidereal longitude — the same figure your Kundali's Moon degree is based on.
Each of the 27 Nakshatras spans exactly 13°20′ (13.333°) of the zodiac. Dividing the sidereal longitude by 13.333° and rounding down gives the Nakshatra number, from 1 (Ashwini) to 27 (Revati).
Whatever degree is left over inside that Nakshatra is divided by 3°20′ (3.333°) and rounded down, then 1 is added, to give the pada — a number from 1 to 4.
Worked example
A sidereal Moon at 51°42′ (51.7°) falls in the 4th Nakshatra — Rohini, which spans 40°00′–53°20′. The leftover 11°42′ (11.7°), divided by 3°20′, rounds down to pada 4. If your Kundali shows a sidereal Moon degree, you can run the same division to confirm your Nakshatra and pada.
Different astrology software may show a nearby boundary differently because of ayanamsa choice, ephemeris model or birth-time rounding. This calculator uses the Lahiri/Chitrapaksha sidereal reference, the standard adopted by India's Calendar Reform Committee. Astrology is a traditional interpretive system and this tool is not a substitute for professional or medical advice.
Complete birth star guide
Explore the ruling planet, deity, symbol, strengths and central meaning of every Janam Nakshatra, in their traditional zodiac order from Ashwini to Revati.
Ashwini carries swift, pioneering and restorative energy. People born under it often act quickly, value independence and have a natural instinct for helping situations move from stagnation toward renewal.
Growth path: Patience turns Ashwini's speed into mastery. Pause long enough to understand consequences before racing toward the next beginning.
Bharani represents endurance, creation and the power to carry responsibility through intense change. Its natives are often passionate, loyal and capable of holding steady when life demands maturity.
Growth path: Strong desires need wise boundaries. Releasing control and choosing moderation helps Bharani express its considerable creative force cleanly.
Krittika is the fire that purifies, separates truth from confusion and sharpens raw potential. It often gives direct speech, discernment, ambition and a protective nature.
Growth path: A sharp mind and tongue can both heal and hurt. Tempering criticism with compassion makes Krittika's truth easier to receive.
Rohini is associated with fertility, beauty, growth and material creation. Its natives often possess charm, aesthetic sensitivity and a talent for making people, ideas or resources flourish.
Growth path: Comfort is nourishing until attachment makes change feel threatening. Cultivating simplicity and flexibility preserves Rohini's natural abundance.
Mrigashira expresses curiosity, searching and a gentle desire to discover what lies beyond the familiar. It commonly brings alertness, research ability, sensitivity and youthful enthusiasm.
Growth path: The endless search can become restlessness. Choosing a worthy direction and staying with it converts curiosity into real knowledge.
Ardra carries the cleansing intensity of a storm. Its natives may be penetrating thinkers who can face complexity, grief or disruption and uncover the truth that makes renewal possible.
Growth path: Intensity needs a constructive outlet. Processing emotion before reacting prevents necessary change from becoming unnecessary destruction.
Punarvasu signifies restoration, optimism and the ability to return to one's centre after difficulty. It tends to give generosity, philosophical intelligence and faith in fresh beginnings.
Growth path: Repeated fresh starts must eventually become sustained effort. Practical follow-through allows Punarvasu's hopeful ideas to take root.
Pushya embodies nourishment, discipline and spiritual support. Its natives often combine a caring temperament with patience, reliability and respect for knowledge or tradition.
Growth path: Duty should not erase personal needs. Receiving care and permitting healthy change prevents responsibility from becoming heaviness.
Ashlesha brings psychological perception, strategic intelligence and the power to understand what is concealed. It can create persuasive communicators with strong intuition and a magnetic presence.
Growth path: Insight must be joined with transparency. Releasing suspicion and indirect control allows Ashlesha's intelligence to become healing wisdom.
Magha connects personal authority with ancestry, heritage and earned status. It often gives dignity, leadership ability and a desire to protect the values or legacy one has inherited.
Growth path: True authority serves rather than demands recognition. Humility and openness to new ideas keep pride from isolating the heart.
Purva Phalguni celebrates affection, pleasure, creativity and the restorative power of leisure. Its natives often radiate warmth, artistic confidence and an instinct for bringing people together.
Growth path: Pleasure becomes richer when supported by discipline. Consistency with money, commitments and effort protects long-term happiness.
Uttara Phalguni turns attraction into agreement and talent into sustained contribution. It favours generosity, dependable partnership and the ability to build lasting social structures.
Growth path: Helping others should remain a choice, not a source of superiority or resentment. Fair agreements protect both energy and goodwill.
Hasta is the skill to shape an intention with one's own hands. It brings dexterity, humour, practical intelligence and a talent for organising details into something useful.
Growth path: Competence does not require controlling every detail. Trust, delegation and rest help Hasta avoid nervous overwork.
Chitra combines beauty, structure and the drive to create a striking form. Its natives may be charismatic perfectionists who see how raw material can be redesigned into something exceptional.
Growth path: Outer brilliance should reflect inner truth. Accepting imperfection prevents image, comparison or restless desire from eclipsing substance.
Swati expresses independence, movement and the flexibility to learn through direct experience. It often produces diplomatic, entrepreneurial people who need space to discover their own path.
Growth path: Freedom needs an inner compass. Commitment and steady routines prevent changing winds from scattering energy.
Vishakha is focused ambition moving toward a chosen goal. It grants determination, persuasive power and the capacity to persist through competition until a meaningful milestone is reached.
Growth path: Success should not become the only measure of worth. Ethical aims and appreciation of the journey prevent ambition from becoming consuming.
Anuradha unites devotion with disciplined friendship. It often gives loyalty, organisational skill and the ability to create cooperation across differences while pursuing a deeper purpose.
Growth path: Loyalty must include loyalty to oneself. Expressing hurt directly prevents emotional pressure from accumulating behind a composed exterior.
Jyeshtha carries seniority, protection and responsibility earned through experience. Its natives are often perceptive survivors who can take command during uncertainty and safeguard those in their care.
Growth path: Capability does not require carrying everything alone. Releasing defensiveness and rivalry makes leadership steadier and more generous.
Mula seeks the root beneath appearances and is willing to dismantle what is false. It can bring fearless investigation, philosophical depth and profound regeneration after endings.
Growth path: Truth can be uncovered without uprooting everything at once. Compassion and gradual change help Mula preserve what remains healthy.
Purva Ashadha carries conviction, renewal and the power of an inspiring message. Its natives often combine idealism, eloquence and a refusal to surrender what they deeply believe.
Growth path: A strong belief becomes wisdom when it can be questioned. Listening to evidence and other viewpoints refines natural confidence.
Uttara Ashadha represents enduring victory grounded in universal principles. It tends to give integrity, patience and the capacity to build influence slowly through responsible action.
Growth path: High standards should leave room for human complexity. Flexibility and timely rest keep duty from hardening into rigidity.
Shravana learns through attentive listening and transmits knowledge across people and generations. It often brings memory, diplomacy, travel and a gift for understanding the meaning inside a story.
Growth path: Information must be filtered, not merely collected. Speaking one's own truth prevents social awareness from turning into excessive concern about reputation.
Dhanishtha combines rhythm, ambition and participation in a larger group. It can produce resourceful achievers with musical timing, social influence and the ability to mobilise collective effort.
Growth path: Visible success cannot replace emotional connection. Slowing down to listen prevents ambition or status from creating distance.
Shatabhisha seeks healing through truth, research and independent observation. Its natives may be private reformers drawn to science, systems and unconventional solutions.
Growth path: Solitude should restore rather than isolate. Allowing trusted people into the inner world supports the healing this nakshatra seeks.
Purva Bhadrapada carries idealistic fire, austerity and the urge to awaken people from complacency. It can give powerful speech, originality and commitment to a cause larger than comfort.
Growth path: Intensity benefits from moderation and humour. Grounding visionary ideas in humane action prevents extremes or cynicism.
Uttara Bhadrapada represents depth, stability and compassion born from understanding life's complexity. It often gives patience, introspection and a quiet capacity to support collective wellbeing.
Growth path: Inner depth needs outward movement. Clear boundaries and practical action prevent passivity, withdrawal or carrying other people's burdens.
Revati completes the zodiac with protection, nourishment and safe passage toward a new beginning. Its natives are often imaginative, kind and gifted at guiding people, ideas or journeys to completion.
Growth path: Sensitivity needs clear limits. Practical routines and discernment protect Revati from confusion, over-idealism or giving too much.
Your Janam Nakshatra, or birth star, is the Vedic lunar mansion the Moon was passing through at your exact birth moment. Enter your date, time and place of birth in the calculator above to see your Nakshatra, pada, Rashi and ruling planet instantly.
Janam Nakshatra is calculated by converting your birth time to a precise astronomical moment, finding the Moon's longitude at that moment, applying the Lahiri ayanamsa to get its sidereal position, then dividing that position by 13°20′. See the step-by-step method below to verify it against your own Kundali.
A date alone can narrow down the likely Nakshatra, but it isn't always reliable, because the Moon moves into a new Nakshatra roughly once a day. For an accurate result — especially near a Nakshatra or pada boundary — you need your exact birth time and birthplace too.
No. Rashi divides the zodiac into 12 signs of 30 degrees each, while Nakshatra divides it into 27 lunar mansions of 13 degrees 20 minutes each. Both are based on the Moon's sidereal position, but Nakshatra offers a more detailed, personal layer of interpretation.
A pada is one of four equal 3°20′ quarters within a Nakshatra, making 108 padas across the zodiac. Your pada refines your personality reading further and supplies the traditional starting syllable used in Vedic baby naming.
The Moon travels about 13 degrees a day, so even a small error in birth time can shift your pada, and a birth close to a boundary can change your Nakshatra entirely. Use the most accurate recorded birth time available, such as a birth certificate or hospital record.
Classical Vedic astrology divides the zodiac into 27 Nakshatras, from Ashwini to Revati, and this calculator uses that standard 27-Nakshatra system, like most Kundali software. Some traditions also reference a 28th, Abhijit, but it is rarely used in modern birth chart calculations.
Because the Moon represents the mind, your Janam Nakshatra is read as a signature of your emotional nature, instincts and habitual behaviour. It's also the starting point of your Vimshottari Dasha timeline, and is used in marriage matching, baby naming and choosing auspicious timing for major life events.
Janam Nakshatra sets the starting Dasha lord for your entire planetary-period timeline, forms the basis of Nakshatra-based marriage compatibility (Kundali Milan), guides the naming syllable chosen for a newborn, and helps determine muhurta — the auspicious timing for important events.
This calculator uses the Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsa, the standard adopted by India's Calendar Reform Committee and the most widely used ayanamsa in Vedic astrology software. If you compare results against a chart built on a different ayanamsa, such as Raman or KP, your Nakshatra or pada may shift slightly near a boundary.
Go beyond your birth star
Nakshatra describes the Moon's birth position. A complete chart also considers the ascendant, houses, planets, yogas and dasha periods.