Nakshatras and their Nature

The 360 degrees of the Zodiac is divided into 27 parts called Nakshatras .(Constellation of stars). Each extends to 13 degrees and 20 minutes of arc.Nakshatras are also ruled by planets. Rahu and Ketu are also alloted the ownership.

Names of the Nakshatras (Stars), their appearance, nature and Lords are given in 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
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 pada gets 3 degrees 20′(Three degree and twenty minutes).

Different names of 9 planets
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
Direction Planet
East Sun
West Saturn
North Mercury
South Mars
North-East Jupiter
South-East Venus
North-West Moon
South-West Rahu
Planetary States
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Planets are said to have certain states called ‘avastas’. Avastas or planetary states are grouped into several heads. The ten states, describing the physical-mental conditions of the planets are:

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.

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