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Nakshatra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nakshatra (Sanskrit: 4&7, IAST: Naksatra) is the term for lunar mansion in Hindu astrology. A nakshatra is one
of 27 (sometimes also 28) sectors along the ecliptic. Their names are related to the most prominent asterisms in
the respective sectors.
The starting point for the nakshatras is the point on the ecliptic directly opposite to the star Spica called Chitra in
Sanskrit (other slightly different definitions exist). It is called Meshadi or the "start of Aries". The ecliptic is
divided into each of the nakshatras eastwards starting from this point. The number of nakshatras reflects the
number of days in a sidereal month (modern value: 27.32 days), the width of a nakshatra traversed by the Moon
in about one day. Each nakshatra is further subdivided into four quarters (or padas). These play a role in popular
Hindu astrology, where each pada is associated with a syllable, conventionally chosen as the first syllable of the
given name of a child born when the Moon was in the corresponding pada.
The nakshatras of traditional bhartiya astronomy are based on a list of 28 asterisms found in the Atharvaveda
(AVS 19.7) and also in the Shatapatha Brahmana. The first astronomical text that lists them is the Vedanga
Jyotisha.
In classical Hindu mythology (Mahabharata, Harivamsa), the creation of the nakshatras is attributed to Daksha.
They are personified as daughters of the deity and as mythological wives of Chandra, the Moon god, or
alternatively the daughters of Kashyapa, the brother of Daksha.!"]
Each of the nakshatras is governed as ‘lord’ by one of the nine graha in the following sequence: Ketu (South
Lunar Node), Shukra (Venus), Ravi or Surya (Sun), Chandra (Moon), Mangala (Mars), Rahu (North Lunar
Node), Guru or Brihaspati (Jupiter), Shani (Saturn) and Budha (Mercury). This cycle repeats itself three times to
cover all 27 nakshatras. The lord of each nakshatra determines the planetary period known as the dasha, which is
considered of major importance in forecasting the life path of the individual in Hindu astrology.
In Vedic Sanskrit, the term ndksatra may refer to any heavenly body, or to "the stars" collectively. The classical
sense of "lunar mansion’ is first found in the Atharvaveda, and becomes the primary meaning of the term in
Classical Sanskrit.
Contents
1 Nakshatras in the Atharvaveda
2 List of Nakshatras
3 Padas (quarters)
4 Use in astrology
5 Hindu given names
5.1 Electional astrology
6 Names in moder languages
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7 See also
8 References
9 External links
Nakshatras in the Atharvaveda
In the Atharvaveda (Shaunakiya recension, hymn 19.7) a list of 28 stars or asterisms is given, many of them
corresponding to the later nakshatras:
(1) Kyttika (the Pleiads), (2) Rohini, (3) Mrigashirsha, (4) Ardra, (5) Punarvasu, (6) Stnritd, (7) Pushya, (8)
Bhanu (the Sun), (9) Aslesha, (10) Magha, (11) Svati (Arcturus), (12) Chitra (Spica), (13) Phalgunis, (14) Hasta,
(15) Radhas, (16) Vishakha, (17) Anuradha, (18) Jyeshtha, (19) Mala, (20) Ashadhas, (21) Abhijit, (22) Sravana,
(23) Sravishthas, (24) Satabhishak, (25) Proshtha-padas, (26) Revati, (27) Asvayujas, (28) Bharani.
Interestingly enough, the term "nakshatra" has a different meaning as demonstrated in the "Surya Siddhanta"
which is an ancient text on astronomy. In the early chapters, the author, Mayasura ot Mayan, describes various
time units, He writes that a "prana" is a duration of 4 seconds. He then continues with a discussion of a number of
time units with progressively long durations made up of the shorter time units all composed of a number of
pranas. Amongst those time units are something he calls "nakshatra." For example, there are 15 pranas ina
minute; 900 pranas in an hour; 21600 pranas in a day, 583,200 pranas in a nakshatra (month). According to
Mayan, a nakshatra is a time unit with a duration of 27 days. This 27 day time cycle has been taken to mean a
particular group of stars. The relationship to the stars really has to do with the periodicity with which the Moon
travels over time and through space past the field of the specific stars called nakshatras. Hence, the stars are more
like numbers on a clock through which the hands of time pass (the moon). This concept that nakshatra means a
‘time unit has been lost and diverted to meaning a set of stars in the sky. This concept was discovered by Dr.
Jessie Mercay in her research on Surya Siddhanta. It is documented in a textbook called "Fundamentals of
Mamuni Mayans Vaastu Shastras, Building Architecture of Sthapatya Veda and Traditional Indian architecture."
(Mercay, 2006 - 2012, AUM Science and Technology publishers)
List of Nakshatras
The classical list of 27 nakshatras is first found in the Vedanga Jyotisha, a
text dated to the final centuries BCE, The nakshatra system predates the
influence of Hellenistic astronomy on vedic tradition, which became
prevalent from about the 2nd century CE.
In Hindu astronomy, there was an older tradition of 28 Nakshatras which
were used as celestial markers in the heavens. When these were mapped
into equal divisions of the ecliptic, a division of 27 portions was adopted
since that resulted in a cleaner definition of each portion (i.e. segment)
subtending 13° 20' (as opposed to 12° 51 3/7 in the case of 28 segments).
In the process, the Nakshatra Abhijit was left out without a portion.3/:179
The Surya Siddhantha concisely specifies the coordinates of the twenty
seven Nakshatras(3}2!!
Position of the Hindu Nakshatra
Mandala as per the coordinates
specified in Surya Siddhantha
The following list of nakshatras gives the corresponding regions of sky, following Basham. "4!
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