Arudha Lagna, also called Lagna Pada, is the sign that shows the image of a person: how others see them, their status and visible wealth. Jyotish takes it from the Jaimini system and reads it next to the natal Lagna, which describes the person as they are.
How it is calculated
Count the signs from the Lagna to the sign occupied by its ruler, then count the same number of signs again from the ruler. Two exceptions apply. If the count ends in the Lagna sign itself, the Arudha moves to the 10th sign from it; if it ends in the 7th sign from the Lagna, the Arudha also moves to the 10th sign from that point. The same rule gives the padas of the other houses, and the pada of the 12th house is the Upapada.
Worked example
The examples below use the lagna.su sample chart: 15 August 1985, 12:00, Moscow. Its Lagna is Virgo 27°08′ by Swiss Ephemeris 2.10.03 with the Lahiri ayanamsha, and the same chart is printed on pages 1–2 of the sample report. The ruler of Virgo is Mercury, and Mercury stands in Cancer, the 11th sign from Virgo. Counting eleven signs from Cancer brings us to Taurus. Taurus is neither Virgo nor Pisces, so no exception applies, and the Arudha Lagna is Taurus in the 9th house of the chart. Page 8 of the sample report reads this placement as the image of a principled person who values tradition and learning.
How it is read
Planets in the Arudha Lagna and in the signs around it change the visible side of life. Benefics there tend to help reputation, and the 11th sign from the Arudha shows sources of gain as others see them. Many astrologers compare the Arudha with the natal Lagna: when they differ a lot, the person and their public image also differ.
Limits
The calculation needs the correct Lagna, so the birth time has to be known. Arudha Lagna describes perception and status, and questions of health or character are read from the natal Lagna.
Questions
What is Arudha Lagna in simple terms?
It is the sign that describes your public image and status. It is calculated from the natal Lagna and the position of its ruler.
How to calculate Arudha Lagna?
Count the signs from the Lagna to its ruler and the same number again from the ruler. If you land in the Lagna or in the 7th sign from it, take the 10th sign from that point. The lagna.su calculator does this automatically.
Arudha Lagna in which sign is best?
There is no best sign. The result depends on the planets in and around the Arudha and on its ruler, and the same sign can work very differently in two charts.