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Jataka

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Nakshatra calculator

Find your janma nakshatra — the lunar mansion the Moon occupied when you were born. It is a Vedic placement with no equivalent in Western astrology: 27 divisions of the zodiac rather than 12, each carrying its own ruling planet, deity and symbol.

Find your nakshatra

Three fields. Computed instantly, on this device.

Why does the minute matter?
The Moon moves about 13°20′ a day — exactly one nakshatra — so it changes nakshatra roughly once a day, at whatever time the Moon happens to cross the boundary. Knowing your birth time to the minute makes the pada (quarter) reliable and helps if your birth fell close to a boundary. If you don’t know it, we use local solar noon: your nakshatra will still be correct on the vast majority of days — it would only be wrong if the Moon changed nakshatra on your exact birth date, which we’ll say plainly if it might affect you.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a nakshatra?
A nakshatra is one of 27 equal divisions of the sidereal zodiac, each spanning 13°20′ — roughly the distance the Moon travels in a day. Your janma nakshatra (birth star) is the nakshatra your Moon occupied at the moment you were born, and Jyotish treats it as one of the most personally specific placements in the whole chart.
Is my nakshatra the same as my star sign?
No. A "star sign" or sun sign is one of 12 signs the Sun appears to pass through; a nakshatra is one of 27 much narrower divisions tied to the Moon, not the Sun. Two people with the same sun sign can easily have different nakshatras, and vice versa.
Do I need to know my exact birth time?
It helps, but it is rarely essential. The Moon changes nakshatra about once a day, so an unknown birth time (we substitute local solar noon) gives the right answer on almost every day of the year — it would only be wrong if your birth fell close to the exact hour the Moon crossed a boundary.
What does my nakshatra affect?
Your janma nakshatra's ruling planet is also the lord that opens your Vimshottari dasha sequence — the timeline of nine planetary periods that runs through your whole life. It also carries traditional associations (deity, symbol, temperament) used in compatibility comparisons.
Get your full readingBrowse all 27 nakshatras

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This calculator applies traditional Jyotish (Vedic astrology) methods for general interest and reflection. It is not medical, financial or legal advice, and it does not predict or diagnose anything.