Nakshatra Padas and Navamsa Explained

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When someone says "I am Rohini, third pada", they are giving a much finer position than the birth star alone. The pada (quarter, also called charan) is the smallest everyday unit of the Vedic zodiac, and it is the bridge between the nakshatras and the navamsa chart (D9).

The arithmetic

The zodiac is 360 degrees and has 27 nakshatras, so each nakshatra is 13°20'.
Each nakshatra has 4 padas, so each pada is 3°20'.
27 x 4 = 108 padas in the whole zodiac.
Each sign is 30 degrees and has 9 navamsas of 3°20' each. 12 x 9 = 108 navamsas.

A pada and a navamsa are the same slice of the sky. That is why the pada tells you the navamsa sign directly, without any further calculation.

Which padas fall in which sign

Because a sign holds nine padas and a nakshatra holds four, some nakshatras are split across two signs.

Sign	Nakshatras and padas
Aries	Ashwini 1-4, Bharani 1-4, Krittika 1
Taurus	Krittika 2-4, Rohini 1-4, Mrigashira 1-2
Gemini	Mrigashira 3-4, Ardra 1-4, Punarvasu 1-3
Cancer	Punarvasu 4, Pushya 1-4, Ashlesha 1-4
Leo	Magha 1-4, Purva Phalguni 1-4, Uttara Phalguni 1
Virgo	Uttara Phalguni 2-4, Hasta 1-4, Chitra 1-2
Libra	Chitra 3-4, Swati 1-4, Vishakha 1-3
Scorpio	Vishakha 4, Anuradha 1-4, Jyeshtha 1-4
Sagittarius	Mula 1-4, Purva Ashadha 1-4, Uttara Ashadha 1
Capricorn	Uttara Ashadha 2-4, Shravana 1-4, Dhanishta 1-2
Aquarius	Dhanishta 3-4, Shatabhisha 1-4, Purva Bhadrapada 1-3
Pisces	Purva Bhadrapada 4, Uttara Bhadrapada 1-4, Revati 1-4

The same pattern repeats three times, from Aries, from Leo and from Sagittarius.

From pada to navamsa sign

The navamsas are counted continuously from Aries. Ashwini's four padas are Aries, Taurus, Gemini and Cancer; Bharani's are Leo, Virgo, Libra and Scorpio; Krittika's are Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Then the cycle starts again with Rohini. So the 27 stars fall into three groups:

Nakshatras	Pada 1	Pada 2	Pada 3	Pada 4
Ashwini, Rohini, Punarvasu, Magha, Hasta, Vishakha, Mula, Shravana, Purva Bhadrapada	Aries	Taurus	Gemini	Cancer
Bharani, Mrigashira, Pushya, Purva Phalguni, Chitra, Anuradha, Purva Ashadha, Dhanishta, Uttara Bhadrapada	Leo	Virgo	Libra	Scorpio
Krittika, Ardra, Ashlesha, Uttara Phalguni, Swati, Jyeshtha, Uttara Ashadha, Shatabhisha, Revati	Sagittarius	Capricorn	Aquarius	Pisces

Notice the elements: in every nakshatra, pada 1 is a fire sign, pada 2 earth, pada 3 air and pada 4 water. Tradition links these to the four aims of life: dharma (purpose), artha (resources), kama (desire) and moksha (release).

Worked examples

Moon at 17°00' Taurus.

In Taurus, Krittika's last three padas cover 0° to 10°, Rohini covers 10° to 23°20', and Mrigashira begins after that. So the Moon is in Rohini.
It is 17° - 10° = 7° into Rohini. Pada 1 ends at 3°20', pada 2 at 6°40', pada 3 at 10°. So this is pada 3.
Rohini is in the first group, so pada 3 is Gemini navamsa.

Sun at 5°00' Leo.

Magha covers 0° to 13°20' of Leo. 5° lies between 3°20' and 6°40': Magha pada 2.
Magha is in the first group: pada 2 is Taurus navamsa.

Lagna at 28° Scorpio.

Jyeshtha covers 16°40' to 30° of Scorpio. 28° - 16°40' = 11°20', which is past 10°: Jyeshtha pada 4.
Jyeshtha is in the third group: pada 4 is Pisces navamsa. This also tells you the Navamsa Lagna is Pisces.

Why the pada matters

It builds the navamsa chart. The D9 is simply every planet placed in the sign of its pada. A planet that looks ordinary in the rasi chart may sit in its own or exalted sign in the navamsa, and the reverse.

Vargottama. When the pada's navamsa sign is the same as the rasi sign, the planet is vargottama and gains steadiness. This happens in the first pada of the movable signs (for example Ashwini 1 in Aries), the middle pada of the fixed signs (Rohini 2 in Taurus) and the last pada of the dual signs (Punarvasu 3 in Gemini).

Special padas. Certain padas are singled out as especially nourishing; see Pushkara Navamsa.

Naming. Each pada has a traditional starting syllable for a baby's name. Ashwini's four padas, for example, are Chu, Che, Cho and La. Families who follow this custom therefore need the pada, not only the star. If you are reading about birth stars for a child, Best Nakshatra for Baby Birth explains why every nakshatra has its own strengths.

Dasha balance. The Moon's exact position inside the nakshatra, of which the pada is a rough measure, fixes how much of the first dasha remains at birth.

A note on accuracy

The Moon crosses one pada in about six hours, and the Lagna crosses one in roughly 13 minutes. A pada for the Moon is therefore reliable with a reasonably known birth time, while the Lagna's pada, and with it the Navamsa Lagna, needs an accurate one.

Summary

A pada is a quarter of a nakshatra, 3°20' wide, and it is the same thing as one navamsa. Find the nakshatra, find the quarter, and the three-group table gives the navamsa sign at once: fire, earth, air, water, in that order. It is the simplest way to see how the nakshatra and navamsa systems are one design.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a nakshatra pada?

A pada is one quarter of a nakshatra. Each of the 27 nakshatras spans 13 degrees 20 minutes and is divided into four padas of 3 degrees 20 minutes, giving 108 padas around the zodiac.

How is the pada linked to the navamsa?

Each pada is exactly one navamsa. The 108 padas are assigned to the signs in order from Aries, so the first pada of Ashwini is Aries navamsa, the second Taurus, and so on, repeating every 12 padas.

How do I find my nakshatra pada?

Take the Moon's degree at birth, find which nakshatra it falls in, and see how far into the nakshatra it is. Each 3 degrees 20 minutes is one pada. The Moon's pada is the one usually meant by 'my pada'.

Do the four padas of a star give different results?

They share the nature of the star, but each pada falls in a different navamsa sign, which adds its own colour: the first pada is fiery, the second earthy, the third airy and the fourth watery.