Your nakshatra is the lunar mansion the Moon occupied at your birth — the most personal signature in Vedic astrology. Enter your birth details for an exact sidereal calculation of your birth star and pada.
Deterministic Vedic calculation (Lahiri ayanamsa). No signup required.
The zodiac of 27 nakshatras divides the Moon's monthly path into stars of 13°20' each. Where your Rashi (Moon sign) paints your emotional nature in broad strokes, the nakshatra is the fine brush: it names your instincts, the deity and symbol that mythologize your temperament, and — critically — it sets the starting point of your Vimshottari dasha cycle, the timing system that schedules the chapters of your life.
This calculator uses precise sidereal ephemeris positions with the Lahiri ayanamsa, the standard used by traditional Indian panchangs. If you don't know your birth time, the result is usually still correct — the Moon changes nakshatra roughly once a day — but adding the time removes all doubt, especially if you were born near midnight.
A nakshatra is one of 27 lunar mansions, each spanning 13°20' of the sidereal zodiac. Your birth nakshatra is the one the Moon occupied at your birth, and it shapes your instincts, temperament, and dasha timeline.
Usually not — the Moon stays in one nakshatra for about a day. But if you were born on a day the Moon changed stars, the exact time decides which one is yours, so add it if you know it.
Each nakshatra divides into four padas (quarters) of 3°20'. The pada refines the star's expression and determines the syllable traditionally used for naming.