Nakshatra & Moonsign Finder
Discover your birth star (Nakshatra) and Vedic Moonsign (Rashi).
About Nakshatras
A nakshatra is a lunar mansion — one of 27 divisions of the zodiac, each spanning 13 degrees and 20 minutes. Your birth nakshatra is the one the Moon occupied at the moment you were born, and in Vedic astrology it carries more personal detail than the rashi alone.
Padas and ruling planets
Each nakshatra is divided into four quarters called padas, so 27 nakshatras give 108 padas — the same 108 that recurs in japa. Each nakshatra has a ruling planet, a presiding deity and a symbol, and these are used in interpreting temperament and in the Vimshottari dasha system, which sets the sequence of planetary periods across a lifetime from the birth nakshatra.
Where nakshatra is used in practice
It determines the traditional first syllable for naming a child, is central to compatibility matching through the Tara and Yoni kootas, and governs muhurat selection, since particular nakshatras are preferred for particular activities. It is also used for choosing days to begin study, travel or medical treatment.
Frequently asked questions
- What do I need to find my nakshatra?
- Your date, time and place of birth. Time matters, because the Moon moves through a nakshatra in roughly a day — an inaccurate birth time can place you in the wrong pada or the wrong nakshatra entirely.
- Is nakshatra the same as rashi?
- No. The rashi is one of 12 signs of 30 degrees each; the nakshatra is one of 27 divisions of 13°20'. Both are derived from the Moon's position, and one rashi spans a little over two nakshatras.