The 27 Nakshatras: Complete Guide to Meanings, Lords, and Symbols

Twelve signs give you the outline. Twenty-seven Nakshatras give you the detail. Each Nakshatra spans 13°20' of the sidereal zodiac, carries a planetary lord from the nine-planet Vedic system, and expresses a psychological profile distinct from the sign it occupies. Two people with the same Moon sign can live in entirely different emotional worlds depending on their Nakshatra. This reference covers all 27 — their lords, symbols, degree ranges, and defining traits.

The Nakshatras follow a fixed sequence from Ashwini (beginning of Aries) to Revati (end of Pisces). Their planetary lords cycle through a repeating pattern: Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury — three full rotations covering all 27 stars. Each Nakshatra also carries a gana (temperament): Deva (divine), Manushya (human), or Rakshasa (fierce). These classifications matter in compatibility assessment and in understanding the Nakshatra's fundamental approach to life.^[1]

For a deeper explanation of what Nakshatras are and how they function in chart interpretation, see our introduction to Nakshatras. What follows is the complete catalog.

The first nine Nakshatras span Aries through the early degrees of Cancer. They carry the energy of beginnings — impulse, creation, establishment. Their lords complete the first cycle: Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury.

1. Ashwini (0°00'–13°20' Aries) — Lord: Ketu

Symbol: horse's head. Deity: the Ashwini Kumaras, celestial physicians. Fast-acting, healing-oriented, impatient with delay. These natives initiate and move on. Deva gana.

2. Bharani (13°20'–26°40' Aries) — Lord: Venus

Symbol: yoni (womb). Deity: Yama, lord of death and dharma. Intense creative and destructive power. Bharani natives carry things to completion — birth, transformation, the full weight of consequence. Manushya gana.

3. Krittika (26°40' Aries–10°00' Taurus) — Lord: Sun

Symbol: razor or flame. Deity: Agni, god of fire. Cutting clarity and purifying directness. Sharp critics who burn away pretense. The first Nakshatra to straddle two signs. Rakshasa gana.

4. Rohini (10°00'–23°20' Taurus) — Lord: Moon

Symbol: chariot or ox cart. Deity: Brahma, the creator. Sensual, fertile, magnetically attractive. The Moon is exalted here — Rohini is considered the most materially productive Nakshatra. Manushya gana.

5. Mrigashira (23°20' Taurus–6°40' Gemini) — Lord: Mars

Symbol: deer's head. Deity: Soma, the Moon god. Curious, searching, restless. Mrigashira natives perpetually seek — knowledge, beauty, the next interesting thing. Deva gana.

6. Ardra (6°40'–20°00' Gemini) — Lord: Rahu

Symbol: teardrop or diamond. Deity: Rudra, the storm god. Emotionally intense, intellectually fierce. Ardra brings destruction that precedes renewal — storms that clear the air. Manushya gana.

7. Punarvasu (20°00' Gemini–3°20' Cancer) — Lord: Jupiter

Symbol: quiver of arrows or a house. Deity: Aditi, mother of the gods. Renewal and return. After Ardra's storm, Punarvasu restores. These natives bounce back. Optimism rooted in resilience, not naivety. Deva gana.

8. Pushya (3°20'–16°40' Cancer) — Lord: Saturn

Symbol: cow's udder or lotus. Deity: Brihaspati, teacher of the gods. Nourishing, dependable, community-minded. Considered the most auspicious Nakshatra for most activities. Saturn here channels discipline into care. Deva gana.

9. Ashlesha (16°40'–30°00' Cancer) — Lord: Mercury

Symbol: coiled serpent. Deity: Naga, the serpent deities. Penetrating intelligence, psychological depth, and a capacity for manipulation that can serve wisdom or self-interest. Nothing escapes Ashlesha's perception. Rakshasa gana.^[2]

The middle nine Nakshatras span Leo through the early degrees of Scorpio. The second cycle of planetary lords begins. These stars consolidate what the first nine initiated — building power, establishing authority, deepening relationships.

10. Magha (0°00'–13°20' Leo) — Lord: Ketu

Symbol: throne or palanquin. Deity: the Pitris (ancestors). Regal authority rooted in lineage and tradition. Magha natives carry ancestral dignity — and ancestral obligations. Rakshasa gana.

11. Purva Phalguni (13°20'–26°40' Leo) — Lord: Venus

Symbol: front legs of a bed or hammock. Deity: Bhaga, god of marital bliss. Pleasure, romance, creative self-expression. These natives enjoy life and see no reason to apologize. Manushya gana.

12. Uttara Phalguni (26°40' Leo–10°00' Virgo) — Lord: Sun

Symbol: back legs of a bed. Deity: Aryaman, god of patronage and contracts. Partnerships built on commitment rather than passion alone. The responsible counterpart to Purva Phalguni's indulgence. Manushya gana.

13. Hasta (10°00'–23°20' Virgo) — Lord: Moon

Symbol: open hand or fist. Deity: Savitar, the vivifying Sun. Skilled, dexterous, crafty in the best sense. Hasta natives shape material reality with their hands and their intelligence. Deva gana.

14. Chitra (23°20' Virgo–6°40' Libra) — Lord: Mars

Symbol: bright jewel or pearl. Deity: Tvashtar, the celestial architect. Artistic vision combined with technical precision. Chitra natives build beautiful things — and demand they be built correctly. Rakshasa gana.

15. Swati (6°40'–20°00' Libra) — Lord: Rahu

Symbol: young plant swaying in the wind or coral. Deity: Vayu, god of wind. Independent, adaptable, self-made. Swati bends without breaking. These natives thrive in commerce, diplomacy, and any field requiring flexibility. Deva gana.

16. Vishakha (20°00' Libra–3°20' Scorpio) — Lord: Jupiter

Symbol: triumphal arch or potter's wheel. Deity: Indra and Agni together. Single-pointed determination. Vishakha natives fixate on a goal and pursue it with a focus that others find either inspiring or unsettling. Rakshasa gana.

17. Anuradha (3°20'–16°40' Scorpio) — Lord: Saturn

Symbol: lotus or triumphal archway. Deity: Mitra, god of friendship and alliances. Devotion, loyalty, the ability to maintain bonds across distance and difficulty. Saturn's discipline channeled into relationship. Deva gana.

18. Jyeshtha (16°40'–30°00' Scorpio) — Lord: Mercury

Symbol: circular amulet or earring. Deity: Indra, king of the gods. Seniority, authority, and the protective instincts that come with power. Jyeshtha natives guard what they control — sometimes generously, sometimes possessively. Rakshasa gana.^[1]

The final nine Nakshatras span Sagittarius through Pisces. The third and last cycle of planetary lords runs its course. These stars universalize what the middle nine personalized — expanding vision, confronting mortality, dissolving boundaries.

19. Mula (0°00'–13°20' Sagittarius) — Lord: Ketu

Symbol: tied bunch of roots or a lion's tail. Deity: Nirriti, goddess of destruction and dissolution. Uprooting, investigation, getting to the bottom of things. Mula natives dismantle foundations to discover what lies beneath. Rakshasa gana.

20. Purva Ashadha (13°20'–26°40' Sagittarius) — Lord: Venus

Symbol: elephant tusk or winnowing fan. Deity: Apas, the water deity. Invincible conviction. These natives declare early victory — and often earn it through charisma and creative strategy. Manushya gana.

21. Uttara Ashadha (26°40' Sagittarius–10°00' Capricorn) — Lord: Sun

Symbol: elephant tusk or small bed. Deity: the Vishvadevas (universal gods). Final, earned victory. Where Purva Ashadha declares, Uttara Ashadha delivers — through sustained effort, not flash. Manushya gana.

22. Shravana (10°00'–23°20' Capricorn) — Lord: Moon

Symbol: three footprints or an ear. Deity: Vishnu, the preserver. Listening, learning, connecting. Shravana natives absorb knowledge through receptivity and transmit it through service. Deva gana.

23. Dhanishtha (23°20' Capricorn–6°40' Aquarius) — Lord: Mars

Symbol: drum or flute. Deity: the Vasus, gods of abundance. Wealth, rhythm, musical and martial talent. Dhanishtha channels Mars energy into structured accomplishment. Rakshasa gana.

24. Shatabhisha (6°40'–20°00' Aquarius) — Lord: Rahu

Symbol: empty circle or 100 flowers. Deity: Varuna, god of cosmic waters. Healing, secrecy, vast knowledge held privately. Shatabhisha natives are often drawn to medicine, technology, or research — fields where hidden knowledge saves lives. Rakshasa gana.

25. Purva Bhadrapada (20°00' Aquarius–3°20' Pisces) — Lord: Jupiter

Symbol: front of a funeral cot or a two-faced man. Deity: Aja Ekapada, the one-footed goat. Intense, transformative, spiritually radical. These natives straddle the boundary between worldly ambition and transcendence. Manushya gana.

26. Uttara Bhadrapada (3°20'–16°40' Pisces) — Lord: Saturn

Symbol: back of a funeral cot or a twin. Deity: Ahir Budhnya, the serpent of the deep. Contemplative depth, controlled power, spiritual discipline. Saturn's patience finds its most mature expression here. Manushya gana.

27. Revati (16°40'–30°00' Pisces) — Lord: Mercury

Symbol: fish or drum. Deity: Pushan, nourisher and protector of travelers. Gentle, protective, guiding. The final Nakshatra completes the zodiac with an act of care — shepherding souls toward the next beginning. Deva gana.^[3]

This reference serves as a lookup table, not a final interpretation. A Nakshatra's expression depends on which planet occupies it, that planet's dignity in the sign, the aspects it receives, and the Dasha period active at any given time. Mars in Ashwini behaves differently from Moon in Ashwini — the lord (Ketu) colors both, but the planet brings its own nature to the conversation.

Start by identifying the Nakshatras of your three most important chart points: the Moon (emotional temperament and Dasha sequence), the Ascendant (outward persona and physical constitution), and the Sun (soul nature and authority). Then examine the Nakshatra of the planet currently ruling your Mahadasha — it reveals the texture of the period you are living through.

For the mechanics of how Nakshatras generate the Dasha timeline, see our Vimshottari Dasha guide. For finding your specific birth star and understanding its personal significance, see our Janma Nakshatra article.

Generate your Vedic birth chart to discover the Nakshatra placement for every planet in your chart, along with your complete Dasha timeline and Nakshatra-based compatibility profile.