The twelve signs of the zodiac are said to be owned by the seven planets from Sun to Saturn. Sun and Moon own only one sign each, whereas Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn own two signs each. It is said that the Nakshatras or Lunar Mansions are based on the idea that specific stars are related to particular portion of the zodiac and hence are related to the sign.
In Hindu Astrology the fixed stars are known as Nakshatras. There are a total of 27 ‘Nakshatras’ in the zodiac. Each Nakshatra thus measures 13 degrees and 20 minutes. Like the signs of the zodiac, the ‘Nakshatras’ are also said to be owned by the planets. The difference however is that whereas Raahu (North Node) and Ketu (South Node) do not own any signs, these two shadowy heavenly bodies have been given the ownership of certain ‘Nakshatras’. Each ‘Nakshatra’ is further divided into 4 parts known as ‘Padas’. Each Pada measures 3 degrees and 20 minutes. Each sign will thus contain 9 ‘Padas’. The zodiac sign with the 27 ‘Nakshatras’ and their rulers (Lords), are given below in the form of a chart:-
From the chart it can be seen that some Nakshatras have all the 4 Padas in one sign while the others have only one, two or three Padas in one sign and the rest fall in another sign. From the above chart , we can find the Nakshatra and the Pada in which a planet falls, provided we know the longitude of the planet. Say the longitude of a planet is 12 and 20 minutes of Aquarius, which is 312 degrees and 20 minutes. This would mean that the planet falls in the second Pada of Shatbhisha Nakshatra.
| Sign | Nakshatra | Lord of the Nakshatra | Span in the zodiac |
| Mesha (Aries) | Ashwini(1 to 4 Padas) | Ketu | 0 to 13.20 |
| Mesha (Aries) | Bharani (1 to 4 Padas) | Venus | 13.20 to 26.40 |
| Mesha (Aries) | Krittika (1 Pada) | Sun | 26.40 to 30 |
| Vrishabha (Taurus) | Krittika (2 to 4 Padas) | Sun | 30 to 40 |
| Vrishabha (Taurus) | Rohini (1 to 4 Padas) | Moon | 40 to 53.20 |
| Vrishabha (Taurus) | Mrigshira (1 and 2 Padas) | Mars | 53.20 to 60 |
| Mithun (Gemini) | Mrigshira ( 3 and 4 Padas) | Mars | 60 to 66.40 |
| Mithun (Gemini) | Ardra (1 to 4 Padas) | Raahu | 66.40 to 80 |
| Mithun (Gemini) | Punarvasu (1 to 3 padas) | Jupiter | 80 to 90 |
| Kark (Cancer) | Punarvasu (4th Pada | Jupiter | 90 to 93.20 |
| Kark (Cancer) | Pushya ( 1 to 4 Padas) | Saturn | 93.20 to 106.40 |
| Kark (Cancer) | Ashlesha (1 to 4 Padas) | Mercury | 106.40 to 120 |
| Singh (Leo) | Magha (1 to 4 Padas) | Ketu | 120 to 133.20 |
| Singh (Leo) | Poorva Phalguni (1 to Padas) | Venus | 133.20 to 146.40 |
| Singh (Leo) | Uttara Phalguni (1 Pada) | Sun | 146.40 to 150 |
| Kanya (Virgo) | Uttara Phalguni (2 to 4 Padas) | Sun | 150 to 160 |
| Kanya (Virgo) | Hasta ( 1 to 4 Padas) | Moon | 160 to 173.20 |
| Kanya (Virgo) | Chitra (1 and 2 Padas) | Mars | 173.20 to 180 |
| Tula (Libra) | Chitra( 3 and 4 Padas) | Mars | 180 to 186.40 |
| Tula (Libra) | Swati (1 to 4 Padas) | Raahu | 186.40 to 200 |
| Tula (Libra) | Vishakha (1 to 3 Padas) | Jupiter | 200 to 210 |
| Vrischik (Scorpio) | Vishakha (4th Pada) | Jupiter | 210 to 213.20 |
| Vrischik (Scorpio) | Anuradha ( 1 to 4 padas) | Saturn | 213.20 to 226.40 |
| Vrischik (Scorpio) | Jyeshtha ( 1 to 4 padas) | Mercury | 226.40 to 240 |
| Dhanu (Sagittarius) | Mool ( 1 to 4 Padas) | Ketu | 240 to 253.20 |
| Dhanu (Sagittarius) | Poorvashada(1 to 4 Padas) | Venus | 253.20 to 266.40 |
| Dhanu (Sagittarius) | Uttarashada ( 1 Pada) | Sun | 266.40 to 270 |
| Makara (Capricorn) | Uttarashada (2 to 4 Padas) | Sun | 270 to 280 |
| Makara (Capricorn) | Shravan ( 1 to 4 padas) | Moon | 280 to 293.20 |
| Makara (Capricorn) | Dhanishta (1 and 2 Padas) | Mars | 293.20 to 300 |
| Kumbha (Aquarius) | Dhanishta ( 3 and 4 Padas) | Mars | 300 to 306.40 |
| Kumbha (Aquarius) | Shatabhisha ( 1 to 4 Padas) | Raahu | 306.40 to 320 |
| Kumbha (Aquarius) | Poorvabhadra ( 1 to 3 Padas) | Jupiter | 320 to 330 |
| Meen (Pisces) | Poorvabhadra(4th Pada) | Jupiter | 330 to 333.20 |
| Meen (Pisces) | Uttarbhadra ( 1 to 4 Padas) | Saturn | 333.20 to 346.40 |
| Meen (Pisces) | Revati ( 1 to 4 Padas) | Mercury | 346.40 to 360 |
Rup.. isn’t Nakshatra usually related to Moon position (not the other planets) I know when I say that I have Rohini Nakshatra, it actually means that my Moon in Sidereal is somewhere between 10 and 13 degree Taurus. So this pada of taurus fall in Rohini Nakshatra. right? What does that mean that I have Rohini as my Nakshatra (in relation to Moon)?
From the chart given above, u can see that each Nakshatra has a space allotted to it in the zodiac.Thus any planet whether Sun or Moon or Mars etc could be placed in any Nakhshatra depending upon its placement in the zodiac. Say Sun is at 1 degrees Leo,it means that Sun is placed in the Nakshatra known as “Magha’ or Moon is at 22 degrees Pisces,it means that Moon is placed in the Nakshatra called “Revati” or Mars is at 11 degrees Virgo,it means that Mars is in the Nakshatra known as “Hasta”.From the above chart you can clearly see that if Moon is placed between 10 and 13 degrees Taurus,it is palced in the first Pada of Rohini Nakshatra.It is true that in common paralance when one says that his Nakshatra is Rohini it means that his Moon is placed in Rohini Nakshatra.However,this is just like if someone asks what is ur Sign, in India most people will blurt out their Moonsign.The truth is that just like we have results for different planets in different signs,we also have results for different planets in different Nakshatras.In fact in Krishnamurthy Paddhati,it is said that a planet gives the results of the lord of its Nakshatra in its dasha.The results of planets in different nakshatras are hard to get by and are available in one Mr.Shbhakaran’s book only who in turn has taken them from Ravan Sanhita which is one of the rarest treatises on vedic astrology.It is these results which i had sent to you in e-mail a couple of weeks ago.
Greetings! I was wondering if perhaps you would also e-mail me those results? I am very interested in these studies. Thank you very much!