The sidereal zodiac, the 27 nakshatras, and the padas
Vedic uses the sidereal zodiac. A tropical longitude first loses the ayanamsa. Each of the 27 nakshatras is 13°20′, then four padas. The ayanamsa model has to be written on the chart.
Editorial review: 2026-09-22 · Reviewed by fateshow · Editorial method
Subtract the ayanamsa, then read the sign
A tropical longitude minus the ayanamsa is the sidereal longitude. Lahiri here is 23°43′33″.
The illustration is male, 14:19 on 20 May 1990, Beijing. China was on summer time, offset +09:00, so UT is 05:19 that day. Human Design and the two charts do not apply true solar time. The tropical Ascendant sits near Virgo. After the ayanamsa, the sidereal Lagna is 23°17′42″ Leo.
Each nakshatra is 13°20′
The 27 nakshatras run along the sidereal ecliptic. The Moon’s nakshatra is the one this page names on its own.
The Moon’s sidereal longitude is 5°33′41″ Pisces, in Uttara Bhadrapada.
Four padas in one nakshatra
Each pada is 3°20′. A pada is a place inside a nakshatra, not a second zodiac.
The Lagna falls in Purva Phalguni pada 3. The Moon falls in Uttara Bhadrapada pada 1. Write both.
Illustration: Leo Lagna, Moon in Uttara Bhadrapada
The same birth, Lahiri, mean node. Lagna 23°17′42″ Leo, Purva Phalguni 3. Moon in Pisces, Uttara Bhadrapada 1.
The definition is on What Vedic astrology is.
Common mistakes
- Comparing two sidereal charts without naming the ayanamsa.
- Treating a pada as a thirteenth sign.
- Replacing the sidereal Lagna with the tropical Ascendant.
Use it in fateshow
Frequently asked questions
Why is the tropical Ascendant in Virgo and the Lagna in Leo?
Lahiri is about 23.7°. A Virgo Ascendant minus that span lands late in Leo. The two zodiacs are not the same degrees.
Which nakshatra is the Moon in?
Uttara Bhadrapada, pada 1. The sign is Pisces.
Is the node true or mean?
This illustration uses the mean node. Ketu is Rahu plus 180°. A true node has to be labeled separately.
Sources and editorial basis
- 1. Lahiri ayanamsa
Lahiri is the default, anchored at the 1956 Calendar Reform Committee epoch. Another ayanamsa moves nakshatras and houses.
- 2. fateshow rule snapshot
Supports only the fields printed in the illustration.