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Nakshatra is in general, a star.<ref name=":1" /> In the Aitareya brahmana, the apparent path by which the planets, the Moon and the Sun move in the sky on the background of the stars is called a 'Royal Path'. The ancient seers divided this path into 27 divisions called nakshatras because it was observed that the moon came back to the same position in the zodiac once in about 27 days.<ref name=":2">Prabhakar Vyankatesh Holay, Vedic Astronomy, Nagpur: Shri Babasaheb Apte Smarak Samitee, [https://archive.org/details/VedangaJyotisha/page/n27/mode/2up Nakshatras (p.17)].</ref><ref name=":0">K.V.Sarma (1985), [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.206186/page/n15/mode/2up Vedanga Jyotisa of Lagadha], New Delhi: Indian National Science Academy.</ref> Therefore, here, nakshatra refers to an asterism in the moon's path or lunar mansion.<ref name=":1" /> And each day was marked by the asterism or asterismal group (nakshatra) near which the moon was seen, resulting in calling the asterism as the day's nakshatra, from which the 27 asterismal segments of the zodiac came into use.<ref name=":0" />

Nakshatra is in general, a star.<ref name=":1" /> In the Aitareya brahmana, the apparent path by which the planets, the Moon and the Sun move in the sky on the background of the stars is called a 'Royal Path'. The ancient seers divided this path into 27 divisions called nakshatras because it was observed that the moon came back to the same position in the zodiac once in about 27 days.<ref name=":2">Prabhakar Vyankatesh Holay, Vedic Astronomy, Nagpur: Shri Babasaheb Apte Smarak Samitee, [https://archive.org/details/VedangaJyotisha/page/n27/mode/2up Nakshatras (p.17)].</ref><ref name=":0">K.V.Sarma (1985), [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.206186/page/n15/mode/2up Vedanga Jyotisa of Lagadha], New Delhi: Indian National Science Academy.</ref> Therefore, here, nakshatra refers to an asterism in the moon's path or lunar mansion.<ref name=":1" /> And each day was marked by the asterism or asterismal group (nakshatra) near which the moon was seen, resulting in calling the asterism as the day's nakshatra, from which the 27 asterismal segments of the zodiac came into use.<ref name=":0" />

The meaning of the number 27 is easily explained when it is remembered that a periodic month occupies something between 27 and 28 days, more nearly the former number. Such a month is in fact recognized in the Latyayana Shrauta Sutras and Nidāna Sūtras 31) v. 11. 12. as consisting of 27 days, 12 months making a year of 324 days, a Nakṣatra year, or with an intercalary month, a year of 351 days.<blockquote>स षट्त्रिंशदूनो नाक्षत्रः सप्तविंशिनो हि मासाः ॥४॥ (Laty. Shra. Sutr. 4.8.4)<ref name=":4">Ananda Chandra Vedantavagisa (1872), Srautasutra of Latyayana with the commentary of Agniswami, Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd., [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.284148/page/n451/mode/2up 4th Prapathaka, 8th Kandika.]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''sa ṣaṭtriṁśadūno nākṣatraḥ saptaviṁśino hi māsāḥ ॥4॥'' </blockquote>Commenting upon this Latyayana sutra, Shri Anandaswami says,<blockquote>स एवं क्रियमाणः संवत्सरः सावनात् संवत्सरात् षट् त्रिंशताहोभिः ऊनो भवति नाक्षत्रः नक्षत्रसम्मितः सप्तविंशिनो मासा भवन्ति तत्र सप्तविंशतिर्नक्षत्राणीति ॥४॥(Laty. Shra. Sutr. 4.8.4)<ref name=":4" /></blockquote><blockquote>''sa evaṁ kriyamāṇaḥ saṁvatsaraḥ sāvanāt saṁvatsarāt ṣaṭ triṁśatāhobhiḥ ūno bhavati nākṣatraḥ nakṣatrasammitaḥ saptaviṁśino māsā bhavanti tatra saptaviṁśatirnakṣatrāṇīti ॥4॥''</blockquote>Also, this nakshatra system consisting of 27 nakshatras (or 28 including Abhijit), used to indicate days, was evolved long back. It is pointed out that Agrahayana, an old name for mrgashira nakshatra, meaning 'beginning of the year' suggests that the sun used to be in that asterism at the vernal equinox. While, the Rohini legends in the Rgveda point to a time in the late Rgveda period when the vernal equinox shifted to the Rohini asterism (from Mrgashira).<ref name=":3">S.Balachandra Rao (2000), Ancient Indian Astronomy, Delhi: B.R.Publishing Corporation.</ref>

The meaning of the number 27 is easily explained when it is remembered that a periodic month occupies something between 27 and 28 days, more nearly the former number. Such a month is in fact recognized in the Latyayana Shrauta Sutras and Nidāna Sūtras 31) v. 11. 12. as consisting of 27 days, 12 months making a year of 324 days, a Nakṣatra year, or with an intercalary month, a year of 351 days.<blockquote>स षट्त्रिंशदूनो नाक्षत्रः सप्तविंशिनो हि मासाः ॥४॥ (Laty. Shra. Sutr. 4.8.4)<ref name=":4">Ananda Chandra Vedantavagisa (1872), Srautasutra of Latyayana with the commentary of Agniswami, Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd., [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.284148/page/n451/mode/2up 4th Prapathaka, 8th Kandika.]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''sa ṣaṭtriṁśadūno nākṣatraḥ saptaviṁśino hi māsāḥ ॥4॥'' </blockquote>Commenting upon this Latyayana sutra, Shri Anandaswami says,<blockquote>स एवं क्रियमाणः संवत्सरः सावनात् संवत्सरात् षट् त्रिंशताहोभिः ऊनो भवति नाक्षत्रः नक्षत्रसम्मितः सप्तविंशिनो मासा भवन्ति तत्र सप्तविंशतिर्नक्षत्राणीति ॥४॥(Laty. Shra. Sutr. 4.8.4)<ref name=":4" /></blockquote><blockquote>''sa evaṁ kriyamāṇaḥ saṁvatsaraḥ sāvanāt saṁvatsarāt ṣaṭ triṁśatāhobhiḥ ūno bhavati nākṣatraḥ nakṣatrasammitaḥ saptaviṁśino māsā bhavanti tatra saptaviṁśatirnakṣatrāṇīti ॥4॥''</blockquote>Also, this nakshatra system consisting of 27 nakshatras (or 28 including Abhijit), used to indicate days, was evolved long back. It is pointed out that Agrahayana, an old name for mrgashira nakshatra, meaning 'beginning of the year' suggests that the sun used to be in that asterism at the vernal equinox. While, the Rohini legends in the Rgveda point to a time in the late Rgveda period when the vernal equinox shifted to the Rohini asterism (from Mrgashira).<ref name=":3">S.Balachandra Rao (2000), Ancient Indian Astronomy, Delhi: B.R.Publishing Corporation.</ref> Therefore, the 27 nakshatras were utilised in the study of the position of the Sun and the Moon.<ref name=":5">K. S. Shukla, [https://www.insa.nic.in/writereaddata/UpLoadedFiles/IJHS/Vol04_1And2_11_KSShukla.pdf Astronomy in ancient and medieval India], Indian Journal of History of Science, Vol.4, Nos. 1-2 (1969), pp.99-106.</ref>

== व्युत्पत्तिः ॥ Etymology ==

== व्युत्पत्तिः ॥ Etymology ==

=== ऋग्वेदसाहित्ये ॥ In the Rgvedic Literature ===

=== ऋग्वेदसाहित्ये ॥ In the Rgvedic Literature ===

In the sense of ‘star’ - passages in which Nakṣatra occurs in the Rigveda. 7) See i. 50, 2; vii. 86, 1; x. 68, 11; 111, 7;

In the sense of ‘star’ - passages in which Nakṣatra occurs in the Rigveda. 7) See i. 50, 2; vii. 86, 1; x. 68, 11; 111, 7;

=== यजुर्वेदसाहित्ये ॥ In the Yajurvedic Literature ===

=== यजुर्वेदसाहित्ये ॥ In the Yajurvedic Literature ===

the sun and the Nakṣatras are mentioned together in Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā, xxiii. 43; Taittirīya Āraṇyaka, iv. 10, 12.

the sun and the Nakṣatras are mentioned together in Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā, xxiii. 43; Taittirīya Āraṇyaka, iv. 10, 12.