Swati is nakshatra 15 of the 27 nakshatras, the lunar mansions of Vedic astrology. Its symbol is a young shoot in the wind, and its theme is independence and flexibility.
Positions in the sidereal zodiac with the Lahiri ayanamsa.
The four padas
Each nakshatra has four quarters of 3°20′. Each pada falls in a sign of the navamsa, the ninth-part chart.
Pada 1
6°40′ Libra to 10°00′ Libra
Navamsa Sagittarius
Pada 2
10°00′ Libra to 13°20′ Libra
Navamsa Capricorn
Pada 3
13°20′ Libra to 16°40′ Libra
Navamsa Aquarius
Pada 4
16°40′ Libra to 20°00′ Libra
Navamsa Pisces
Swati and your dashas
If the Moon was in Swati when you were born, your Vimshottari dashas start with a Rahu period, which lasts 18 years in full. You start partway through it, by how far the Moon had travelled through Swati.
Is Swati your birth star?
Your birth star is the nakshatra the Moon was in when you were born. The Moon moves into a new one about once a day, so it takes your birth date, time and place.