The 27 Nakshatras

How Nakshatras Work

Span, starting point, padas, and the navamsa basics behind them.

27 equal slices

The zodiac's 360° splits into 27 nakshatras, each exactly 13°20′ wide — a fixed-size ruler laid over the 12 rashis, which don't line up with it evenly.

Where the ruler starts

The count starts at 0° sidereal Aries with Ashwini, and runs forward through the zodiac in order, ending with Revati at 30° Meena (Pisces) — then wrapping back to Ashwini.

The Moon's clock

The Moon moves roughly one nakshatra per day, circling the whole zodiac in about 27-28 days — a sidereal month. This is why your janma nakshatra (birth star) is really a snapshot of where the Moon's daily clock stood the moment you were born.

Remember it

27 stars, 13°20′ each, one Moon-day apart. Three numbers, one ruler.

Splitting the ruler into four

Each nakshatra divides into 4 padas ('feet' or quarters) of 3°20′ each. A planet's pada narrows down exactly where in the nakshatra it sits — useful when a nakshatra straddles two rashis.

Padas open the navamsa

Each pada also marks one sign of the navamsa (D9) — a finer, nine-fold division of the zodiac used to judge marriage, dharma, and a chart's inner strength. You don't need to compute the full D9 yet; just know that pada is the doorway into it.

Remember it

4 padas × 27 nakshatras = 108 — the same 108 that shows up everywhere else in the tradition, from mala beads to the D9 itself.

Terms introduced here

A nakshatra's span

Each of the 27 nakshatras spans exactly 13°20′ of the zodiac.

Where the count starts

The nakshatra count begins at 0° Aries (sidereal) with Ashwini.

The Moon's daily motion

The Moon moves roughly one nakshatra per day, completing the zodiac in about 27-28 days.

Padas — the quarter divisions

Each nakshatra splits into 4 padas of 3°20′ each, used for finer placement and navamsa.

Navamsa basics

Each pada corresponds to one sign of the navamsa (D9) — a ninth division of the zodiac.