Birth Star Calculator

Find your birth star (Janma Nakshatra), pada, and traditional naming syllable from date, time, and place of birth, with your star’s name in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu. If you do not know your birth time, the tool lists every star the Moon occupied that day instead of guessing. Sidereal Lahiri ayanamsa - the same engine as our Kundli generator.

100% private - the birth-star calculation runs entirely in your browser. No birth data sent anywhere.

Enter birth details

Supports 1900 onwards for better calculation reliability.

Birth time pins the nakshatra and pada (your naming syllable) - the Moon moves through a pada in about 6 hours, so enter your time as precisely as you can.

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Quick facts

Birth starThe nakshatra the Moon occupied at birth (Janma Nakshatra)
Counts27 nakshatras, 4 padas each, 108 nakshatra-pada cells
OutputStar + pada + lord + naming syllable + Malayalam / Tamil / Telugu names
Dwell time~24 hours per nakshatra, ~6 hours per pada
Required inputDate and place mandatory; time recommended (unknown-time toggle shows the day’s candidates)
Not the same asRashi (Moon sign) - one rashi spans ~2.25 nakshatras
EngineMeeus lunar theory; Lahiri ayanamsa; ~0.3 deg typical Moon precision
Privacy100% client-side; no birth data leaves the browser

What is a birth star (Janma Nakshatra)?

In Vedic astrology the sidereal zodiac is divided into 27 nakshatras (lunar mansions) of 13 degrees 20 minutes each. The nakshatra the Moon occupied at your birth moment is your birth star - Janma Nakshatra in Sanskrit, and in the southern languages Janma Naal (Malayalam), Janma Natchathiram (Tamil), and Janma Nakshatram (Telugu). The Moon crosses one nakshatra in roughly a day, so the birth star is more specific than the Moon sign (rashi).

Each nakshatra is divided into four padas (quarters) of 3 degrees 20 minutes. The pada fixes the traditional naming syllable and the Navamsa (D9) placement, so the full answer to “what is my birth star” is a nakshatra and a pada together.

How is the birth star calculated?

The tool computes the Moon’s tropical ecliptic longitude at your birth moment using Meeus lunar theory, subtracts the Lahiri ayanamsa (about 24 degrees in 2026) to get the sidereal longitude, and reads off the nakshatra (each 13 degrees 20 minutes) and the pada within it (each 3 degrees 20 minutes). The pada then gives the naming syllable from the Swar Siddhanta table.

Because the Moon moves about 0.5 degrees per hour, your nakshatra can change roughly once a day and your pada about every six hours - which is why the birth time matters and why this tool enumerates the whole day when you do not have one.

Can you find a birth star without a birth time?

Often only as a short list. Because a nakshatra lasts about a day, more than one birth star is usually possible on a given date. Rather than guess, we measured it: an exhaustive sweep over 27,394 Asia/Kolkata civil days (1950-2025) finds the nakshatra is not stable across the whole day on about 95.86% of days, and the pada on 100%. (This is a reference figure that depends on the civil-day window, i.e. the timezone, not on location.)

So when you leave the time blank, the tool shows every birth star the Moon occupied during your birth date with the local change times - a candidate set, not a single guess. It does not show a “most likely at noon” star, and it never infers the nakshatra from your Moon sign, because one 30-degree sign overlaps three nakshatras. If the Moon happened to stay in one nakshatra all day, your birth star is confident even without a time (though the pada, and so the syllable, may still vary).

The naming syllable (akshara) and how traditions differ

In namakaran, the birth nakshatra and pada fix a syllable (akshara) that a baby’s name traditionally begins with. There are 108 such syllables, one per nakshatra-pada. Most are stable across sources; where they differ it is usually only romanization. But a few are genuinely different consonants - for example Purva Ashadha pada 2 is a dental “dha” while pada 4 is a retroflex “dha” - which simplified Roman tables wrongly merge. We carry the source Devanagari so the real distinction is preserved, and we present the common set rather than implying a single syllable is the only correct one; family parampara and the officiating priest’s chart can legitimately differ.

Show all 108 naming syllables (nakshatra x pada)
NakshatraPada 1Pada 2Pada 3Pada 4
1. AshwiniChu (चु)Che (चे)Cho (चो)La (ला)
2. BharaniLi (ली)Lu (लू)Le (ले)Lo (लो)
3. KrittikaA ()I ()U ()E ()
4. RohiniO ()Va (वा)Vi (वी)Vu (वु)
5. MrigashiraVe (वे)Vo (वो)Ka (का)Ki (की)
6. ArdraKu (कु)Gha ()Nga ()Chha ()
7. PunarvasuKe (के)Ko (को)Ha (हा)Hi (ही)
8. PushyaHu (हु)He (हे)Ho (हो)Da (डा)
9. AshleshaDi (डी)Du (डू)De (डे)Do (डो)
10. MaghaMa (मा)Mi (मी)Mu (मू)Me (मे)
11. Purva PhalguniMo (मो)Ta (टा)Ti (टी)Tu (टू)
12. Uttara PhalguniTe (टे)To (टो)Pa (पा)Pi (पी)
13. HastaPu (पू)Sha ()Na ()Tha ()
14. ChitraPe (पे)Po (पो)Ra (रा)Ri (री)
15. SwatiRu (रू)Re (रे)Ro (रो)Ta (ता)
16. VishakhaTi (ती)Tu (तू)Te (ते)To (तो)
17. AnuradhaNa (ना)Ni (नी)Nu (नू)Ne (ने)
18. JyeshthaNo (नो)Ya (या)Yi (यी)Yu (यू)
19. MulaYe (ये)Yo (यो)Bha (भा)Bhi (भी)
20. Purva AshadhaBhu (भू)Dha (धा)Pha (फा)Dha ()
21. Uttara AshadhaBhe (भे)Bho (भो)Ja (जा)Ji (जी)
22. ShravanaKhi (खी)Khu (खू)Khe (खे)Kho (खो)
23. DhanishtaGa (गा)Gi (गी)Gu (गु)Ge (गे)
24. ShatabhishaGo (गो)Sa (सा)Si (सी)Su (सू)
25. Purva BhadrapadaSe (से)So (सो)Da (दा)Di (दी)
26. Uttara BhadrapadaDu (दू)Tha ()Jha ()Yna ()
27. RevatiDe (दे)Do (दो)Cha ()Chi (ची)

Source: Drik Panchang Swar Siddhanta (roman + Devanagari) and Nityapanchangam, cross-checked against the Wikipedia List of Nakshatras. Devanagari is the source of truth where romanizations diverge.

Birth star in Malayalam (Janma Naal)

In Malayalam the birth star is the Janma Naal, and several nakshatras have a distinct Malayali name - Ashwini is Ashwathi, Ardra is Thiruvathira, Shravana is Thiruvonam. The full list, in Malayalam script:

#SanskritNativeRoman
1Ashwiniഅശ്വതിAshwathi
2BharaniഭരണിBharani
3Krittikaകാർത്തികKarthika
4RohiniരോഹിണിRohini
5MrigashiraമകയിരംMakayiram
6ArdraതിരുവാതിരThiruvathira
7PunarvasuപുണർതംPunartham
8PushyaപൂയംPooyam
9Ashleshaആയില്യംAayilyam
10MaghaമകംMakam
11Purva PhalguniപൂരംPooram
12Uttara Phalguniഉത്രംUthram
13Hastaഅത്തംAtham
14Chitraചിത്തിരChithira
15SwatiചോതിChothi
16VishakhaവിശാഖംVisakham
17AnuradhaഅനിഴംAnizham
18Jyeshthaതൃക്കേട്ടThrikketta
19MulaമൂലംMoolam
20Purva AshadhaപൂരാടംPooradam
21Uttara Ashadhaഉത്രാടംUthradam
22ShravanaതിരുവോണംThiruvonam
23Dhanishtaഅവിട്ടംAvittam
24ShatabhishaചതയംChathayam
25Purva Bhadrapadaപൂരുരുട്ടാതിPooruruttathi
26Uttara Bhadrapadaഉത്രട്ടാതിUthrattathi
27RevatiരേവതിRevathi

Birth star in Tamil (Janma Natchathiram)

In Tamil the birth star is the Janma Natchathiram, and the pada is the padam. Many names take a Tamil form - Krittika is Karthigai, Jyeshtha is Kettai. The full list, in Tamil script:

#SanskritNativeRoman
1Ashwiniஅஸ்வினிAswini
2BharaniபரணிBarani
3Krittikaகார்த்திகைKarthigai
4RohiniரோகிணிRohini
5Mrigashiraமிருகசீரிடம்Mirugasiridam
6ArdraதிருவாதிரைThiruvathirai
7Punarvasuபுனர்பூசம்Punarpoosam
8Pushyaபூசம்Poosam
9Ashleshaஆயில்யம்Ayilyam
10Maghaமகம்Magam
11Purva Phalguniபூரம்Pooram
12Uttara Phalguniஉத்திரம்Uthiram
13Hastaஅஸ்தம்Astham
14Chitraசித்திரைChithirai
15SwatiசுவாதிSwathi
16Vishakhaவிசாகம்Visagam
17Anuradhaஅனுஷம்Anusham
18Jyeshthaகேட்டைKettai
19Mulaமூலம்Moolam
20Purva Ashadhaபூராடம்Pooradam
21Uttara Ashadhaஉத்திராடம்Uthiradam
22Shravanaதிருவோணம்Thiruvonam
23Dhanishtaஅவிட்டம்Avittam
24Shatabhishaசதயம்Sadayam
25Purva Bhadrapadaபூரட்டாதிPoorattathi
26Uttara Bhadrapadaஉத்திரட்டாதிUthirattathi
27RevatiரேவதிRevathi

Birth star in Telugu (Janma Nakshatram)

In Telugu the birth star is the Janma Nakshatram. Telugu often uses a regional short-name that differs from the Sanskrit head - Purva Phalguni is Pubba, Pushya is Pushyami, Chitra is Chitta - so your naal may look different from the Sanskrit label. The full list (formal nakshatram names), in Telugu script:

#SanskritNativeRoman
1Ashwiniఅశ్వినిAswini
2BharaniభరణిBharani
3Krittikaకృత్తికKruttika
4RohiniరోహిణిRohini
5MrigashiraమృగశిరMrugasira
6Ardraఆరుద్రArudra
7Punarvasuపునర్వసుPunarvasu
8Pushyaపుష్యమిPushyami
9Ashleshaఆశ్లేషAaslesha
10MaghaమఖMakha
11Purva Phalguniపూర్వ ఫల్గుణిPurva Phalguni
12Uttara Phalguniఉత్తర ఫల్గుణిUttara Phalguni
13Hastaహస్తHasta
14Chitraచిత్తChitta
15Swatiస్వాతిSwati
16VishakhaవిశాఖVisakha
17AnuradhaఅనురాధAnuradha
18Jyeshthaజ్యేష్ఠJyeshtha
19MulaమూలMoola
20Purva Ashadhaపూర్వాషాఢPurvashadha
21Uttara Ashadhaఉత్తరాషాఢUttarashadha
22Shravanaశ్రవణంSravanam
23Dhanishtaధనిష్ఠDhanishta
24ShatabhishaశతభిషంSatabhisham
25Purva Bhadrapadaపూర్వాభాద్రPurvabhadra
26Uttara Bhadrapadaఉత్తరాభాద్రUttarabhadra
27RevatiరేవతిRevathi

The 27 nakshatras and their lords

#NakshatraRuling planet (lord)Pada syllables (1-4)
1AshwiniKetuChu, Che, Cho, La
2BharaniVenusLi, Lu, Le, Lo
3KrittikaSunA, I, U, E
4RohiniMoonO, Va, Vi, Vu
5MrigashiraMarsVe, Vo, Ka, Ki
6ArdraRahuKu, Gha, Nga, Chha
7PunarvasuJupiterKe, Ko, Ha, Hi
8PushyaSaturnHu, He, Ho, Da
9AshleshaMercuryDi, Du, De, Do
10MaghaKetuMa, Mi, Mu, Me
11Purva PhalguniVenusMo, Ta, Ti, Tu
12Uttara PhalguniSunTe, To, Pa, Pi
13HastaMoonPu, Sha, Na, Tha
14ChitraMarsPe, Po, Ra, Ri
15SwatiRahuRu, Re, Ro, Ta
16VishakhaJupiterTi, Tu, Te, To
17AnuradhaSaturnNa, Ni, Nu, Ne
18JyeshthaMercuryNo, Ya, Yi, Yu
19MulaKetuYe, Yo, Bha, Bhi
20Purva AshadhaVenusBhu, Dha, Pha, Dha
21Uttara AshadhaSunBhe, Bho, Ja, Ji
22ShravanaMoonKhi, Khu, Khe, Kho
23DhanishtaMarsGa, Gi, Gu, Ge
24ShatabhishaRahuGo, Sa, Si, Su
25Purva BhadrapadaJupiterSe, So, Da, Di
26Uttara BhadrapadaSaturnDu, Tha, Jha, Yna
27RevatiMercuryDe, Do, Cha, Chi

The nakshatra lord is the Vimshottari Dasha lord - the same Moon-nakshatra drives your Dasha timeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a birth star (Janma Nakshatra)?

Your birth star is the nakshatra (lunar mansion) the Moon occupied at your moment of birth. The sidereal zodiac is divided into 27 nakshatras of 13 degrees 20 minutes each; the Moon traverses one in about 24 hours. 'Birth star' is the South-Indian-English name; the regional words are Janma Naal (Malayalam), Janma Natchathiram (Tamil), and Janma Nakshatram (Telugu). It is the basis of naming traditions, muhurta, and the Vimshottari Dasha.

How do I calculate my birth star and padam?

Enter your date, time, and place of birth. The tool computes the Moon's sidereal longitude at that moment (Meeus lunar theory minus the Lahiri ayanamsa), then maps it to one of the 27 nakshatras and one of its four padas (quarters of 3 degrees 20 minutes each). The pada (padam) determines the traditional naming syllable. Because the Moon moves through a pada in about 6 hours, an accurate birth time matters for the pada.

Can I find my birth star without a birth time?

Sometimes. The Moon changes nakshatra about every 24 hours, so on most days more than one birth star is possible. Our exhaustive sweep over 27,394 Asia/Kolkata civil days finds the nakshatra is NOT stable across the whole day on about 95.86% of days (and the pada on 100%). So when you do not enter a time, this tool shows EVERY birth star the Moon occupied during your birth date with the local change times - it does not guess a single star, and it never uses your Moon sign as a shortcut, because one Moon sign overlaps three nakshatras. If the Moon stayed in one nakshatra all day, the star is confident even without a time.

Is my birth star the same as my rashi (Moon sign)?

No. Your rashi is a 30-degree Moon sign (12 total); your birth star is a 13 degree 20 minute nakshatra (27 total). One rashi spans about 2.25 nakshatras, so knowing your rashi does not pin your nakshatra. The Rashi Calculator returns your Moon sign and ascendant; this tool returns your nakshatra, pada, and naming syllable.

What is my naming syllable (akshara / namakaran)?

In traditional Indian namakaran (naming), a baby's name is often chosen to start with a specific syllable (akshara) fixed by the birth nakshatra and pada. Each of the 108 nakshatra-pada cells has its own syllable - for example Ashwini pada 1 is Chu and pada 4 is La. This tool gives the syllable for your computed nakshatra and pada, and lists all 108 below.

Do the naming syllables differ by tradition?

Yes, partly. Most of the 108 syllables are stable across sources; the differences are usually only romanization (the same Devanagari spelled different ways). But a few are genuinely different consonants - for example Purva Ashadha pada 2 is a dental 'dha' while pada 4 is a retroflex 'dha', which compressed Roman tables wrongly merge. We store the source Devanagari so the real distinction is preserved, and we present the common set, not the only valid one - family parampara and the officiating priest's chart can differ.

What is a pada?

A pada is a quarter of a nakshatra, 3 degrees 20 minutes wide, so there are 4 padas per nakshatra and 108 in all. Padas are used to assign the Navamsa (D9) sign and to fix the naming syllable. The Moon crosses a pada in about 6 hours, so the pada is more birth-time-sensitive than the nakshatra itself.

Are there 27 or 28 nakshatras?

Mainstream natal practice uses 27 nakshatras, and this tool computes 27. A 28th, Abhijit, sits between Uttara Ashadha and Shravana and is used mainly in muhurta (electional timing), not for the natal Janma Nakshatra. We document Abhijit but do not re-divide the zodiac into 28 for the computation.

What is my birth star called in Malayalam, Tamil, or Telugu?

Each nakshatra has a regional name - for example Ashwini is Ashwathi in Malayalam, Aswini in Tamil, and Aswini in Telugu; Krittika is Karthika / Karthigai / Kruttika. The tool shows your star in all three scripts, and the full 27-name tables in each language are below. Telugu and Malayalam often use a regional short-name that differs from the Sanskrit head, which is why your naal may look different from the Sanskrit label.

How accurate is the calculated birth star?

The Moon position uses Meeus lunar theory with the Lahiri ayanamsa - typical precision around 0.3 degrees versus the Swiss Ephemeris. The Moon moves about 0.5 degrees per hour, so that is roughly half an hour of birth-time uncertainty near a boundary. When your Moon is within about 0.3 degrees of a nakshatra or pada edge, the tool marks the result provisional and shows both candidates, so you know to verify your birth time.

Which nakshatra is good or bad?

None. Nakshatras are reference frames, not verdicts. Specific outcomes in Vedic astrology depend on the whole chart (planetary positions, dashas, transits), not the birth star alone, and mainstream practice does not treat any single nakshatra as inherently lucky or unlucky. Be wary of sources that sell a 'best' or 'worst' nakshatra; that framing is a modern marketing reduction.

Does this tool predict my future or prescribe remedies?

No. It is a calculation and reference tool only. It reports your nakshatra, pada, naming syllable, and regional names; it does not predict life events or prescribe pujas, gemstones, or remedies. For a personal reading, consult a qualified astrologer.

Your birth star is a nakshatra, not a Moon sign. To find your rashi (Janma Rashi and Lagna) instead, use the Rashi Calculator - one rashi spans about 2.25 nakshatras, so the two answers are related but not the same.

The same Moon-nakshatra that sets your birth star also fixes your Vimshottari Dasha timeline (the nakshatra lord is your starting Mahadasha lord), and your full chart - all nine grahas, D1 and D9, and Mangal Dosha - is in the Free Kundli Generator. For marriage matching, the birth star drives the Tara and Nadi koota in Kundli Matching - this tool finds one person’s star; matching compares two.

Sources

  • Drik Panchang (Swar Siddhanta nakshatra-pada table; roman + Devanagari) for the 108 naming syllables, with Nityapanchangam as roman corroboration, cross-checked against the Wikipedia List of Nakshatras (roman + Devanagari).
  • For the native-script names: Prokerala and the regional Wikipedias (Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu), with Manoramaonline and Astrosage for Malayalam, mypanchang for Tamil and Telugu, and Nityapanchangam for Telugu - each glyph second-sourced (per-language source list in the project data artifact).
  • Jean Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms, 2nd ed., 1998 - lunar theory for the Moon position.
  • N.C. Lahiri, Indian Astronomical Ephemeris (Rashtriya Panchang, 1956 onwards) - the sidereal Lahiri ayanamsa.
  • Our committed sweep (scripts/birth-star-base-rate.ts and its output) for the date-only ambiguity rate over 27,394 civil days.
Cultural / informational purposes only
Birth-star results on this page are for cultural and informational purposes only. They describe a sidereal Vedic astrology reference frame and naming tradition, not predictions of life events, and are not a substitute for advice from a qualified astrologer. Naming syllables and regional names vary by tradition. Last updated: June 2026.