Which Lagna to use?

Another dilemma affecting most- from beginners to seasoned astrologers, is which lagna (ascendant) to use?

Rising sign -Lagna (ascendant) ofcourse, but how about Moon sign or Sun sign, etc.

This is a complex topic & has no simple answer. However a definitive guideline is to approach this with a thought – ‘which lagna(s) are more specific?’. For example the basic lagna in D1 changes every 2 to 3 hours in general and is much more specific than the moon sign which changes every 2 to 3 days on average, which in turn is more specific than the sun sign which changes once every month.

Consider the following logic for picking focal signs for analysis (which ascendant to use)-

  1. Which lagna is more specific?
  2. Which sign has more overlap of multiple lagnas (example if moon & sun sit in D1 lagna itself, now 3 lagnas are the same sign and hence becomes very specific)
  3. Which sign among the list below has most representation (most planets in it or aspecting it)
  4. Which sign/ bhaav is the strongest (bhaav bal is a complex topic & I would recommend BV Raman’s treatise on it. However w/o getting too mathematical, bhaavs with strong lords and those with more natural benefics sitting or aspecting are stronger)

In reality, the following focal points, or signs from which a horoscope needs to be analyzed-

  1. Basic ascendant or rising sign (Lagna) – Most important always
  2. Moon sign
  3. Sun sign
  4. Arudha Lagna (perhaps 2nd most important after #1 as it is the manifestation of ‘Maya’ or how the outwardly word perceives us and events around us)
  5. Karakamsa Lagna (sign where Atmakaraka planet is placed in Navamsa) to be treated as Lagna in D1 and chart read from there
  6. Pucca Lagna (sign where lagna lord is placed). Example Leo lagna and sun in taurus. Then Taurus becomes the Pucca lagna
  7. Naam Lagna (from the phonetic 1st letter of name of the individual)
  8. Jeeva Lagna (sign where Jupiter is placed for males & Venus for females) – this is considered extremely important in most Nadi Jyotish schools. In my experience is perhaps number 3 in the list of importance, but that is just my opinion from individual experiences
  9. Any sign where 3 or more planets are placed – as this becomes a high energy sign in the chart
  10. Dasa lagna – Treating MD lord sign as lagna during the Vimshottari dasa period of a given planet

So the goal eventually is to see patterns that repeat from multiple lagnas. The more the repetition, the more the ‘guarantee’ that the deciphered prediction from the Yogas (good or bad) will fructify. Always to be kept in mind is the basic rule that even though many of the lagnas can strongly modify or alter the overall effects of planets and individual yogas/ avayogas, nothing can completely change or alter the basic D1 Lagna chart, which is always the foundation for the entire chart.

I suggest always utilizing #1,2,3,4 & 8 into a chart reading along with any dominant sign in a chart. During dasa interpretation, dasa lagna is vital as well