Jyotish Term
Lagna — लग्न
Short answer. Lagna, also called the Ascendant, is the sign rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth. It defines the first house of the chart and is the foundation of how all other planets are read.
Lagna determines the structure of the entire chart. Whichever rashi (zodiac sign) is rising at the exact moment of birth becomes the first house; the next sign clockwise (in North Indian style) becomes the second house, and so on. Because the Earth rotates a full 360° every 24 hours, the lagna shifts by roughly one sign every two hours — meaning two people born just two hours apart in the same city can have entirely different chart structures. The lord of the lagna (the planet ruling the rising sign) is treated as the chart's anchor: its house placement, dasha period, and aspects describe the person's general direction in life. In Vedic astrology, the lagna is considered more fundamental than the Sun sign — which is why a Jyotishi will always ask for your exact birth time, not just your birthday.
Related terms
- Kundli — A kundli is a Vedic birth chart — a diagram showing the position of the nine grahas (planets) in the twelve bhavas (houses) at the exact moment of birth. It is the foundation of all Jyotish prediction.
- Rashi — Rashi is the Vedic term for a zodiac sign — one of twelve 30° divisions of the sidereal zodiac. Each rashi has a ruling planet, an element, and a quality that shapes how planets in that sign behave.
- Bhava — Bhava is the Vedic term for a house in the birth chart — one of twelve life-domain divisions. Each bhava governs a specific set of life themes: the 1st rules self, the 7th rules marriage, the 10th rules career, and so on.
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