Nakshatra
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Nakshatra (Sanskrit: नक्षत्रम्, romanized: Nakṣatram) is the term for a lunar mansion in Hindu astrology and Buddhist astrology. A nakshatra is one of the 27 (sometimes 28) sectors along the ecliptic. Their names are related to the prominent star or asterism in or near the respective sectors. Every nakshatra is divided into four padas (lit. "steps").
The starting point for the nakshatras according to the Vedas is "Krittika" (it has been argued that this is because the Pleiades may have marked the start of the year at the time the Vedas were compiled, presumably at the vernal equinox), but in more recent compilations, the start of the nakshatra list is the point on the ecliptic directly opposite the star Spica, called Chitrā in Sanskrit. This corresponds to Ashwinī, a part of the modern constellation of Aries. These compilations, therefore, may have been compiled during the centuries when the sun was passing through Aries at the time of the vernal equinox. This version may have been called Meshādi or the "start of Aries".[1][full citation needed][2]
The first astronomical text that lists them is the Vedanga Jyotisha.[3][better source needed]
In classical Hindu scriptures like the Mahabharata (Shalya Parvan,section 35)[4] and Harivamsa, the creation of the asterisms is attributed to Daksha.[5] The nakshatras are personified as daughters of Daksha and as wives of Chandra, the god of the Moon. When Chandra neglected his other 26 wives in favour of Rohini, his father-in-law cursed him with leprosy and proclaimed that the Moon would wax and wane each month.[6] The nakshatras are also described as the daughters of Kashyapa.
Nakshatra is one of the five elements of a Pañcāṅga. The other four elements are:
Etymology
[edit]The sanskrit term naksatra denotes a special class of heavenly bodies associated with the moon. The term naksatra consists of the root náks-(meaning "to attain") combined with the suffix -tra (or -l-atra, meaning "place"), meaning "the place to which the moon attains".[7]: 1075–1076
History
[edit]Historically, nakshatra referred to stars or star-groups associated with the Moon's path. In later jyotisha, the term also came to denote 27 equal divisions of the ecliptic. In this equal division system, each nakshatra spans 13° 20'.[7]: 1081
The Atharva veda contains a list of 28 nakshatras. Other ancient Indian scriptures like the Taittiriya Samhita (4.4.10.1-3) and the Shatapatha Brahmana (10.5.4.5) record 27 nakshatras.[4]
In the Atharvaveda
[edit]
In the Atharvaveda (Shaunakiya recension, hymn 19.7) a list of 27 stars or asterisms is given, many of them corresponding to the later nakshatras:[8][a] Sakamoto-Goto identifies it as a hymn used for the daily worship of the nakshatras. The text lists 28 nakshatras, beginning with the Krttikās and including intercalary asterism Abhijit.[7]: 1077
- Ashwini (Sheratan and Mesarthim)
- Bharani (41 Arietis)
- Kṛttikā (the Pleiades)
- Rohinī (Aldebaran)
- Mrigashīrsha
- Ārdrā (Betelgeuse)
- Punarvasu (Castor and Pollux)
- Pushya
- Asleshā (ε Hydrae)
- Maghā (Regulus)
- Purva Phalguni (Zosma and Chertan)
- Uttara Phalguni (Denebola)
- Hasta
- Chitrā (Spica)
- Svāti (Arcturus)
- Vishākhā
- Anurādhā (Acrab, Dschubba, Fang and Iklil)
- Jyeshthā (Antares, Alniyat, and Paikauhale)
- Mūla
- Purva Ashadha (Kaus Media and Kaus Australis)
- Uttara Ashadha (Nunki and Ascella)
- Shravana (Altair, Alshain, and Tarazed)
- Dhanishta (γ1 Delphini)
- Shatabhisha (λ Aquarii)
- Purva Bhadrapada (Markab and Scheat)
- Uttara Bhadrapada (Algenib and Alpheratz)
- Revati (ζ Piscium)
This 27-day cycle has been taken to mean a particular group of stars. This has to do with the periodicity with which the Moon travels past the specific star fields called nakshatras. Hence, the stars are more like numbers on a clock, through which the hands of time (the moon) pass. This concept is described by J. Mercay (2012) in connection with Surya Siddhanta.[9]
Astronomical derivation of nakshatras
[edit]The choice between 27 or 28 nakshatras comes down to how ancient calendars calculated the speed of the Moon. During the Bronze Age (around 2000 BCE), astronomers used a calendar of 360 days, where the sun moved 1 degree per day and the moon moved an average of 13 degrees per day. Dividing the 360-degree sky by the Moon's 13 degree daily path gives an orbital period of 27.69 days .The astronomers rounded it to 28 nakshatras. Later, when a 365 day solar calendar was adopted, the Moon's updated daily speed of 13.2 degrees resulted in a shorter orbit of 27.27 days. Astronomers then rounded this down to 27 nakshatras and dropped the star Abhijit.[10]: 319
Vedic Calendar
[edit]The Vedic calendar was based on a 360-day solar year composed of twelve 30- day months. Its earliest mention is found in the Rigveda texts.[10]: 318 It arose from a ritual need to identify the exact nights of the new moon (amāvāsyā) and full moon (puranmāsī) for sacred sacrifices, which were otherwise difficult to determine by naked eye observation.[7]: 1075
The priests tracked the Moon's night-by-night movement against the fixed stars, establishing a system of 28 nakshatras(lunar stations) representing the 28 nights the moon was visible during a synodic month.[7]: 1075–1076 Early astronomers derived the name of each month directly from the specific nakshatra in which the full moon shone during that month.[10]: 319, 320
Vedic origin of tithi
[edit]The tithi is a lunar day in the Hindu calendar. In the 360-day vedic calendar, the Moon travelled an average of 13 degrees per day, while the Sun travelled 1 degree per day. As a result, the Moon separated from the Sun by 12 degrees (13 minus 1) every 24 hours. This time that the moon takes to pull 12 degrees ahead of the Sun, is called a tithi.[10]: 319
List of Nakshatras
[edit]In Hindu astronomy, there was an older tradition of 28 nakshatras which were used as celestial markers. When these were mapped into equal divisions of the ecliptic, a division of 27 portions was adopted since that resulted in a clearer definition of each segment, subtending 13° 20′ rather than the 12° 51+3⁄7′ that 28 segments would give. In the process, the nakshatra Abhijit was left out without a portion.[11]: 179 However, the Abhijit nakshatra becomes important when deciding on the timing of an auspicious event. The Surya Siddhantha concisely specifies the coordinates of the 27 nakshatras.[11]: 211
It is noted above that with the older tradition of 28 nakshatras each equal segment would subtend 12.85 degrees or 12° 51′. But the 28 nakshatra were chosen at a time when the Vedic month was recognised as having exactly 30 days. In India and China the original 28 lunar mansions were not equal. Weixing Nui provides a list of the extent of the original 28 nakshatras expressed in Muhurtas (with one Muhurta = 48 minutes of arc). Hindu texts note there were 16 nakshatras of 30 Muhurtas, 6 of 45 Muhurtas, 5 of 15 Muhurtas and one of 6 Muhurtas.
The 28 mansions of the 360° lunar zodiac total 831 Muhurtas or 27.7 days. This is sometimes described as an inaccurate estimate of our modern sidereal period of 27.3 days, but using the ancient Indian calendar with Vedic months of 30 days and a daily movement of the Moon of 13 degrees, this early designation of a sidereal month of 831 Muhurtas or 27.7 days is very precise.[b][12][full citation needed] Later some Indian savants dropped the nakshatra named Abhijit to reduce the number of divisions to 27, but the Chinese retained all of their original 28 lunar mansions. These were grouped into four equal quarters which would have been fundamentally disrupted if it had been decided to reduce the number of divisions to 27.
Irrespective of why early Indian astronomers followed a Vedic calendar of exactly 12 months of 30 days it was this calendar and not a modern calendar of 365 days that they used for the astronomical calculations for the number of days taken for the Moon to complete one sidereal cycle of 360°. This is why initially they named 28 nakshatras on their lunar zodiac.[13]
Each of the 27 nakshatras, starting with Ashvini and ending with Revati, has its own symbol, an associated mythological deity, and a planetary ruler (navagraha).[4]The following list of nakshatras gives the corresponding regions of sky, as per Basham (1954).[14]
| No. | Name[15] | Associated stars | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aśvinī "The Horsemen" |
β and γ Arietis |  | |
| 2 | Bharaṇī "The Bearer" |
35, 39, and 41 Arietis | | |
| 3 | Kṛttikā "To Cut" |
Pleiades |  | |
| 4 | Rohiṇi "Radiant Maiden" |
Aldebaran |
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| 5 | Mṛgaśiras "The Deer's Head" |
λ, φ Orionis |  | |
| 6 | Ārdrā "The Moist One" |
Betelgeuse | | |
| 7 | Punarvasu "Return Of The Light" |
Castor and Pollux |  | |
| 8 | Puṣya "The Nourisher" |
γ, δ and θ Cancri |  | |
| 9 | Āśleṣā "The Embrace" |
δ, ε, η, ρ, and σ Hydrae |  | |
| 10 | Maghā "The Mighty" |
Regulus |  | |
| 11 | Pūrvaphalgunī "The Former Reddish One" |
δ and θ Leonis |
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| 12 | Uttaraphalgunī "The Latter Reddish One" |
Denebola |
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| 13 | Hasta "The Hand" |
α, β, γ, δ and ε Corvi |  | |
| 14 | Citrā "The Bright One" |
Spica |
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| 15 | Svātī "The Independent One" |
Arcturus |  | |
| 16 | Viśākhā "Branching Out" |
α, β, γ and ι Librae |  | |
| 17 | Anurādhā "Following Radha" |
β, δ and π Scorpii |  | |
| 18 | Jyeṣṭhā "The Eldest" |
α, σ, and τ Scorpii | | |
| 19 | Mūla "The Root" |
ε, ζ, η, θ, ι, κ, λ, μ and ν Scorpii |
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| 20 | Pūrvāṣāḍha "The Former Unconquered" |
δ and ε Sagittarii |  | |
| 21 | Uttarāṣāḍha "The Latter Unconquered" |
ζ and σ Sagittarii |
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| *[note 1] | Abhijit "The Invincible" |
α and σ Lyrae |
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| 22 | Śravaṇa "To Hear" |
α, β and γ Aquilae |  | |
| 23 | Dhaniṣṭhā "Wealthiest" |
α, β, γ and δ Delphini |  | |
| 24 | Śatabhiṣaj "A Hundred Physicians" |
λ Aquarii[16] |  | |
| 25 | Pūrvabhādrapada "The Former Blessed Feet" |
α and β Pegasi |
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 |
| 26 | Uttarabhādrapada "The Latter Blessed Feet" |
γ Pegasi and α Andromedae |
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.png) |
| 27 | Revatī "Prosperous" |
ζ Piscium |
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 |
Padas (quarters)
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Each of the 27 nakshatras covers 13° 20’ of the ecliptic. Each nakshatra is also divided into quarters or padas of 3° 20’, and the table below lists the syllables traditionally used as the first sound of the name given to a child born under each pada. The 27 nakshatras, each with 4 padas, gives 108.[4] 108 is also the number of beads in a japa mala, representing all the elements (ansh) of Vishnu:
| # | Name | Pada 1 | Pada 2 | Pada 3 | Pada 4 | Vimsottari Lord | Ruling Deity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aśvini (अश्विनी) | चु Chu | चे Che | चो Cho | ला La | Ketu | Aswini Kumara |
| 2 | Bharaṇī (भरणी) | ली Li | लू Lu | ले Le | लो Lo | Venus | Yama |
| 3 | Kṛttikā (कृत्तिका) | अ A | ई I | उ U | ए E | Sun | Agni |
| 4 | Rohiṇī (रोहिणी) | ओ O | वा Va/Ba | वी Vi/Bi | वु Vu/Bu | Moon | Brahma |
| 5 | Mṛgaśīrṣā (मृगशीर्षा) | वे Ve/Be | वो Vo/Bo | का Ka | की Ke | Mars | Moon |
| 6 | Ārdrā (आर्द्रा) | कु Ku | घ Gha | ङ Ng/Na | छ Chha | Rahu | Shiva |
| 7 | Punarvasu (पुनर्वसु) | के Ke | को Ko | हा Ha | ही Hi | Jupiter | Aditi |
| 8 | Puṣya (पुष्य) | हु Hu | हे He | हो Ho | ड Da | Saturn | Brihaspati |
| 9 | Āśleṣā (आश्लेषा) | डी Di | डू Du | डे De | डो Do | Mercury | Rahu |
| 10 | Maghā (मघा) | मा Ma | मी Mi | मू Mu | मे Me | Ketu | Pitr |
| 11 | Pūrva or Pūrva Phālgunī (पूर्व फाल्गुनी) | नो No | टा Ta | टी Ti | टू Tu | Venus | Bhaga |
| 12 | Uttara or Uttara Phālgunī (उत्तर फाल्गुनी) | टे Te | टो To | पा Pa | पी Pi | Sun | Sun |
| 13 | Hasta (हस्त) | पू Pu | ष Sha | ण Na | ठ Tha | Moon | Savitr |
| 14 | Chitrā (चित्रा) | पे Pe | पो Po | रा Ra | री Ri | Mars | Vishwakarma |
| 15 | Svāti (स्वाति) | रू Ru | रे Re | रो Ro | ता Ta | Rahu | Vayu |
| 16 | Vishākhā (विशाखा) | ती Ti | तू Tu | ते Te | तो To | Jupiter | Indra Agni |
| 17 | Anurādhā (अनुराधा) | ना Na | नी Ni | नू Nu | ने Ne | Saturn | Mitra |
| 18 | Jyeṣṭhā (ज्येष्ठा) | नो No | या Ya | यी Yi | यू Yu | Mercury | Indra |
| 19 | Mūla (मूल) | ये Ye | यो Yo | भा Bha | भी Bhi | Ketu | Varuna, Nirriti |
| 20 | Pūrva Aṣāḍhā (पूर्वाषाढ़ा) | भू Bhu | धा Dha | फा Bha/Pha | ढा Dha | Venus | Apah |
| 21 | Uttara Aṣāḍhā (उत्तराषाढ़ा) | भे Bhe | भो Bho | जा Ja | जी Ji | Sun | Visvedevas |
| 22 | Śrāvaṇa (श्रवण) | खी Ju/Khi | खू Je/Khu | खे Jo/Khe | खो Gha/Kho | Moon | Vishnu |
| 23 | Śrāviṣṭhā (श्रविष्ठा) or Dhaniṣṭhā (धनिष्ठा) | गा Ga | गी Gi | गु Gu | गे Ge | Mars | Vasus |
| 24 | Śatabhiṣā (शतभिषा) | गो Go | सा Sa | सी Si | सू Su | Rahu | Varuna |
| 25 | Pūrva Bhādrapadā (पूर्वभाद्रपदा) | से Se | सो So | दा Da | दी Di | Jupiter | Aja Ek Pada |
| 26 | Uttara Bhādrapadā (उत्तरभाद्रपदा) | दू Du | थ Tha | झ Jha | त्र Da/Tra | Saturn | Ahirbudhnya |
| 27 | Revati (रेवती) | दे De | दो Do | च Cha | ची Chi | Mercury | Pooshan |
Astrological Significance
[edit]In Hindu astrology, nakshatras play an important role. Finding a person's nakshatra requires mathematical calculations using the exact time, date and coordinates of their birth. Astrologers use both the nakshatras and rashis(zodiac signs) to analyze a person's character, physical health, marriage prospects, career path etc. Checking these signs for marriage compatibility is a common Hindu tradition. [4]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ↑ Abhijit is the 22nd lunar mansion in the Indian system of 28 nakshatras. According to traditional beliefs, it is not necessarily a separate nakshatra per se, but rather a division within the sidereal Capricorn sign, spanning from the fourth pada of Uttara Ashadha to the first pada of Shravana.
- ↑
From Griffith (1895) Hymns of the Atharva Veda:[8]
1 citrā́ṇi sākáṃ diví rocanā́ni sarīsr̥pā́ṇi bhúvane javā́ni
turmíśaṃ sumatím ichámāno áhāni gīrbhíḥ saparyāmi nā́kam
2 suhávam agne kŕ̥ttikā róhiṇī cā́stu bhadráṃ mr̥gáśiraḥ śám ārdrā́
púnarvasū sūnŕ̥tā cā́ru púṣyo bhānúr āśleṣā́ áyanaṃ maghā́ me
3 púṇyaṃ pū́rvā phálgunyau cā́tra hástaś citrā́ śivā́ svātí sukhó me astu
rā́dhe viśā́khe suhávānurādhā́ jyéṣṭhā sunákṣatram áriṣṭa mū́lam
4 ánnaṃ pū́rvā rāsatāṃ me aṣādhā́ ū́rjaṃ devy úttarā ā́ vahantu
abhijín me rāsatāṃ púṇyam evá śrávaṇaḥ śráviṣṭhāḥ kurvatāṃ supuṣṭím
5 ā́ me mahác chatábhiṣag várīya ā́ me dvayā́ próṣṭhapadā suśárma
ā́ revátī cāśvayújau bhágaṃ ma ā́ me rayíṃ bháraṇya ā́ vahantu[8]
- ↑ The exact figure should be nearer 27.692308 days but 27.7 is near enough.
References
[edit]- ↑ Vaid, Vashisht (2012). The Radiant Words of Love & Wisdom.
- ↑ "Vedic Astronomy". www.vedicastronomy.net. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
- ↑ "Nakshatras and Upanakshatras". vedanet.com. American Institute of Vedic Studies. June 13, 2012. Archived from the original on March 22, 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Encyclopedia Britannica: Nakshatra".
- ↑ Moor, Edward (1810). The Hindu Pantheon. J. Johnson. p. 291.
- ↑ Coulter, Charles Russell; Turner, Patricia (2021-12-06). Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities. McFarland. p. 437. ISBN 978-0-7864-9179-7.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Sakamoto-Goto, Junko. "The Nakshatra System in the Vedic Calendar". Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies. 59 (3).
- 1 2 3
Hymns of the Atharva Veda. Translated by Griffith, R.T.H. 1895.
- Original text via
- from
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- ↑ Mercay, Jessie (2012). Fundamentals of Mamuni Mayans Vaastu Shastras: Building architecture of Sthapatya Veda and traditional Indian architecture. AUM Science and Technology publishers.
- 1 2 3 4 Jones, Howard D. "The Origin of the 28 Naksatras in Early India Astronomy and Astrology". Indian Journal of History of Science. 53.3.
- 1 2 Burgess, Ebenezer (1858). Translation of the Surya Siddhantha, a Textbook of Hindu Astronomy. The American Oriental Society.
- ↑ Weixing, Nui; Xiaoyuan, Jiang. Astronomy in the Sutras translated into Chinese.
- ↑ Jones, H. (September 2018). "The Origin of the 28 Naksatras in Early Indian Astronomy and Astrology". Indian Journal of History of Science. 53 (3): 317–324. Bibcode:2018InJHS..53..317J. doi:10.16943/ijhs/2018/v53i3/49463.
- ↑ Basham, Arthur Llewellyn (1954). "Appendix II: Astronomy". The Wonder that was India. Calcutta, IN: Rupa. p. 490.
- ↑ "Nakshatra Names". 2025-10-04. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
- ↑ "Shatabhisha". All Skies Encyclopaedia. IAU Working Group on Star Names. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
External links
[edit]- Ahargana - The Astronomy of the Hindu Calendar: Nakshatra Explains Nakshatras by means of astronomical simulations created using Stellarium.
- Free Nakshatra and Zodiac Sign Calculator Find your Nakshatra and Zodiac Sign based on you date of birth and time. This tool offers until 2030.
