Nakshatra नक्षत्र

Nakshatra (Devanagari: नक्षत्र, Sanskrit: nakshatra, ‘star’, from Sanskrit: naksha, ‘approach’, and Sanskrit: tra, ‘guard’) or lunar mansion is one of the 27 divisions of the sky, identified by the prominent star(s) in them, used in Jyotisha. The following are the 27 nakshatras and their meanings, with their equivalent positions in the Indian and Western zodiacs. The corresponding regions of sky are also given, following Basham’s Appendix: Astronomy. Although the Indian and Western zodiac signs have a common origin, due to differences in measuring the zodiac they have diverged from each other by about 25°. Therefore in the Western zodiac 0° Aries (Mesha) corresponds to 5° Pisces (Meena) in the Indian zodiac and so on. Each nakshatra represents a division of the ecliptic similar to the zodiac (13°20’ each instead of the 30° for each zodiac sign). The orbit of the moon is 27.3 days, so the Moon takes approximately one day to pass through each nakshatra.

  Nakshatra  Name Hindi Meaning
1 Ashvini     

 अश्विनी Horse-like-woman
2 Bharani     

 भरणी  Bearer-woman
3 Krittika     

 कृत्तिका  Cutting woman
4 Rohini     

 रोहिणी  Red woman
5 Mrigashirsha     

 म्रृगशीर्षा  Head of a Deer
6 Arudra     

 आर्द्रा  Moist One
7 Punarvasu     

 पुनर्वसु  Return of the Light
8 Pushya     

 पुष्य  Nourishing
9 Ashlesha     

 आश्लेषा  The Embracer
10 Magha     

 मघा  The Great One
11 Purva Phalguni     

 पूर्व फाल्गुनी  Former Reddish One
12 Uttara Phalguni     

 उत्तर फाल्गुनी  Latter Reddish One
13 Hasta     

 हस्त  The Hand
14 Chitra     

 चित्रा  Bright One
15 Swati     

 स्वाती  Sword or Independence
16 Vishakha     

 विशाखा  Fork Shaped
17 Anuradha     

 अनुराधा  Disciple of Divine Spark
18 Jyeshtha     

 ज्येष्ठा  The Eldest
19 Mula     

 मूल  The Root
20 Purva Ashadha     

 पूर्वाषाढा  Early Victory
21 Uttara Ashadha     

 उत्तराषाढा  Latter victory
22 Shravana     

 श्रवण  Hearing
23 Dhanishta     

 धनिष्ठा  Richest One
24 Shatabhisha     

 शतभिषक्  Hundred Healers
25 Purva Bhadrapada     

 पूर्वभाद्रपदा  Former Happy Feet
26 Uttara Bhadrapada     

 उत्तरभाद्रपदा   Latter Happy Feet
27 Revati रेवती The Wealthy