Understanding Nakshatra ✨, Rashi and Yoga
Introduction to Nakshatra
When we learnt about Masa, we learnt about a synodic month. A synodic month refers to the period it takes for the Moon to return to the same phase when observed from Earth. The synodic month is not the only "lunar month". A Sidereal month is the time it takes for the Moon 🌕 to complete one orbit around Earth 🌏 relative to fixed stars (about `27.321661` days).
The sidereal month is used to calculate the Nakshatra ✨. The term Nakshatra often gets translated as "star," but this is a bit of a simplification. In reality, a Nakshatra is more akin to a lunar mansion or a segment of the ecliptic through which the Moon passes. So, to be precise, Nakshatras are not individual stars but rather specific sectors of the sky, each anchored by one or more prominent stars.
As there are about 27 days in a sidereal month, the 360-degree circle of the zodiac is divided by 27 Nakshatra. This gives us 13 degrees and 20 minutes for each Nakshatra (`360/27 = 13.3333`). Nakshatra are the 27 divisions of the ecliptic through which the Moon passes during its sidereal monthly cycle.
The Moon takes about 27.32 days to complete a sidereal orbit around the Earth. Given that there are 27 Nakshatra, the moon does spend approximately one day in each Nakshatra (but not exactly one day). Each Nakshatra is further divided into four quarters, known as Pada, each spanning 3 degrees and 20 minutes. (i.e. `13.3333/4`).
The difference in duration between the sidereal (`27.32` days) and synodic (`29.53` days) months is due to the Earth also moving in its orbit around the ☀️. As the Earth orbits the Sun, the Moon has to travel slightly more than one full orbit (360 degrees) to get back to the same phase, thereby making the synodic month longer than the sidereal month.
Birth Nakshatra of a person
Each person's birth Nakshatra is the Nakshatra in which the moon was positioned at the time of the person's birth.
Names of Nakshatra
There are 27 Nakshatra
- Ashwini
- Bharani
- Krittika
- Rohini
- Mrigashira
- Ardra
- Punarvasu
- Pushya
- Ashlesha
- Magha
- Purva Phalguni
- Uttara Phalguni
- Hasta
- Chitra
- Swati
- Vishakha
- Anuradha
- Jyeshtha
- Mula
- Purva Ashadha
- Uttara Ashadha
- Shravana
- Dhanishta
- Shatabhisha
- Purva Bhadrapada
- Uttara Bhadrapada
- Revati
Introduction to Rashi
As we have seen, the Moon takes about 27.32 days to complete a sidereal month. This 360-degree rotation around the earth is divided into twelve parts called Rashi. Each Rashi makes a 30-degree angle (i.e. `360/12`).
This makes each Rashi about 2.25 days long (i.e. `27.32/12`). So, the Rashi changes every 2.25 days. This duration can vary slightly due to the elliptical nature of the Moon's orbit and other astronomical factors.
It is believed that each Rashi not only influences a person's character and personality but also influences life events.
Names of Rashi
- Mesha
- Vrishabha
- Mithuna
- Karka
- Simha
- Kanya
- Tula
- Vrishchika
- Dhani
- Makara
- Kumbha
- Meena
Mapping of Nakshatra to Rashi
Because each Rashi spans 30 degrees and each Nakshatra spans 13 degrees and 20 minutes, there is an overlap. For instance, the first Rashi, Aries (Mesha), encompasses the entirety of the first Nakshatra, Ashwini, the entirety of the second Nakshatra, Bharani, and roughly one-quarter of the third Nakshatra, Krittika.
Introduction to Yoga
Yoga in Vedic astrology is not to be confused with the physical and spiritual discipline of yoga.Yoga is very similar to the concept of Nakshatra. Instead of considering just the moon's ecliptic longitude, we consider a sum of the sun's and moon's ecliptic longitudes in yoga. Just like Nakshatra, there are 27 Yoga, each corresponding to 13 degrees and 20 minute segments of 360 degrees.
Names of Yoga
- Vishkambha
- Preeti
- Ayushman
- Saubhagya
- Shobhana
- Atiganda
- Sukarma
- Dhriti
- Shoola
- Ganda
- Vriddhi
- Dhruva
- Vyaghata
- Harshana
- Vajra
- Siddhi
- Vyatipata
- Variyan
- Parigha
- Shiva
- Siddha
- Sadhya
- Shubha
- Shukla
- Brahma
- Indra
- Vaidhriti
