Nakshatra

[2][better source needed] In classical Hindu scriptures (Mahabharata, Harivamsa), the creation of the asterisms is attributed to Daksha.

When Chandra neglected his 26 other wives in favour of Rohini, his father-in-law cursed him with leprosy and proclaimed that the Moon would wax and wane each month.

This has to do with the periodicity with which the Moon travels past the specific star fields called nakshatras.

[b][8][full citation needed] Later some Indian savants dropped the Nakshatra named Abhijit to reduce the number of divisions to 27, but the Chinese retained all of their original 28 lunar mansions.

These were grouped into four equal quarters which would have been fundamentally disrupted if it had been decided to reduce the number of divisions to 27.

Each Nakshatra is also divided into quarters or padas of 3° 20’, and the below table lists the appropriate starting sound to name the child.

The other four elements: 1   citrā́ṇi sākáṃ diví rocanā́ni sarīsr̥pā́ṇi bhúvane javā́ni turmíśaṃ sumatím ichámāno áhāni gīrbhíḥ saparyāmi nā́kam

5   ā́ me mahác chatábhiṣag várīya ā́ me dvayā́ próṣṭhapadā suśárma ā́ revátī cāśvayújau bhágaṃ ma ā́ me rayíṃ bháraṇya ā́ vahantu[5]