THE STELLAR PERSPECTIVEThe 27 Nakshatras
The stellar reference grid
The 27 nakshatras divide the zodiac into equal sectors of 13 degrees 20 minutes. Their planetary rulers repeat in the Vimshottari sequence. A position belongs to the sector beginning at that coordinate and ending just before the next one.
| No. | Nakshatra | Beginning | End | Star lord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashwini | Aries 00°00′ | Aries 13°20′ | Ketu |
| 2 | Bharani | Aries 13°20′ | Aries 26°40′ | Venus |
| 3 | Krittika | Aries 26°40′ | Taurus 10°00′ | Sun |
| 4 | Rohini | Taurus 10°00′ | Taurus 23°20′ | Moon |
| 5 | Mrigashira | Taurus 23°20′ | Gemini 06°40′ | Mars |
| 6 | Ardra | Gemini 06°40′ | Gemini 20°00′ | Rahu |
| 7 | Punarvasu | Gemini 20°00′ | Cancer 03°20′ | Jupiter |
| 8 | Pushya | Cancer 03°20′ | Cancer 16°40′ | Saturn |
| 9 | Ashlesha | Cancer 16°40′ | Cancer 30°00′ | Mercury |
| 10 | Magha | Leo 00°00′ | Leo 13°20′ | Ketu |
| 11 | Purva Phalguni | Leo 13°20′ | Leo 26°40′ | Venus |
| 12 | Uttara Phalguni | Leo 26°40′ | Virgo 10°00′ | Sun |
| 13 | Hasta | Virgo 10°00′ | Virgo 23°20′ | Moon |
| 14 | Chitra | Virgo 23°20′ | Libra 06°40′ | Mars |
| 15 | Swati | Libra 06°40′ | Libra 20°00′ | Rahu |
| 16 | Vishakha | Libra 20°00′ | Scorpio 03°20′ | Jupiter |
| 17 | Anuradha | Scorpio 03°20′ | Scorpio 16°40′ | Saturn |
| 18 | Jyeshtha | Scorpio 16°40′ | Scorpio 30°00′ | Mercury |
| 19 | Mula | Sagittarius 00°00′ | Sagittarius 13°20′ | Ketu |
| 20 | Purva Ashadha | Sagittarius 13°20′ | Sagittarius 26°40′ | Venus |
| 21 | Uttara Ashadha | Sagittarius 26°40′ | Capricorn 10°00′ | Sun |
| 22 | Shravana | Capricorn 10°00′ | Capricorn 23°20′ | Moon |
| 23 | Dhanishtha | Capricorn 23°20′ | Aquarius 06°40′ | Mars |
| 24 | Shatabhisha | Aquarius 06°40′ | Aquarius 20°00′ | Rahu |
| 25 | Purva Bhadrapada | Aquarius 20°00′ | Pisces 03°20′ | Jupiter |
| 26 | Uttara Bhadrapada | Pisces 03°20′ | Pisces 16°40′ | Saturn |
| 27 | Revati | Pisces 16°40′ | Pisces 30°00′ | Mercury |
Why the star lord matters
In KP the star lord is examined for the houses it occupies, owns or represents. The nakshatra name alone does not assign a fixed modern occupation or guarantee an event. The same star lord can carry different house relationships in different charts.
Padas and subs
A pada is an equal quarter of a nakshatra, measuring 3 degrees 20 minutes. KP subs are unequal divisions based on the nine Vimshottari durations. These grids answer different coordinate questions even when used for the same longitude.
Boundaries and notation
The ending coordinate is excluded and belongs to the following nakshatra. For example, Aries 13 degrees 20 minutes begins Bharani. Aries 30 degrees is another way of expressing the Taurus boundary. The unrounded longitude determines the actual sector.