The 27 Nakshatras: Complete Guide to the Lunar Mansions

The Stars Behind Your Chart

The nakshatras are the 27 lunar mansions of Vedic astrology - an ancient system of star divisions that predates the 12-sign zodiac. Each nakshatra spans 13°20’ of the zodiac and carries its own mythology, deity, symbol, and meaning. The Moon spends approximately one day in each nakshatra, making them intimately connected to lunar cycles and the mind.

Understanding the nakshatras adds profound depth to chart interpretation. While the rashis (signs) describe general qualities, the nakshatras reveal the specific coloring and deeper psychology of planetary placements. Your Moon’s nakshatra (Janma Nakshatra) is particularly significant, revealing core emotional and psychological patterns.

Quick Reference Table

Nakshatras 1-9: Ashwini through Ashlesha

1. Ashwini (0°-13°20’ Aries)

Symbol: Horse’s head Deity: Ashwini Kumaras (divine physicians) Ruler: Ketu

Ashwini brings speed, healing ability, and pioneering energy. Those with Moon here are quick-thinking, helpful, and drawn to healing arts. There’s an impulsive quality - action before deliberation. Excellent for beginnings and medical work.

2. Bharani (13°20’-26°40’ Aries)

Symbol: Yoni (female reproductive organ) Deity: Yama (god of death) Ruler: Venus

Bharani governs creation and destruction, birth and death. Strong creative and transformative energy. Can indicate intensity in personality - passion, jealousy, possessiveness alongside tremendous creative power. Ability to bear burdens and endure difficulty.

3. Krittika (26°40’ Aries-10° Taurus)

Symbol: Razor, flame Deity: Agni (fire god) Ruler: Sun

Krittika carries the energy of fire - purification, sharpness, directness. Those with Moon here are often critical, precise, and capable of cutting through illusion. Strong will, sometimes sharp tongue. Excellent for purification work, cooking, metallurgy.

4. Rohini (10°-23°20’ Taurus)

Symbol: Chariot, ox cart Deity: Brahma (creator) Ruler: Moon

Rohini is considered one of the most auspicious nakshatras for material prosperity and beauty. Strong creative abilities, appreciation for beauty, fertile and productive. Can indicate possessiveness and attachment to comfort. The Moon is exalted in Rohini.

5. Mrigashira (23°20’ Taurus-6°40’ Gemini)

Symbol: Deer’s head Deity: Soma (Moon god) Ruler: Mars

Mrigashira brings the quality of seeking - intellectual curiosity, wandering, searching. Gentle nature combined with restlessness. Good for research, travel, and creative exploration. Can indicate fickleness or inability to settle.

6. Ardra (6°40’-20° Gemini)

Symbol: Teardrop, diamond Deity: Rudra (storm god) Ruler: Rahu

Ardra carries the energy of storms - destruction that clears the way for renewal. Intense emotional nature, sharp intellect, capacity for both destruction and transformation. Often indicates difficulty early in life followed by growth through struggle.

7. Punarvasu (20° Gemini-3°20’ Cancer)

Symbol: Bow and quiver Deity: Aditi (mother of the gods) Ruler: Jupiter

Punarvasu means “return of the light” - the ability to renew, restore, and start again. Optimistic, philosophical, forgiving nature. Good for teaching, counseling, and any work involving renewal. Can indicate scattered energy if not focused.

8. Pushya (3°20’-16°40’ Cancer)

Symbol: Cow’s udder, flower Deity: Brihaspati (Jupiter) Ruler: Saturn

Pushya is considered the most auspicious nakshatra overall - nourishing, supportive, protective. Excellent for spiritual practice, teaching, and caring professions. Calm, helpful, devoted. Saturn’s rulership adds discipline to Jupiter’s beneficence.

9. Ashlesha (16°40’-30° Cancer)

Symbol: Coiled serpent Deity: Nagas (serpent deities) Ruler: Mercury

Ashlesha carries serpent energy - hypnotic, psychological, potentially manipulative. Deep intuition, occult knowledge, persuasive abilities. Can indicate trust issues or tendency toward manipulation if not evolved. Powerful for transformation work.

Nakshatras 10-18: Magha through Jyeshtha

10. Magha (0°-13°20’ Leo)

Symbol: Throne, royal chamber Deity: Pitris (ancestors) Ruler: Ketu

Magha connects to ancestral lineage and inherited power. Pride, authority, connection to tradition. Strong leadership potential but can struggle with ego. Honors and positions often come through ancestry or past-life merit.

11. Purva Phalguni (13°20’-26°40’ Leo)

Symbol: Hammock, front legs of bed Deity: Bhaga (god of fortune) Ruler: Venus

Purva Phalguni brings pleasure, creativity, romance, and relaxation. Strong artistic and social abilities. Love of luxury and entertainment. Can indicate laziness or excessive pleasure-seeking. Good for performing arts, hospitality.

12. Uttara Phalguni (26°40’ Leo-10° Virgo)

Symbol: Back legs of bed Deity: Aryaman (god of contracts) Ruler: Sun

Uttara Phalguni adds responsibility to Purva Phalguni’s pleasure. Good for partnerships, contracts, and commitments. Reliable, helpful, service-oriented. Friendship and loyalty are emphasized. Good for marriage and business partnerships.

13. Hasta (10°-23°20’ Virgo)

Symbol: Hand, fist Deity: Savitar (sun god) Ruler: Moon

Hasta governs manual dexterity, craftsmanship, and skill. Excellent for any work requiring hands - healing arts, crafts, writing, manual skills. Clever, resourceful, sometimes cunning. Ability to manifest through practical action.

14. Chitra (23°20’ Virgo-6°40’ Libra)

Symbol: Pearl, bright jewel Deity: Vishvakarma (celestial architect) Ruler: Mars

Chitra brings creative vision and the ability to manifest beauty. Strong aesthetic sense, architectural ability, design skills. Can indicate vanity or obsession with appearance. Excellent for architecture, design, visual arts.

15. Swati (6°40’-20° Libra)

Symbol: Coral, sword, young plant Deity: Vayu (wind god) Ruler: Rahu

Swati brings independence, flexibility, and the ability to adapt. Like wind, can be gentle or forceful. Strong commercial abilities, diplomatic skills. Can indicate restlessness or difficulty with commitment. Good for business, travel.

16. Vishakha (20° Libra-3°20’ Scorpio)

Symbol: Potter’s wheel, triumphal arch Deity: Indra and Agni Ruler: Jupiter

Vishakha carries determined, goal-oriented energy. Single-pointed focus, ambition, competitive drive. Can achieve greatly but may become obsessive. “The star of purpose” - excellent for those with clear goals.

17. Anuradha (3°20’-16°40’ Scorpio)

Symbol: Lotus, staff Deity: Mitra (god of friendship) Ruler: Saturn

Anuradha balances Scorpio’s intensity with devotion and friendship. Deep loyalty, ability to cooperate, spiritual inclination. Can bloom in difficult circumstances like a lotus in mud. Good for organizational work, spiritual communities.

18. Jyeshtha (16°40’-30° Scorpio)

Symbol: Earring, umbrella Deity: Indra (king of gods) Ruler: Mercury

Jyeshtha carries senior authority and protective power. Leadership abilities, protective instincts, occult knowledge. Can indicate pride or difficulty with peers. Often rises to positions of responsibility, sometimes prematurely.

Nakshatras 19-27: Mula through Revati

19. Mula (0°-13°20’ Sagittarius)

Symbol: Tied roots, lion’s tail Deity: Nirriti (goddess of destruction) Ruler: Ketu

Mula means “root” - this nakshatra digs to foundations, even if destruction is required. Strong investigative abilities, philosophical depth, capacity for radical transformation. Often indicates difficulty early in life that leads to wisdom.

20. Purva Ashadha (13°20’-26°40’ Sagittarius)

Symbol: Fan, winnowing basket, elephant tusk Deity: Apas (water goddess) Ruler: Venus

Purva Ashadha brings invincibility and the ability to revitalize. Strong conviction, persuasive abilities, capacity to purify and refresh. “The undefeated” - good for competition, debate, and ventures requiring confidence.

21. Uttara Ashadha (26°40’ Sagittarius-10° Capricorn)

Symbol: Elephant tusk, small bed Deity: Vishvedevas (universal gods) Ruler: Sun

Uttara Ashadha adds lasting success to Purva Ashadha’s confidence. Leadership that endures, ability to achieve final victory. Patient, responsible, ethical. “The later unconquered” - success that comes through sustained effort.

22. Shravana (10°-23°20’ Capricorn)

Symbol: Ear, three footprints Deity: Vishnu (preserver) Ruler: Moon

Shravana governs listening and learning. Strong intellectual abilities, capacity to connect ideas, teaching ability. Good for education, communication, preservation of knowledge. The three footprints represent Vishnu’s three steps across the universe.

23. Dhanishta (23°20’ Capricorn-6°40’ Aquarius)

Symbol: Drum, flute Deity: Vasus (elemental gods) Ruler: Mars

Dhanishta brings rhythm, wealth, and fame. Musical abilities, prosperity, social prominence. Can indicate difficulty in marriage (Mars influence). “The star of symphony” - good for music, performance, and group endeavors.

24. Shatabhisha (6°40’-20° Aquarius)

Symbol: Circle, 100 stars, empty circle Deity: Varuna (god of cosmic waters) Ruler: Rahu

Shatabhisha carries healing and secretive energy. “The hundred healers” - strong medical abilities, particularly alternative healing. Can indicate isolation, secrecy, or difficulty trusting others. Good for research, healing, solitary work.

25. Purva Bhadrapada (20° Aquarius-3°20’ Pisces)

Symbol: Front of funeral cot, two-faced man Deity: Aja Ekapada (one-footed goat) Ruler: Jupiter

Purva Bhadrapada brings intense transformation and spiritual fire. Passionate, idealistic, capable of extreme dedication. Can indicate fanaticism or instability. “The burning pair” - good for spiritual intensity but requires balance.

26. Uttara Bhadrapada (3°20’-16°40’ Pisces)

Symbol: Back of funeral cot, two-headed snake Deity: Ahir Budhnya (serpent of the deep) Ruler: Saturn

Uttara Bhadrapada adds wisdom and stability to Purva’s intensity. Deep spiritual insight, occult knowledge, capacity for renunciation. Controlled, wise, sometimes withdrawn. Good for meditation, spiritual teaching, endings.

27. Revati (16°40’-30° Pisces)

Symbol: Fish, drum Deity: Pushan (nourisher, guide) Ruler: Mercury

Revati completes the cycle with nurturing, guidance, and safe passage. Protective, caring, good for travel and transitions. Soft nature, sometimes naive. Guides others through journeys and changes. “The wealthy” - abundance through gentleness.

How to Use the Nakshatras

For Chart Reading

1. Identify your Moon nakshatra - This is your Janma Nakshatra, revealing core emotional patterns
2. Note the nakshatra of each planet - Adding nuance to sign placement
3. Check the nakshatra of the ascendant - Coloring personality expression
4. Use for dasha calculations - Vimshottari dasha begins from Moon’s nakshatra

For Muhurta (Timing)

Nakshatras are essential for selecting auspicious times. Certain nakshatras favor certain activities:

• Fixed nakshatras (Rohini, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashadha, Uttara Bhadrapada): Good for permanent things
• Movable nakshatras (Ashwini, Punarvasu, Swati, Shravana): Good for travel, movement
• Sharp nakshatras (Ardra, Ashlesha, Jyeshtha, Mula): Good for surgery, cutting, competition

For Compatibility

Traditional compatibility assessment (Koota matching) relies heavily on comparing Moon nakshatras of potential partners, examining their relationship through various criteria.

For foundational concepts, see The Nakshatras, Reading a Birth Chart, and Understanding Dashas.

Interactive tool: Use the Nakshatra Finder to discover your Moon nakshatra and explore its characteristics.

Complete reference: The Nakshatras Quick Reference provides all 27 nakshatras at a glance with deities, symbols, rulers, and key meanings.