Stars and Planets – Their Positions, Directions and Influence

Nakshatras and their Nature

The term Nakshatra originates from the words “Naksha” (map) and “tara” (star). In understanding the celestial influences of the planets, Vedic astrology considers the 27 constellations to be the fundamental element. The 360 degrees of the Zodiac is divided into 27 parts called Nakshatras ( a constellation of stars). Each extends to 13 degrees and 20 minutes of arc. Nakshatras are also ruled by planets. Rahu and Ketu are also allocated the ownership. The ancient Indian sages and spiritualists considered the 27 constellations or Nakshatra rather than the 12 zodiac star signs that mapped the sky.

Each Nakshatra carries distinct qualities and characteristics and is based on the longitude of the Moon at the time of birth. Male and female natives born in the same birth star or Nakshatra may have different characteristics. The nakshatra is thought to influence our personality traits.

Names of the Nakshatras (Stars), their appearance, nature and Lords are given in the table below.

As stated above, every star or Nakshatra has distinctive properties including their appearance, their nature of influence as well as their rulers. You can know your star’s distinctive properties by referring the table below:

	Star	Appearance	Nature	Ruler
1	Aswini	3 stars resembling a horse’s face	Auspicious	Ketu
2	Bharani	3 stars resembling a female sexual organ.	Inauspicious	Venus
3	Krittika	Constellation of 6 stars	Inauspicious	Sun
4	Rohini	5 stars resembling an ear.	Auspicious	Moon
5	Mrigasira	3 stars like a head.	Auspicious	Mars
6	Ardra	Star like a coral head.	Auspicious	Rahu
7	Punarvasu	5 stars like a potter’s wheel.	Semi auspicious	Jupiter
8	Pushya	3 stars resembling a blood sucker.	Auspicious	Saturn
9	Ashlesha	6 stars like a serpent.	Inauspicious	Mercury
10	Makha	5 stars like a palanquin.	Destructive	Ketu
11	Purvaphalguni	2 stars resembling human eyes.	Fatal	Venus
12	Uttaraphalguni	2 stars like eyes.	Intelligent	Sun
13	Hasta	5 stars like human fingers.	Fortunate	Moon
14	Chitra	1 star like a pearl.	Auspicious	Mars
15	Swati	1 star like a sapphire.	Auspicious	Rahu
16	Vishakha	5 stars like a potter’s wheel.	Inauspicious	Jupiter
17	Anuradha	3 stars resembling an umbrella.	Success giving	Saturn
18	Jyeshta	5 stars like a crouching lion.	Destructive	Mercury
19	Moola	5 stars like a crouching lion.	Destructive	Ketu
20	Poorvashada	2 stars each forming a square.	Destructive	Venus
21	Uttarashada	2 stars each forming a square.	Intelligent	Sun
22	Shravana	3 stars like an arrow.	Happy	Moon
23	Dhanishta	3 stars like an Sun’s head.	Auspicious	Mars
24	Satabhisha	100 stars resembling a flower.	Happy	Rahu
25	Poorvabhadra	2 stars each forming the legs of a cot.	Fatal	Jupiter
26	Uttarabhadra	2 stars each forming the legs of a cot.	Fortunate	Saturn
27	Revati	3 stars like a fish.	Happy	Mercury

The Earth is 300 to 400 light-years away from the 27 Nakshatras. The ancient sages divided the zodiac into 12 main Rashi, which aided in the study of the planets’ effects. It was then subdivided further into a sub-divisional system that divided each zodiac into 27-star constellations. Each of these constellations is further divided into four quarters of padas and we have 27*4=108 padas comprising the whole of the zodiac.

Each Nakshatra spans 13 degrees and 20 minutes. It is further subdivided into four Padas, or quarters, each of three degrees and twenty minutes. Thus, the first zodiac sign, Aries, which has 30 degrees, contains the entire 4 padas (13 degrees and 20 minutes) of the first star constellation Ashwini, the entire 4 padas (13:20′) of the second star constellation Bharani, and the first pad (3:20′) of the third-star constellation Kritika, giving each Rashi a total of 9 padas.

Different names of 9 planets

The planets play a major role in prediction techniques in Vedic astrology. Each planet is also known by different names which are given below:

Planet	Different Names
Sun	Ravi, Surya, Aditya, Arka and Bhanu
Moon	Chandra, Soma and Sitamsu
Mars	Kuja, Angaraka and Bhoma or Bhumija
Mercury	Budha, Soumya, Gna, Somaja
Jupiter	Guru, Jiva, Brihaspathi, Suri
Venus	Shukra, Sita, Bhrigu and Kavya
Saturn	Sani, Ravija, Asita and Manda
Rahu	Dragons’ Head,Thama and Sarpa
Ketu	Dragon’s Tail, Sikhi

Planetary Directions

Let us understand what are the directions in which every planet is positioned.

Direction	Planet
East	Sun
West	Saturn
North	Mercury
South	Mars
North-East	Jupiter
South-East	Venus
North-West	Moon
South-West	Rahu

Planetary States

Planets are thought to be in states known as avasthas. Avasthas are the divisions of a planet according to its condition. A planet receives an Avastha according to its degree within a specific Rashi. The ancient text Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra provides us with precise calculations and explanations that allow us to quantify the condition of the planet and accurately predict its outcomes. Avasthas, or planetary states, are classified into several categories. The ten states that describe the physical-mental conditions of the planets are as follows:

1. Deepta or exaltation – gives long life, successful work, good family, promising children, wealth, fame, respect and conveyances.
2. Swastha or residence in their own house – permanence, happiness, sound education, good position.
3. Muditha or residence in friendly sign– good dress, fine taste, sweet scents, flowers, women, position and happiness.
4. Santha or planets in auspicious sub-divisions– timely strength and courage, helping relations, comfortable life, health and happiness.
5. Saktha or retrograde motion– courage, prosperity, successful position, reputation, wealth, good relations. In retrograde motion, good planets produce happiness and bad planets give evil effects and misery.
6. Peedya or planets in the last quarter or Navamsa of the sign – hatred, quarrelsome relations, family dissension, criminal prosecutions, pilfering habits, expulsion from country.
7. Deena or planets in unfriendly houses – sickness, meanness, mental worry, derangement in brain, social degradation or excommunication, bigoted persecutions.
8. Vikala or planets in combustion – mental disorder, orphanage, many face expulsion from country, public disgrace of children, wife and friends.
9. Khala or planets in debilitation – constant losses, vulgar birth, troubles from unexpected sources, quarrels with parents, imprisonment, disease, misery and utter disregard for that which is noble and sacred.
10. Bheetha or acceleration – loss due to fire, foes, kings and thieves. Persecution, tortures, disgraceful life, vulgar habits, danger in foreign countries. In predicting the results, it is to be noted that the evil conjuctions and aspects add to the misery and good conjuctions and aspects are beneficial.

Basic Planet Avasthas

Based on the degrees that a planet occupies within a Rashi, the planets are categorised into states that range from infancy to death. The range of a Rashi is 30 degrees. Five sections of six degrees each make up the 30 degrees. The five Avasthas assigned to these sections for the odd Rashis are Bala (infant), Kumara (young adult), Yuva (adolescent), Vridha (advanced), and Mrita (deceased). This order is the opposite for the even Rashis.