Vedic Moon Sign & Nakshatra Calculator
Enter your date, time and the time zone of your birth place to find your Vedic Moon sign (Rashi), your birth Nakshatra and pada, its traditional naming syllable, and how your Vedic Sun sign compares with your Western one. Positions are sidereal, calculated with the Lahiri ayanamsa used by Indian Panchangs, and work for births anywhere in the world. The calculation runs privately in your browser.
What your Moon sign means in Vedic astrology
Your Moon sign, or Rashi, is the zodiac sign the Moon occupied at the moment you were born. Jyotish treats the Moon as the mind - how you feel, react and settle - so the Rashi is the sign Indian astrologers use for daily and yearly horoscopes, for counting Saturn's Sade Sati, and for judging how every transit lands for you.
The Moon is also the fastest-moving body in the chart. It changes sign roughly every two and a quarter days and Nakshatra roughly once a day, which is why two people born a day apart can have different Moon signs while sharing the same Sun sign.
What is a Nakshatra?
Nakshatras are the 27 lunar mansions of Vedic astrology. Each one spans 13°20′ of the sidereal zodiac and is divided into four padas (quarters) of 3°20′. Your birth Nakshatra - the one holding the Moon - describes temperament in finer detail than the Rashi, sets the first period of your Vimshottari Dasha, and supplies the syllable traditionally used to begin a child's name.
In Kundali matching, the Nakshatras of both partners drive several of the Ashtakoot factors, including Tara, Yoni, Gana and Nadi. Read the full guide to all 27 Nakshatras.
Why your Vedic sign differs from your Western sign
Western astrology fixes 0° Aries to the March equinox, so its signs follow the seasons. Vedic astrology fixes the zodiac to the stars themselves. Earth's axis slowly wobbles - a cycle of about 25,800 years - so the equinox drifts backwards against the stars by about one degree every 72 years. The gap between the two zodiacs, called the ayanamsa, is now about 24°.
The practical result: if your Western Sun sign is Leo, your Vedic Sun sign is most likely Cancer, unless you were born in the last week or so of the Western sign. The same shift applies to the Moon and every planet. Vedic vs Western astrology, explained.
The 12 Rashis (sidereal signs)
| Rashi | Western name | Sidereal span | Lord | Element |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesha | Aries | 0° – 30° | Mars | Fire |
| Vrishabha | Taurus | 30° – 60° | Venus | Earth |
| Mithuna | Gemini | 60° – 90° | Mercury | Air |
| Karka | Cancer | 90° – 120° | Moon | Water |
| Simha | Leo | 120° – 150° | Sun | Fire |
| Kanya | Virgo | 150° – 180° | Mercury | Earth |
| Tula | Libra | 180° – 210° | Venus | Air |
| Vrishchika | Scorpio | 210° – 240° | Mars | Water |
| Dhanu | Sagittarius | 240° – 270° | Jupiter | Fire |
| Makara | Capricorn | 270° – 300° | Saturn | Earth |
| Kumbha | Aquarius | 300° – 330° | Saturn | Air |
| Meena | Pisces | 330° – 360° | Jupiter | Water |
The 27 Nakshatras, lords and naming syllables
| # | Nakshatra | Span | Lord | Pada syllables |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashwini | Mesha 0°00′ – Mesha 13°20′ | Ketu | Chu, Che, Cho, La |
| 2 | Bharani | Mesha 13°20′ – Mesha 26°40′ | Venus | Li, Lu, Le, Lo |
| 3 | Krittika | Mesha 26°40′ – Vrishabha 10°00′ | Sun | A, I, U, E |
| 4 | Rohini | Vrishabha 10°00′ – Vrishabha 23°20′ | Moon | O, Va, Vi, Vu |
| 5 | Mrigashira | Vrishabha 23°20′ – Mithuna 6°40′ | Mars | Ve, Vo, Ka, Ki |
| 6 | Ardra | Mithuna 6°40′ – Mithuna 20°00′ | Rahu | Ku, Gha, Ng, Chha |
| 7 | Punarvasu | Mithuna 20°00′ – Karka 3°20′ | Jupiter | Ke, Ko, Ha, Hi |
| 8 | Pushya | Karka 3°20′ – Karka 16°40′ | Saturn | Hu, He, Ho, Da |
| 9 | Ashlesha | Karka 16°40′ – Karka 30°00′ | Mercury | Di, Du, De, Do |
| 10 | Magha | Simha 0°00′ – Simha 13°20′ | Ketu | Ma, Mi, Mu, Me |
| 11 | Purva Phalguni | Simha 13°20′ – Simha 26°40′ | Venus | Mo, Ta, Ti, Tu |
| 12 | Uttara Phalguni | Simha 26°40′ – Kanya 10°00′ | Sun | Te, To, Pa, Pi |
| 13 | Hasta | Kanya 10°00′ – Kanya 23°20′ | Moon | Pu, Sha, Na, Tha |
| 14 | Chitra | Kanya 23°20′ – Tula 6°40′ | Mars | Pe, Po, Ra, Ri |
| 15 | Swati | Tula 6°40′ – Tula 20°00′ | Rahu | Ru, Re, Ro, Ta |
| 16 | Vishakha | Tula 20°00′ – Vrishchika 3°20′ | Jupiter | Ti, Tu, Te, To |
| 17 | Anuradha | Vrishchika 3°20′ – Vrishchika 16°40′ | Saturn | Na, Ni, Nu, Ne |
| 18 | Jyeshtha | Vrishchika 16°40′ – Vrishchika 30°00′ | Mercury | No, Ya, Yi, Yu |
| 19 | Mula | Dhanu 0°00′ – Dhanu 13°20′ | Ketu | Ye, Yo, Bha, Bhi |
| 20 | Purva Ashadha | Dhanu 13°20′ – Dhanu 26°40′ | Venus | Bhu, Dha, Pha, Dha |
| 21 | Uttara Ashadha | Dhanu 26°40′ – Makara 10°00′ | Sun | Bhe, Bho, Ja, Ji |
| 22 | Shravana | Makara 10°00′ – Makara 23°20′ | Moon | Ju, Je, Jo, Gha |
| 23 | Dhanishta | Makara 23°20′ – Kumbha 6°40′ | Mars | Ga, Gi, Gu, Ge |
| 24 | Shatabhisha | Kumbha 6°40′ – Kumbha 20°00′ | Rahu | Go, Sa, Si, Su |
| 25 | Purva Bhadrapada | Kumbha 20°00′ – Meena 3°20′ | Jupiter | Se, So, Da, Di |
| 26 | Uttara Bhadrapada | Meena 3°20′ – Meena 16°40′ | Saturn | Du, Tha, Jha, Na |
| 27 | Revati | Meena 16°40′ – Meena 30°00′ | Mercury | De, Do, Cha, Chi |
Syllables follow the common Avakahada Chakra; a few padas have regional variants.
How accurate is this calculator?
Sun and Moon positions come from a published astronomical model accurate to well under an arc-minute, converted to the sidereal zodiac with the Lahiri ayanamsa. Tested against published 2026 Panchang timings, Nakshatra changes land within a minute or two. The result can only be as precise as the birth time you enter: the Moon crosses a pada boundary every six hours or so, so if your result sits close to one, a recorded hospital time matters. Your Ascendant (Lagna), houses and Dasha dates also need your exact birth place, which is what a full consultation works from.
Frequently asked questions
- What is my Moon sign if I don't know my birth time?
- The Moon spends about two and a quarter days in each sign, so for most dates the Moon sign is the same all day. Tick “I don't know my birth time” and the calculator checks the whole day: if the Moon changed sign or Nakshatra, it tells you at what local time, so you can narrow it down from family memory or a hospital record.
- Is the Moon sign or the Sun sign more important in Vedic astrology?
- In Vedic astrology the Moon sign (Rashi) and the Ascendant (Lagna) matter far more than the Sun sign. Daily horoscopes in India are read by Rashi, Sade Sati is counted from the Moon sign, and the Vimshottari Dasha timeline starts from the Moon's Nakshatra at birth.
- Why is my Vedic sign different from my Western sign?
- Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac, fixed to the seasons, while Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, fixed to the stars. Because of the precession of Earth's axis the two zodiacs have drifted about 24 degrees apart, so most people's Vedic Sun and Moon signs fall one sign earlier than their Western ones.
- Which ayanamsa does this calculator use?
- The Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsa - the official standard of the Indian national calendar and the one used by most Indian Panchangs. It is about 24°13′ in 2026 and grows by roughly 50 arc-seconds a year.
- Can I use my Nakshatra for choosing a baby name?
- Yes. Each Nakshatra pada has a traditional starting syllable from the Avakahada Chakra, shown in your result. Regional lists differ for a few padas, so families often confirm the syllable with their own pandit or astrologer before finalising a name.
- I was born outside India. Should I convert my birth time to IST?
- No. Enter the clock time from your birth certificate and choose the time zone of the place you were born. The calculator applies that zone's historical daylight-saving rule for your birth date automatically.
Go beyond your Moon sign
A full Janam Kundali reading covers your Ascendant, all twelve houses, your running Dasha and what the next few years hold - live on Google Meet, from anywhere in the world.