The 27 Nakshatras and Their Classifications

Calculate nakshatra and pada before classifying

Each nakshatra spans 13°20′ and each quarter 3°20′. A point at 18° sidereal Aries lies in Bharani’s second quarter. Traditional matching categories are a separate lookup after the position is known.

The lunar division in context

The standard 27-nakshatra scheme divides the zodiac into 27 segments of 13°20′. Each has four padas of 3°20′. A panchang's nakshatra follows lunar position under its calculation convention.

Worked placement example

Write down the Moon's sidereal longitude and find its segment. Then determine the pada using the subdivisions. If comparing two charts, confirm that both use the same ayanamsha and birth-time input. A pada is a quarter of a nakshatra, or 3°20′. Use the boundary convention consistently when a longitude is close to an edge. Then identify which traditional classification is being used and why it matters for the question. Use the Moon’s sidereal longitude to locate the 13°20′ nakshatra interval, then find its quarter. Keep that position separate from any traditional matching category. Two readers may agree on the division but use a classification differently. If calculators disagree near a boundary, compare the exact degree and settings before using either classification.

A report may show a nakshatra name without the original degree. Save the sidereal longitude and chart settings when you can. Then identify the pada and the traditional classification relevant to the question. For a point near an edge, use the unrounded value and check the calculator’s settings. This makes it possible to tell a boundary issue from a difference in interpretation.

A sidereal longitude of 18° from the start of Aries lies beyond Ashvini’s 13°20′ end and before Bharani’s 26°40′ end. Within Bharani it is beyond 16°40′ but below 20°, placing it in the second pada. Record exact longitude and ayanamsha before comparing reports. Traditional groupings used for matching or interpretation come afterward. A change caused by rounding near a boundary is a chart calculation issue, while using a different classification is a choice made after identifying the same placement.

Which settings to check

Different traditional classifications serve different purposes. Name which rule you are using and avoid treating a class label as a broad judgement about a person.

A second example

A division of 13°20′ is one twenty-seventh of 360°. Dividing it into quarters gives four spans of 3°20′ each. In the standard sequence, a Moon at 18° sidereal Aries falls in Bharani's second pada. When an app displays a rounded longitude near an edge, examine the underlying settings and precision. Different calculation inputs can move a position into another segment.

Read the calendar interval

A panchang uses named intervals and local times. Record the city, date and calculation convention, then identify the interval that applies to the exact event under discussion. A label on the first line of a civil date may change later in the day.

Compare location and event rules

Check whether the rule refers to local sunrise, the actual event time or a specified selection window. Read the displayed transition time before comparing two dates. When two calendars disagree, compare their settings and time zones before assuming one uses the wrong definition.

Keep planning distinct from calculation

For a ceremony, ask which part needs the selected window and leave time for preparation outside that interval. For a natal reading, record the exact birth time and note any uncertainty near a boundary. The two questions use similar calendar terms but have different inputs and outcomes.

Match the chart settings before comparing placements

Record the sidereal longitude and ayanamsha before looking up the Moon’s nakshatra. Use the same settings when comparing a second calculation. Near the boundary between divisions, compare the unrounded longitude before assigning the pada.