Nakshatra Calculator: Find Your Janma Nakshatra and Pada

Enter the most exact birth time you have. The Moon moves about 13° a day, so it changes pada roughly every 6 hours and nakshatra about once a day.

How Is Your Nakshatra Calculated?

The zodiac of 360° is divided into 27 nakshatras of 13°20′ each. The calculator takes the Moon's sidereal longitude at your birth and finds which of the 27 spans it falls in.

Each nakshatra has 4 padas of 3°20′. The pada is found in the same way, from how far the Moon has moved into its nakshatra.

A Worked Example

Say the Moon is at 15° Taurus at birth. Rohini runs from 10° to 23°20′ Taurus, so the birth star is Rohini. The Moon is 5° into Rohini, which falls in the 2nd pada (3°20′ to 6°40′). Rohini is ruled by the Moon, and the Moon sign is Taurus.

Understanding Your Nakshatra Result

Your result shows 5 things:

• Nakshatra: your birth star, the nakshatra the Moon occupied at birth
• Pada: the quarter of the nakshatra, from 1 to 4
• Nakshatra lord: the planet that rules your birth star
• Your Rashi: your Moon sign
• Moon degree: the Moon's exact position within its sign

What to Do With Your Result

The nakshatra lord opens your first Vimshottari dasha. How much of that dasha is left at birth depends on the Moon degree, and the Vimshottari dasha calculator works out the full sequence from it.

The pada gives the traditional first syllable for a name. The baby name calculator shows the syllable for your nakshatra and pada, with the letters of every nakshatra in one table.

Your nakshatra is also the base of marriage matching. Gana, Yoni and Nadi in the Kundali matching score all come from the birth stars of the two people.

The 27 Nakshatras: Span, Lord and Deity

This table lists all 27 nakshatras with the span each one covers, its ruling planet and its presiding deity. Select a name to read the full article on that nakshatra.

Nakshatra	Span	Lord	Deity
Ashwini	0° to 13°20′ Aries	Ketu	Ashwini Kumaras
Bharani	13°20′ to 26°40′ Aries	Venus	Yama
Krittika	26°40′ Aries to 10° Taurus	Sun	Agni
Rohini	10° to 23°20′ Taurus	Moon	Brahma
Mrigashira	23°20′ Taurus to 6°40′ Gemini	Mars	Soma
Ardra	6°40′ to 20° Gemini	Rahu	Rudra
Punarvasu	20° Gemini to 3°20′ Cancer	Jupiter	Aditi
Pushya	3°20′ to 16°40′ Cancer	Saturn	Brihaspati
Ashlesha	16°40′ to 30° Cancer	Mercury	Sarpas (Nagas)
Magha	0° to 13°20′ Leo	Ketu	Pitris
Purva Phalguni	13°20′ to 26°40′ Leo	Venus	Bhaga
Uttara Phalguni	26°40′ Leo to 10° Virgo	Sun	Aryaman
Hasta	10° to 23°20′ Virgo	Moon	Savitar
Chitra	23°20′ Virgo to 6°40′ Libra	Mars	Tvashtar
Swati	6°40′ to 20° Libra	Rahu	Vayu
Vishakha	20° Libra to 3°20′ Scorpio	Jupiter	Indra and Agni
Anuradha	3°20′ to 16°40′ Scorpio	Saturn	Mitra
Jyeshtha	16°40′ to 30° Scorpio	Mercury	Indra
Mula	0° to 13°20′ Sagittarius	Ketu	Nirriti
Purva Ashadha	13°20′ to 26°40′ Sagittarius	Venus	Apas (the Waters)
Uttara Ashadha	26°40′ Sagittarius to 10° Capricorn	Sun	Vishvadevas
Shravana	10° to 23°20′ Capricorn	Moon	Vishnu
Dhanishta	23°20′ Capricorn to 6°40′ Aquarius	Mars	Vasus
Shatabhisha	6°40′ to 20° Aquarius	Rahu	Varuna
Purva Bhadrapada	20° Aquarius to 3°20′ Pisces	Jupiter	Aja Ekapada
Uttara Bhadrapada	3°20′ to 16°40′ Pisces	Saturn	Ahir Budhnya
Revati	16°40′ to 30° Pisces	Mercury	Pushan

The lords repeat in the same order of 9 planets three times, from Ketu to Mercury. This is the order the Vimshottari dasha follows.

Learn More About the Nakshatras

For the symbol, deity, nature and remedies of each birth star, read our guide to the 27 nakshatras. To see how the Moon behaves in each one, read Moon in 27 Nakshatras.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find my nakshatra by date of birth?

Enter your date, time and place of birth in the calculator above. It finds the Moon's position at that moment and shows your nakshatra, pada, nakshatra lord, Moon sign and Moon degree.

Can I find my nakshatra without a birth time?

Usually not. The Moon spends about a day in each nakshatra, so it changes nakshatra at some hour on almost every calendar day. A date alone narrows the answer to 2 nakshatras, and the birth time decides which one is yours. The pada needs the time as well.

What is a nakshatra pada?

A pada is one quarter of a nakshatra, 3°20′ wide. There are 108 padas across the zodiac. The pada links your nakshatra to a Navamsa sign and to the traditional naming syllable.

Is Janma Nakshatra the same as birth star?

Yes. Janma Nakshatra, birth star and birth nakshatra all mean the nakshatra the Moon occupied at the time of birth.

What is the difference between Rashi and Nakshatra?

Rashi is the sign the Moon occupies, and there are 12 of them. Nakshatra is the smaller span the Moon occupies, and there are 27. Each sign holds 2 and a quarter nakshatras.

How accurate is the nakshatra calculator?

It is accurate when the birth time and place are correct. The calculation uses the sidereal zodiac with the Lahiri ayanamsa. If your birth time is uncertain, look at the Moon degree. A small time error only changes the result when the Moon sits near the edge of a pada or nakshatra.