Rasi, Nakshatra and Padam Explained

Before any Porutham can be calculated, three foundational values must be known: your Rasi, Nakshatra, and Padam. Here's what each one means.

Rasi (ராசி) — the moon sign

Your Rasi is one of 12 zodiac divisions, determined by the position of the moon at your birth. Unlike Western sun-sign astrology, Tamil astrology is traditionally moon-based: because the Moon moves quickly across the sky, its position is considered to reflect the moment of birth more personally.

Nakshatra (நட்சத்திரம்) — the birth star

The moon's path is further divided into 27 Nakshatras, each a more specific "birth star" than the 12 Rasis alone. Your Nakshatra is central to most Porutham calculations — it's the single most important input for horoscope compatibility.

Padam (பாதம்) — the quarter

Each Nakshatra is further divided into 4 Padams (quarters), refining your birth star reading even further. Some traditional practices consider Padam when assessing especially fine-grained compatibility.

How Matrimony.fr calculates these

We use genuine astronomical calculation (Meeus algorithms for the moon's position, with Lahiri Ayanamsa applied) rather than approximation — the same category of method professional astrology software uses. This means accurate birth time and place genuinely matter: a birth time that's off by even an hour can shift your Nakshatra or Padam near a boundary. If you're unsure of your exact birth time, use your birth certificate or ask your family — it's worth the extra effort for a more reliable result.

Why this matters for your match

Everything in the 11-Porutham system builds on these three values. Taking a few minutes to enter your birth date, time, and place as accurately as possible is the single best thing you can do to get a trustworthy compatibility reading.

Once your rasi and nakshatra are entered, they feed the 11 Porutham check. To see how that result differs from numerology and from Match Rank, read 11 Porutham, numerology and Match Rank: what each tool means.

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