Birth Nakshatra Calculator
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This tool shows the nakshatra and pada of the Moon at your birth. It also shows the name syllable, gana and nadi.
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The short answer: the star group the Moon was in at your birth is your birth nakshatra. There are 27 nakshatras, each with 4 padas. The Moon crosses about one nakshatra a day. The nakshatra sets your first dasha, the name letter and the points in Kundli matching. Find yours above, then read below.
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How It Is Calculated
- There are 27 nakshatras of 13°20′ each.
- Each has 4 padas, and each pada a syllable.
- The nakshatra and pada come from the Moon's place.
- Gana, nadi and yoni come from the Avakahada chart.
For Astrologers: Classical Basis
The part of the Moon's birth nakshatra already passed equals the part of the first dasha already passed.
— Source: Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, chapter 36, verse 5
Every nakshatra has a Nadi (Adya, Madhya, Antya), which is seen in matching.
— Source: Muhurta Chintamani
How To Read Your Result · Birth Nakshatra
The calculator above gives these things:
| Result | What It Means | What You Can Do With It |
|---|---|---|
| Birth nakshatra | The star group the Moon was in at birth | Find yours in the table below and read its nature. |
| Pada | The quarter of the nakshatra (1 to 4) | The first letter of the name is set by it. |
| Nakshatra lord | The planet that owns the nakshatra | Your first dasha belongs to this planet. |
| Gana, nadi, yoni | Three classes of nature | Points in Kundli matching are counted from these. |
What Is A Nakshatra: In Plain Words · Birth Nakshatra
The belt of 12 signs is also divided another way: into 27 equal parts. Each part is 13° 20′ and is called a nakshatra. A sign holds two and a quarter nakshatras.
Each nakshatra has 4 padas. One pada is 3° 20′. There are 27 × 4 = 108 padas in all, and 9 padas make a sign.
The Moon moves about 13° a day, so it crosses roughly one nakshatra a day. The nakshatra it was in at birth is your birth nakshatra.
In the figure the outer ring is the 27 nakshatras and the inner ring the 12 signs. The gold part is Rohini (4) as an example.
How A Time Error Changes Nakshatra And Pada
The Moon moves about half a degree (0.55°) in an hour. A pada is 3.33° and a nakshatra 13.33°. From this comes the average count:
| Time Error | Chance The Pada Changes | Chance The Nakshatra Changes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 hour | About 16% | About 4% |
| 3 hours | About 50% | About 12% |
| 6 hours | Almost sure | About 25% |
| 12 hours | Sure | About 50% |
So the name letter (pada) depends a lot on the time, while the nakshatra tolerates a small error. Enter the exact time before naming or finding the dasha.
The 27 Nakshatras: Lord, Gana, Nadi And Nature
Each nakshatra has a lord planet. The order of lords is Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, and it repeats three times. Source: Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (97-chapter order), chapter 46, verse 12–15
The lines on nature are based on the nakshatra results of Brihat Jataka. Source: Brihat Jataka, chapter 16, verse 1–14 These are hints. Not all people of one nakshatra are alike.
| Nakshatra | Lord | Gana · Nadi | Hints Of Nature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashwini | Ketu | Deva · Adya | Handsome, charming, clever and wise; fond of ornaments. |
| Bharani | Venus | Manushya · Madhya | Firm in resolve, truthful, clever and happy. |
| Krittika | Sun | Rakshasa · Antya | Radiant, well known; fond of good food. |
| Rohini | Moon | Manushya · Antya | Truthful, pure, sweet-spoken, steady-minded and good-looking. |
| Mrigashira | Mars | Deva · Madhya | Clever, a skilled speaker, enthusiastic, wealthy; sometimes restless. |
| Ardra | Rahu | Manushya · Adya | A sharp mind; the lesson is to avoid pride and bitterness. |
| Punarvasu | Jupiter | Deva · Adya | Self-controlled, happy, well-behaved and content with little. |
| Pushya | Saturn | Deva · Madhya | Calm, charming, learned, wealthy and religious. |
| Ashlesha | Mercury | Rakshasa · Antya | Clever; the lesson is to stay honest with others. |
| Magha | Ketu | Rakshasa · Antya | Doer of big things, with attendants, a devotee of gods and ancestors. |
| Purva Phalguni | Venus | Manushya · Madhya | Sweet-spoken, generous, radiant, fond of travelling. |
| Uttara Phalguni | Sun | Manushya · Adya | Charming, earns wealth through learning, happy. |
| Hasta | Moon | Deva · Adya | Enthusiastic and brave; the lesson is to keep habits in check. |
| Chitra | Mars | Rakshasa · Madhya | With fine eyes and limbs, fond of colourful clothes. |
| Swati | Rahu | Deva · Antya | Self-controlled, skilled in trade, kind, sweet-spoken, religious. |
| Vishakha | Jupiter | Rakshasa · Antya | Radiant, a skilled speaker; the lesson is to avoid jealousy and quarrels. |
| Anuradha | Saturn | Deva · Madhya | Wealthy; a likelihood of living away and travelling. |
| Jyeshtha | Mercury | Rakshasa · Adya | Understands dharma, content; the lesson is to control anger. |
| Mula | Ketu | Rakshasa · Adya | Self-respecting, wealthy, happy, steady and non-violent. |
| Purva Ashadha | Venus | Manushya · Madhya | A wished-for life partner, self-respecting, a firm friend. |
| Uttara Ashadha | Sun | Manushya · Antya | Humble, religious, with many friends, grateful. |
| Shravana | Moon | Deva · Antya | Prosperous, radiant, wealthy and famous. |
| Dhanishta | Mars | Rakshasa · Madhya | Generous, wealthy, brave, fond of music. |
| Shatabhisha | Rahu | Rakshasa · Adya | Outspoken, brave; the lesson is to keep away from bad habits. |
| Purva Bhadrapada | Jupiter | Manushya · Adya | Skilled at earning money; the lesson is to be less restless and more generous. |
| Uttara Bhadrapada | Saturn | Manushya · Madhya | A good speaker, happy, with children, religious. |
| Revati | Mercury | Deva · Antya | Handsome, charming, brave, pure and wealthy. |
Basis of gana and nadi: Source: Muhurta Chintamani Source: Muhurta Chintamani. Do not be alarmed by the name of a gana. It is a class of nature, not a verdict of good or bad. Source: Hora Ratnam, chapter 2, verse 603, 618–620 टिप्पणी
How The Dasha Starts From The Nakshatra
The big phases of your life (dasha) start from the Moon’s nakshatra. The lord of the birth nakshatra is the lord of the first dasha. The dashas of the 9 planets total 120 years: Sun 6, Moon 10, Mars 7, Rahu 18, Jupiter 16, Saturn 19, Mercury 17, Ketu 7, Venus 20. Source: Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (97-chapter order), chapter 46, verse 12–15
Example: the lord of Rohini is the Moon, so the first dasha will be the Moon’s. How much of it was left at birth depends on how far the Moon had moved in the nakshatra. That is why the exact time matters. See your dasha here.
Gandmool: The Calm Truth
Six nakshatras (Ashwini, Ashlesha, Magha, Jyeshtha, Mula, Revati) are called “Gandmool”. People get frightened by this, but the point in the text is not that big.
In the texts “Gandanta” does not mean the whole nakshatra, only a little time at the join of two nakshatras, such as the Revati-Ashwini, Ashlesha-Magha and Jyeshtha-Mula junctions. Source: Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (97-chapter order), chapter 92, verse 1–3 It is counted as about 2 ghatis on each side, roughly 48 minutes each.
The text also says that if good results are more, no peace ritual is needed. Only if the unfavourable ones are more does it speak of a peace ritual. Source: Hora Ratnam, chapter 2, verse 47–49 So if the birth moment falls near, do not panic; have the chart seen by a knowledgeable person.
Common Beliefs And The Truth · Birth Nakshatra
| Common Belief | The Truth |
|---|---|
| Birth in Gandmool means bad fortune | The texts count only a few minutes at the junction, and say no peace ritual is needed if good results are more. Source: Hora Ratnam, chapter 2, verse 47–49 |
| A Rakshasa-gana person is bad | Gana is a class of nature, not a verdict of good or bad. Source: Hora Ratnam, chapter 2, verse 603, 618–620 टिप्पणी |
| Nakshatra and sign are the same | No. A sign is 30° and a nakshatra 13°20′. A sign holds two and a quarter nakshatras. |
| Any name letter can be chosen | In the tradition the first letter of the name is set by the birth pada, so the pada must be right. |
After Finding Your Nakshatra: 5 Steps · Birth Nakshatra
- Write down your nakshatra, pada and lord.
- Read your hint of nature in the table above.
- See your running dasha.
- If marriage is in view, enter both nakshatras in Kundli Milan.
- Open your free Kundli. For direct advice, ask Pandit ji. The first pack is free.
For Astrologers: A Checklist · Birth Nakshatra
- The nakshatra is found on the Moon’s Lahiri (sidereal) longitude. Nakshatra = Moon longitude ÷ 13°20′; pada = remainder ÷ 3°20′.
- Vimshottari: count from Krittika to the birth nakshatra, divide by 9, and the remainder gives the first dasha; total 120 years. Source: Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (97-chapter order), chapter 46, verse 12–15
- The list of ganas (Deva, Manushya, Rakshasa). Source: Muhurta Chintamani
- The list of nadis (Adya, Madhya, Antya). Source: Muhurta Chintamani
- The list of yonis. Source: Muhurta Chintamani
- Gandanta: the junctions Revati-Ashwini, Ashlesha-Magha, Jyeshtha-Mula; the texts differ on the time window (2 ghatis or otherwise). Source: Hora Ratnam, chapter 2, verse 1–5, 15–18
- If a harsh planet sits in the birth nakshatra itself, its good results spoil; if a benefic sits there, even faults turn to merits. Source: Hora Ratnam, chapter 2, verse 515
- In rectification the pada is the most sensitive unit: 3°20′ ≈ 6 hours.
Keep in Mind
This result shows a tilt in timing and planet positions, not a guarantee. Planets show direction; effort and good deeds take you forward. For health, money or legal matters, ask an expert.
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What the Birth Nakshatra Is
The zodiac is divided into 27 equal parts of 13°20′ each, called nakshatras. The nakshatra the Moon was in at your birth is your birth nakshatra.
Pada (Quarter)
Each nakshatra has 4 padas of 3°20′ each. The pada decides the first letter of the name and the navamsa sign.
What the Nakshatra Decides
- Which planet’s Vimshottari dasha you start with
- The auspicious first letter for naming
- The Tara, Yoni, Gana and Nadi kootas in guna matching
- Tara bala in muhurat
Note: a calculator result is a hint; take big decisions only after seeing the full chart.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find my birth nakshatra?
Enter your birth date, time and place in the calculator above. It gives the nakshatra, pada, lord, gana and nadi.
What is the difference between nakshatra and pada?
A nakshatra is a 13°20′ part. Its 4 equal parts are called padas. The pada sets the name letter.
How many nakshatras are there?
27. Each has 4 padas, 108 padas in all.
How does the nakshatra give the dasha?
The lord of the birth nakshatra is the lord of the first dasha. Rohini’s lord is the Moon, so the first dasha is the Moon’s.
What is Gandmool and is it bad?
The short time at the junction of Ashwini, Ashlesha, Magha, Jyeshtha, Mula and Revati. The text says no peace ritual is needed if good results are more.
Can the nakshatra be found without a birth time?
Often. Even with 12 hours of doubt the nakshatra stays the same in about half the cases, but the pada can change.
What does gana (Deva, Manushya, Rakshasa) mean?
Three classes of nature. It is not a verdict of good or bad. Points in Kundli matching are counted from it.
What does nadi mean?
Three classes of nakshatras: Adya, Madhya, Antya. Matching looks at the nadi of both.
Does the nakshatra change daily?
The Moon crosses about one nakshatra a day, so each day’s nakshatra is different.
What should I do after finding my nakshatra?
See your dasha, do Kundli matching if marriage is in view, and open your free Kundli. For direct advice, ask Pandit ji.
✍️ Prepared and checked by: VedicDost Editorial Team