The 12 Rashis and Their Lords (Ruling Planets): Complete Guide
Rashi lord chart 1 to 12, Mesha (Mars) to Meena (Jupiter). Plus the name letters of each rashi, exalted planets, and the friends and enemies of every lord.
In Vedic and KP astrology, every rashi (zodiac sign) is "owned" by a planet known as its lord (or rashi swami). The rashi lord is one of the most important ideas in a chart: it is the first ruler in the KP ladder, and the strength and placement of a sign's lord tells the astrologer a great deal about the matters that sign governs.
Quick answer: 1 Mesha – Mars, 2 Vrishabha – Venus, 3 Mithuna – Mercury, 4 Karka – Moon, 5 Simha – Sun, 6 Kanya – Mercury, 7 Tula – Venus, 8 Vrishchika – Mars, 9 Dhanu – Jupiter, 10 Makara – Saturn, 11 Kumbha – Saturn, 12 Meena – Jupiter.
Below you will find the full chart, the lord of each rashi by number, the same table turned around planet by planet, the name letters of every rashi, and the friends and enemies of each lord, which is what decides Graha Maitri when two kundlis are matched.
What is a rashi lord?
A rashi is a 30° slice of the zodiac — there are twelve, from Aries to Pisces. Each one is ruled by a planet. For example, if a house cusp falls in Aries, its lord is Mars; if it falls in Taurus, the lord is Venus. To judge how a matter will unfold, an astrologer looks at where that lord sits, which house it occupies, and how strong it is.
In classical Jyotish, the seven visible grahas own the twelve signs — the Sun and Moon own one sign each, while Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn own two signs each. (Rahu and Ketu, the lunar nodes, are not sign-lords in the traditional scheme.)
The 12 rashis and their lords (full table)
| No. | Rashi | Hindi | English sign | Ruling lord | Element |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mesha | मेष | Aries | Mars (मंगल) | Fire |
| 2 | Vrishabha | वृषभ | Taurus | Venus (शुक्र) | Earth |
| 3 | Mithuna | मिथुन | Gemini | Mercury (बुध) | Air |
| 4 | Karka | कर्क | Cancer | Moon (चंद्र) | Water |
| 5 | Simha | सिंह | Leo | Sun (सूर्य) | Fire |
| 6 | Kanya | कन्या | Virgo | Mercury (बुध) | Earth |
| 7 | Tula | तुला | Libra | Venus (शुक्र) | Air |
| 8 | Vrishchika | वृश्चिक | Scorpio | Mars (मंगल) | Water |
| 9 | Dhanu | धनु | Sagittarius | Jupiter (गुरु) | Fire |
| 10 | Makara | मकर | Capricorn | Saturn (शनि) | Earth |
| 11 | Kumbha | कुंभ | Aquarius | Saturn (शनि) | Air |
| 12 | Meena | मीन | Pisces | Jupiter (गुरु) | Water |
What is your own rashi lord doing in your chart? The table tells you who the lord is. Your chart shows where that lord sits and when it acts. Ask R P Pandey ji on WhatsApp
Rashi lord by number, 1 to 12
Many people look up a rashi lord by its number. The number is simply the order of the sign from Aries, and it is the same number you see written inside each house of a North Indian chart. So if a house in your chart shows 8, that house holds Vrishchika and its lord is Mars.
1st rashi (1 number) lord: Mars
The 1st rashi is Mesha (मेष, Aries), a fire sign whose symbol is the ram. Its lord is Mars (मंगल). The Sun is exalted here and Saturn is debilitated. Names starting with Chu, Che, Cho, La, Li, Lu, Le, Lo or A belong to Mesha.
2nd rashi (2 number) lord: Venus
The 2nd rashi is Vrishabha (वृषभ, Taurus), an earth sign whose symbol is the bull. Its lord is Venus (शुक्र). The Moon is exalted here. Names starting with I, U, E, O, Va, Vi, Vu, Ve or Vo belong to Vrishabha.
3rd rashi (3 number) lord: Mercury
The 3rd rashi is Mithuna (मिथुन, Gemini), an air sign whose symbol is a couple. Its lord is Mercury (बुध). No planet is exalted or debilitated here in the classical scheme. Names starting with Ka, Ki, Ku, Gha, Chha, Ke, Ko or Ha belong to Mithuna.
4th rashi (4 number) lord: Moon
The 4th rashi is Karka (कर्क, Cancer), a water sign whose symbol is the crab. Its lord is the Moon (चंद्र). Jupiter is exalted here and Mars is debilitated. Names starting with Hi, Hu, He, Ho or the hard Da, Di, Du, De, Do (ड) belong to Karka.
5th rashi (5 number) lord: Sun
The 5th rashi is Simha (सिंह, Leo), a fire sign whose symbol is the lion. Its lord is the Sun (सूर्य). No planet is exalted or debilitated here. Names starting with Ma, Mi, Mu, Me, Mo or the hard Ta, Ti, Tu, Te (ट) belong to Simha.
6th rashi (6 number) lord: Mercury
The 6th rashi is Kanya (कन्या, Virgo), an earth sign whose symbol is a young woman. Its lord is Mercury (बुध). Mercury is exalted in this, its own sign, and Venus is debilitated. Names starting with To (टो), Pa, Pi, Pu, Sha, Tha (ठ), Pe or Po belong to Kanya.
7th rashi (7 number) lord: Venus
The 7th rashi is Tula (तुला, Libra), an air sign whose symbol is the scales. Its lord is Venus (शुक्र). Saturn is exalted here and the Sun is debilitated. Names starting with Ra, Ri, Ru, Re, Ro or the soft Ta, Ti, Tu, Te (त) belong to Tula.
8th rashi (8 number) lord: Mars
The 8th rashi is Vrishchika (वृश्चिक, Scorpio), a water sign whose symbol is the scorpion. Its lord is Mars (मंगल). The Moon is debilitated here; no planet is exalted. Names starting with To (तो), Na, Ni, Nu, Ne, No, Ya, Yi or Yu belong to Vrishchika.
9th rashi (9 number) lord: Jupiter
The 9th rashi is Dhanu (धनु, Sagittarius), a fire sign whose symbol is the archer's bow. Its lord is Jupiter (गुरु). No planet is exalted or debilitated here. Names starting with Ye, Yo, Bha, Bhi, Bhu, Dha, Pha or Bhe belong to Dhanu.
10th rashi (10 number) lord: Saturn
The 10th rashi is Makara (मकर, Capricorn), an earth sign whose symbol is the crocodile. Its lord is Saturn (शनि). Mars is exalted here and Jupiter is debilitated. Names starting with Bho, Ja, Ji, Khi, Khu, Khe, Kho, Ga or Gi belong to Makara.
11th rashi (11 number) lord: Saturn
The 11th rashi is Kumbha (कुंभ, Aquarius), an air sign whose symbol is the water pot. Its lord is Saturn (शनि). No planet is exalted or debilitated here. Names starting with Gu, Ge, Go, Sa, Si, Su, Se, So or the soft Da (द) belong to Kumbha.
12th rashi (12 number) lord: Jupiter
The 12th rashi is Meena (मीन, Pisces), a water sign whose symbol is a pair of fish. Its lord is Jupiter (गुरु). Venus is exalted here and Mercury is debilitated. Names starting with Di, Du, Tha (थ), Jha, De, Do, Cha or Chi belong to Meena.
Planets and the rashis they rule
People also search the other way round: "which rashi does Mars rule?" or "Aries lord planet". Here is the same information planet by planet, with the sign where each planet is exalted (strongest) and debilitated (weakest), and the weekday it rules.
| Planet | Lord of rashi no. | Exalted in | Debilitated in | Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun (सूर्य) | 5 Simha | Mesha (10°) | Tula | Sunday |
| Moon (चंद्र) | 4 Karka | Vrishabha (3°) | Vrishchika | Monday |
| Mars (मंगल) | 1 Mesha, 8 Vrishchika | Makara (28°) | Karka | Tuesday |
| Mercury (बुध) | 3 Mithuna, 6 Kanya | Kanya (15°) | Meena | Wednesday |
| Jupiter (गुरु) | 9 Dhanu, 12 Meena | Karka (5°) | Makara | Thursday |
| Venus (शुक्र) | 2 Vrishabha, 7 Tula | Meena (27°) | Kanya | Friday |
| Saturn (शनि) | 10 Makara, 11 Kumbha | Tula (20°) | Mesha | Saturday |
| Rahu / Ketu | none | (texts differ) | (texts differ) | — |
The degree in brackets is the point of deepest exaltation. A planet is always debilitated in the sign exactly opposite its exaltation sign, seven signs away.
Find your rashi from your name (naam akshar)
In India a child's name is often chosen from the first syllable given by the birth nakshatra, so each rashi has nine name letters. This is the name rashi (naam rashi). It is handy for daily horoscopes and for Ram Shalaka style questions, but for a real reading the birth rashi from the kundli is what counts.
| Rashi | Lord | Name starts with | हिंदी अक्षर |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mesha | Mars | Chu, Che, Cho, La, Li, Lu, Le, Lo, A | चू, चे, चो, ला, ली, लू, ले, लो, अ |
| Vrishabha | Venus | I, U, E, O, Va, Vi, Vu, Ve, Vo | इ, उ, ए, ओ, वा, वी, वू, वे, वो |
| Mithuna | Mercury | Ka, Ki, Ku, Gha, Nga, Chha, Ke, Ko, Ha | का, की, कू, घ, ङ, छ, के, को, ह |
| Karka | Moon | Hi, Hu, He, Ho, Da, Di, Du, De, Do | ही, हू, हे, हो, डा, डी, डू, डे, डो |
| Simha | Sun | Ma, Mi, Mu, Me, Mo, Ta, Ti, Tu, Te | मा, मी, मू, मे, मो, टा, टी, टू, टे |
| Kanya | Mercury | To, Pa, Pi, Pu, Sha, Na, Tha, Pe, Po | टो, पा, पी, पू, ष, ण, ठ, पे, पो |
| Tula | Venus | Ra, Ri, Ru, Re, Ro, Ta, Ti, Tu, Te | रा, री, रू, रे, रो, ता, ती, तू, ते |
| Vrishchika | Mars | To, Na, Ni, Nu, Ne, No, Ya, Yi, Yu | तो, ना, नी, नू, ने, नो, या, यी, यू |
| Dhanu | Jupiter | Ye, Yo, Bha, Bhi, Bhu, Dha, Pha, Dha, Bhe | ये, यो, भा, भी, भू, धा, फा, ढा, भे |
| Makara | Saturn | Bho, Ja, Ji, Khi, Khu, Khe, Kho, Ga, Gi | भो, जा, जी, खी, खू, खे, खो, गा, गी |
| Kumbha | Saturn | Gu, Ge, Go, Sa, Si, Su, Se, So, Da | गू, गे, गो, सा, सी, सू, से, सो, दा |
| Meena | Jupiter | Di, Du, Tha, Jha, Nya, De, Do, Cha, Chi | दी, दू, थ, झ, ञ, दे, दो, चा, ची |
Some letters look repeated in English (Ta in Simha and Tula, Da in Karka and Kumbha, To in Kanya and Vrishchika) because Hindi has two different sounds for them: ट and त, ड and द. The Hindi column settles it. Simha takes the hard ट (as in Tinku), Tula the soft त (as in Tarun). Karka takes ड (as in Dimple), Kumbha takes द (as in Darshan). If in doubt, check the Hindi spelling of the name.
To know your birth rashi instead, enter your date, time and place in the free kundli tool. The sign the Moon sits in is your rashi.
Friends and enemies of the rashi lords
The lords are not equally friendly with each other. Classical Jyotish (Parashara) gives every planet natural friends, neutrals and enemies:
| Lord | Friends | Neutral | Enemies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | Moon, Mars, Jupiter | Mercury | Venus, Saturn |
| Moon | Sun, Mercury | Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn | none |
| Mars | Sun, Moon, Jupiter | Venus, Saturn | Mercury |
| Mercury | Sun, Venus | Mars, Jupiter, Saturn | Moon |
| Jupiter | Sun, Moon, Mars | Saturn | Mercury, Venus |
| Venus | Mercury, Saturn | Mars, Jupiter | Sun, Moon |
| Saturn | Mercury, Venus | Jupiter | Sun, Moon, Mars |
Two things follow from this table:
- A planet in a friend's rashi is comfortable. Jupiter in Mesha sits in the house of its friend Mars and works well. Jupiter in Vrishabha sits in the house of its enemy Venus and has to work harder.
- Graha Maitri in kundli matching. One of the eight parts of Guna Milan compares the lords of the bride's and the groom's Moon rashis, worth up to 5 points. A Mesha person (Mars) and a Dhanu person (Jupiter) get the full 5, because Mars and Jupiter are friends both ways. A Simha person (Sun) and a Makara person (Saturn) get 0, because each treats the other as an enemy.
Friendship is not always two-way. The Moon has no enemies, yet Mercury treats the Moon as an enemy. That is why matching points are given for each side separately.
Movable, fixed and dual rashis
Each rashi also has a nature, which astrologers use for choosing muhurats and for judging how fast a matter moves:
- Movable (Chara): Mesha, Karka, Tula, Makara. Quick change, travel, new starts.
- Fixed (Sthira): Vrishabha, Simha, Vrishchika, Kumbha. Lasting results; a fixed lagna is preferred for buying property or for Lakshmi puja on Diwali (see the 2026 festival muhurats).
- Dual (Dvisvabhava): Mithuna, Kanya, Dhanu, Meena. Mixed results, matters that repeat or come in twos.
The pattern behind the lords
Notice the symmetry. Starting from the Sun (Leo) and Moon (Cancer), the remaining planets rule two signs each, fanning outward in order of distance from the Sun: Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo, Venus rules Taurus and Libra, Mars rules Aries and Scorpio, Jupiter rules Sagittarius and Pisces, and Saturn rules Capricorn and Aquarius. This elegant mirror is one of the foundations of Jyotish.
Why rashi lords matter in your reading
Knowing a sign's lord is only the starting point. In a real reading, the astrologer asks:
- Where is the lord placed? A lord in a strong, friendly house supports the matters of its sign.
- What does it connect to? Through its own star-lord and sub-lord, the rashi lord links to other houses and topics.
- When does it act? Its dasha (planetary period) and transits show the timing of events.
This is how a simple list of lords becomes a precise prediction. To go further, see which lord becomes your lagna's yogakāraka, the lords of the stars in 27 Nakshatras and Their Lords, how the rulers stack up in The KP Ladder, or how the sky is divided in Rashis, Nakshatras & Padas.
यह लेख हिंदी में पढ़ें: 12 राशियाँ और उनके स्वामी
If you'd like to know what your own rashi lords reveal — about marriage, career or any pressing question — a personal reading is the clearest next step.
Have a question of your own? Mr. R P Pandey reads every message personally. Send him your question on WhatsApp and share what's on your mind — there are no fixed fees.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the lord of each rashi by number, 1 to 12?
- 1 Mesha – Mars, 2 Vrishabha – Venus, 3 Mithuna – Mercury, 4 Karka – Moon, 5 Simha – Sun, 6 Kanya – Mercury, 7 Tula – Venus, 8 Vrishchika – Mars, 9 Dhanu – Jupiter, 10 Makara – Saturn, 11 Kumbha – Saturn, 12 Meena – Jupiter. In a North Indian chart the number written in each house is this rashi number, so the same list tells you the lord of that house.
- What are the rasi athipathi (ராசி அதிபதி) in Tamil?
- மேஷம் (Mesham) – செவ்வாய் (Sevvai), ரிஷபம் (Rishabam) – சுக்கிரன் (Sukran), மிதுனம் (Mithunam) – புதன் (Budhan), கடகம் (Kadagam) – சந்திரன் (Chandran), சிம்மம் (Simmam) – சூரியன் (Suriyan), கன்னி (Kanni) – புதன் (Budhan), துலாம் (Thulam) – சுக்கிரன் (Sukran), விருச்சிகம் (Viruchigam) – செவ்வாய் (Sevvai), தனுசு (Dhanusu) – குரு (Guru), மகரம் (Magaram) – சனி (Sani), கும்பம் (Kumbam) – சனி (Sani), மீனம் (Meenam) – குரு (Guru). The lords are the same as in the Sanskrit table; only the names change.
- Which planet is the lord of which rashi?
- Mars rules Aries and Scorpio; Venus rules Taurus and Libra; Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo; the Moon rules Cancer; the Sun rules Leo; Jupiter rules Sagittarius and Pisces; Saturn rules Capricorn and Aquarius. Rahu and Ketu own no rashi in the Parashari and KP systems — they give results through the lords of the signs they occupy.
- How do I find my rashi from my name?
- Each rashi has nine starting syllables, called naam akshar. If your name starts with Chu, Che, Cho, La, Li, Lu, Le, Lo or A, your name rashi is Mesha and its lord is Mars. The full table of letters is in the article. Your name rashi is used for quick guidance; for a real reading your birth rashi, the sign the Moon was in when you were born, is what counts.
- What is the difference between my rashi and my lagna?
- Your rashi (Moon sign) is the sign the Moon occupied at birth. Your lagna (ascendant) is the sign rising on the eastern horizon at that moment, and it changes about every two hours. Both have lords. The lagna lord describes you and your life path; the rashi lord describes your mind and feelings. A free kundli shows both.
- Is the '12th rashi lord' the same as the 12th house lord?
- No — this trips many readers. The 12th rashi (sign) is Pisces, whose lord is Jupiter, and that never changes. The 12th HOUSE lord is different for every person: it is the lord of whichever sign falls in your chart's 12th house, which depends on your lagna. When an article says 'your 12th lord', it almost always means the house lord from your own chart.
- Why does my rashi lord matter in predictions?
- Your rashi lord is the planet that answers for everything its sign promises. Its strength, the house it sits in, and its dasha periods decide when and how those promises deliver. Two people with the same rashi get different results because the same lord is placed differently in each chart — which is why a prediction needs the full chart, not just the sign.
Want your own question examined this way?
You can put your question to R P Pandey on WhatsApp. He first checks whether the event is promised, and looks at timing only after that.
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