In Vedic astrology the zodiac has 12 rashis, the same twelve signs that Western astrology calls Aries to Pisces. The names are different because they come from Sanskrit, and the meaning of each name often tells you something about the sign. This page lists all 12 rashi names in English and Hindi, with their symbols, meanings, ruling planets and the starting letters traditionally used for names.
Find your own rashi. Your rashi is your Moon sign. The free Kundli calculator shows it instantly from your date, time and place of birth. See also Find Your Moon Sign.
The 12 rashi names
| # | Rashi (Hindi) | English name | Symbol | What the Sanskrit name means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mesh (मेष) | Aries | ♈ | Ram |
| 2 | Vrishabh (वृषभ) | Taurus | ♉ | Bull |
| 3 | Mithun (मिथुन) | Gemini | ♊ | A couple, a pair |
| 4 | Kark (कर्क) | Cancer | ♋ | Crab |
| 5 | Singh / Simha (सिंह) | Leo | ♌ | Lion |
| 6 | Kanya (कन्या) | Virgo | ♍ | Maiden, young girl |
| 7 | Tula (तुला) | Libra | ♎ | Balance, weighing scales |
| 8 | Vrishchik (वृश्चिक) | Scorpio | ♏ | Scorpion |
| 9 | Dhanu (धनु) | Sagittarius | ♐ | Bow (an archer with a bow) |
| 10 | Makar (मकर) | Capricorn | ♑ | A sea creature, often drawn as a crocodile (the West uses a goat) |
| 11 | Kumbh / Kumbha (कुंभ) | Aquarius | ♒ | Pitcher, water pot |
| 12 | Meen (मीन) | Pisces | ♓ | Fish (two fish) |
The numbers matter: in a North Indian kundli, the signs are written as numbers 1 to 12 in this order. A "6" in a house means Kanya (Virgo); a "11" means Kumbh (Aquarius). See How to Read a Lagna Chart.
Ruling planet, element and nature of each rashi
| Rashi | Lord | Element | Nature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mesh (Aries) | Mars | Fire | Movable |
| Vrishabh (Taurus) | Venus | Earth | Fixed |
| Mithun (Gemini) | Mercury | Air | Dual |
| Kark (Cancer) | Moon | Water | Movable |
| Singh (Leo) | Sun | Fire | Fixed |
| Kanya (Virgo) | Mercury | Earth | Dual |
| Tula (Libra) | Venus | Air | Movable |
| Vrishchik (Scorpio) | Mars | Water | Fixed |
| Dhanu (Sagittarius) | Jupiter | Fire | Dual |
| Makar (Capricorn) | Saturn | Earth | Movable |
| Kumbh (Aquarius) | Saturn | Air | Fixed |
| Meen (Pisces) | Jupiter | Water | Dual |
- Movable (chara) signs like change and action.
- Fixed (sthira) signs hold on and persist.
- Dual (dvisvabhava) signs adapt and combine both.
Seven planets rule the twelve signs: the Sun and Moon rule one sign each, and Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn rule two each. Rahu and Ketu don't rule a sign in the classical scheme.
Name letters for each rashi
Traditionally a child's name starts with a syllable linked to the Moon's nakshatra and pada at birth. Because each rashi holds 9 padas, each rashi has 9 syllables:
| Rashi | Name letters |
|---|---|
| Mesh | Chu, Che, Cho, La, Li, Lu, Le, Lo, A |
| Vrishabh | I, U, E, O, Va, Vi, Vu, Ve, Vo |
| Mithun | Ka, Ki, Ku, Gha, Na, Chha, Ke, Ko, Ha |
| Kark | Hi, Hu, He, Ho, Da, Di, Du, De, Do |
| Singh | Ma, Mi, Mu, Me, Mo, Ta, Ti, Tu, Te |
| Kanya | To, Pa, Pi, Pu, Sha, Na, Tha, Pe, Po |
| Tula | Ra, Ri, Ru, Re, Ro, Ta, Ti, Tu, Te |
| Vrishchik | To, Na, Ni, Nu, Ne, No, Ya, Yi, Yu |
| Dhanu | Ye, Yo, Bha, Bhi, Bhu, Dha, Pha, Dha, Bhe |
| Makar | Bho, Ja, Ji, Khi, Khu, Khe, Kho, Ga, Gi |
| Kumbh | Gu, Ge, Go, Sa, Si, Su, Se, So, Da |
| Meen | Di, Du, Tha, Jha, Na, De, Do, Cha, Chi |
Some syllables (Ta, Ti, Tu, Te, To, Na) appear in two rashis. That's because the exact syllable comes from the nakshatra pada, not the rashi alone. The Newborn Baby Kundali guide has the full nakshatra-by-pada list.
Rashi is your Moon sign, not your Sun sign
This is the most common confusion. When an Indian astrologer, a newspaper rashifal or a panchang says "your rashi", they mean the sign the Moon was in when you were born. Western horoscopes use the Sun sign, by birth date.
The two are often different. In the example chart used on this blog (12 August 1994, 6:40 am, Lucknow, not a real person), the person:
- is a Leo in Western astrology (born 12 August),
- has the Sun in Kark (Cancer) in the Vedic, sidereal zodiac,
- and has Kanya (Virgo) as their rashi, because the Moon was in Virgo.
So the rashifal to read is Kanya, not Singh. The Zodiac Signs by Birth Date guide explains why the dates differ.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 12 rashi names in English? Aries (Mesh), Taurus (Vrishabh), Gemini (Mithun), Cancer (Kark), Leo (Singh), Virgo (Kanya), Libra (Tula), Scorpio (Vrishchik), Sagittarius (Dhanu), Capricorn (Makar), Aquarius (Kumbh) and Pisces (Meen).
How do I know my rashi? Your rashi is your Moon sign. You need your date, time and place of birth; a kundli calculator gives it immediately.
Is Makar the same as Capricorn? Yes. The Sanskrit word makara means a sea creature, usually drawn as a crocodile, while the Western symbol is a sea-goat. It's the same sign.
Can I find my rashi from my name? Only roughly. The name letters above show which rashi a name should match if it was chosen by tradition, but many names weren't. Your real rashi comes from your birth chart.
Related reading: Kanya Rashi in English · Kumbha Rashi in English · Rashifal 2027 for all 12 rashis · Find your rashi with the free Kundli calculator
This article is for general information about Vedic astrology. It is not professional advice.