The origin of the Nakshatra is traced back to the ‘Vedanta period’ and is called Vedanta Jyotish(Astrology).Nakshatra is a Sanskrit word, meaning of which as per one school of thought is NAKSHA means to approach and TRA means to guard. Thus in nutshell, each Nakshatra is the abode of or house of 28 gods delegated with the duties of guarding and guiding to cosmic and soar evolutions. According to the Vedic astrological canons, the zodiac is divided into 27 sections, the area of which has been marked by a particular fixed star, located close to the zodiac belt; such section is called Asterisms or Nakshatra.
Nakshatra or birth star means ‘that which never decays’. It is the name given to the asterisms or mansions of the Moon as the moon resides in each of these constellations for one day. The system of the asterism is very ancient. Even during the earliest Vedic period, it was important. The Atharva and yajurveda give complete lists of them and associate them with the oldest Vedic gods. The asterism or Star or Nakshatras are twenty seven in are the number.Mythologically they are the daughters of Daksha Prajapati,a great cosmic progenitor, specially charged by the celestial creator Brahma, to assist him in the cosmic evolutionary process. Out of the numerous offspring born to Daksha, his twenty seven daughters who married the moon became the repository of astrological influences.
These lunar mansions appear in Chinese and Arabic astrology but have not received much attention in Western or European astrology. Each of the twenty-seven asterisms consists of 13 degree 20 minutes of the zodiac and is divided into four quarters of 3 degree20 minutes extent. The asterisms are classified in various ways, as according to basic attribute, primary motivation, sex, caste, and species and so on. They are particularly revealed by their presiding deities, ruling planets and their symbolic form.
Each of the twelve signs of the zodiac consists of two and a quarter asterisms. The asterisms and the signs of the zodiac both begin from the same point. The beginning of the first Nakshatra (birth star) asterism of Ashwini is the same as that of the first sign Aries. Each sign contains the combined influence of the asterisms falling within it. Compared to the signs, the asterisms or Nakshatras (birth star) possess a deeper effect. The signs are merely “a heap, mass or collection” of influences as their Sanskrit name Rashi’ suggests.
The Planets are the cosmic creative powers. Each planet radiates certain specialized forces. The planets make their impact on the zodiacal fireld.This specialized circle divided by the signs and asterisms or Nakshatra is the negative or passive field of influence while the planets, are the positive or the active forces. The signs and asterisms create the necessary milieu, the environment, while the planets are the precipitating. The Indian astrology or Vedic astrology has given great importance and work the results by the Nakshatra, but the western astrologers always calculate in terms of the signs, and when they speak of the Zodiac, they always mean the ecliptic sun’s path. But the scientific astrology readings as per Indian Vedic astrology run with moon, which is our neighbour in the solar system and has the greatest influence on the earth and its inhabitants. As the moon moves along the zodiac from one new moon to the next, the lunar vibrations change along the phases of the moon. These changes in the lunar vibrations are signified by the 27 Nakshatras or asterisms. These Nakshatras are grouped into triads and a planet is said in Vedic astrology to rule triad.
The Nakshatra or birth stars have great significance for the traits of a negative and are used in day to day in Indian astrology. The Nakshatra are used in Vedic Indian astrology since without their use astrological predictions can not be correctly offered, as a planet acts under the sway of lord of asterism or Nakshatra in which a planet is posited at birth. When the lord of birth star or Nakshatra is powerfully situated in a birth chart viz.exaltation, deep exaltation, Navamsha, Shadvarga etc. that planet holds sway over its occupants. This result will be more evident where lord of constellation is in deep exaltation and occupant, afflicted in inimical zodiac, navamsa horoscope, as aspect etc.If such a case it is easier to trace the house where the lord of Nakshatra or constellation is posited and the horoscope interpretations are made accordingly.Star, asterisms or Nakshatras are our guide and inspiration in the search of a truth, for they lead us in the direction of eternal father. Moon has a significant role in the Vedic Indian astrology; it helps us to judge many aspects of life. Astrologers have also to delineate the horoscope from moon sign and the birth star. Without considering asterism or Nakshatra in which the person is born, and as many astrologers do not consider the Nakshatras of the moon and various planets; the Indian astrology predictions miserably become erroneous. In the minor astrological period or sub vimshottary period result even the Nakshatras of planets in which transit are of big use. On the above analogy, the following method to ascertain ‘how to day will pass’ is used purely on the consideration of Nakshatra by considering the transit of moon through various Nakshatra.Hence,Nakshatra play very pivotal role in predicting the happenings of life through vedic astrology. Indian astrologers always apply
The theorem of Nakshatra or asterisms while reading the horoscopes of person and if astrologers properly know the form of application of Nakshatras in predictions of astrology then their (astrologers) horoscope reading will always become the milestones in the prediction or interpretations of Indian horoscope.