Nakshatra and pada: what is the difference?
A nakshatra is one of 27 equal sections of the zodiac; a pada is one of its four equal quarters.
STEP 1
Divide the circle by 27
Dividing 360 degrees by 27 gives 13 degrees 20 minutes for each nakshatra. Here minutes measure an angle: 60 minutes make one degree. The sequence begins with Ashwini at the start of Aries (Mesha) and ends with Revati at the end of Pisces (Meena).
STEP 2
Divide each nakshatra by four
Each quarter, called a pada, spans 3°20′ because 13°20′ ÷ 4 = 3°20′. There are 108 quarters in the full circle and nine in each 30-degree sign. At an exact boundary, use the following quarter; after quarter four, start the next nakshatra at quarter one.
STEP 3
See how signs and nakshatras overlap
Each sign contains two and a quarter nakshatras, so their starting points do not always coincide. Krittika's first quarter lies in Aries, while its second begins Taurus (Vrishabha). One nakshatra can therefore extend across two signs.
STEP 4
Work an example
At 18° Aries, the Moon is 4°40′ past the end of Ashwini, placing it in Bharani. Within Bharani, quarter two runs from 3°20′ up to, but not including, 6°40′. The result is Bharani, pada 2. For another sign, first count from Aries: 18° Taurus is 30° + 18° = 48°. Try another position using that total.
Astro Aunty’s free Gun Milan calculates a basic Moon-based score out of 36; it does not generate a complete birth chart.