Siṃha, the Lion, spans 120° to 150° of the sidereal zodiac and is the only rāśi ruled by Sūrya (the Sun) — the singular luminary that stands apart from the nine-planet scheme of mutual ownership. It is a fixed (sthira) fire sign, male (puruṣa), belonging to the kṣatriya (warrior-ruler) varṇa, rising from the head (śīrṣodaya), and described by Parāśara as inhabited by lions dwelling in forests and mountains. The essential quality of Siṃha is solar: radiant, authoritative, generous, and oriented toward the expression of individual will in the world.
The Sun’s ownership here means that Siṃha planets tend toward self-expression, leadership, and a certain natural magnetism. Where the Moon’s Karka seeks to contain and nurture, the Sun’s Siṃha seeks to illuminate and command. The fixed quality stabilizes this solar energy — there is constancy, loyalty, and a certain pride of character that prevents easy capitulation or change of direction. Parāśara notes that Siṃha is associated with large forests, hills, and the eastern direction; its natives tend toward commanding presence, prominent bones (particularly the spine, ruled by the Sun), and an instinctive orientation toward positions of leadership or creative expression.
The nakṣatras spanning Siṃha are Maghā (120°–133°20’), Pūrva Phālgunī (133°20’–146°40’), and the first pāda of Uttara Phālgunī (146°40’–150°). Maghā — presided over by the Pitṛs (ancestors) and ruled by Ketu — carries a regal, ancestral energy at the sign’s opening, linking Siṃha’s natural authority to lineage and the weight of inheritance. Pūrva Phālgunī’s Venusian influence introduces artistic sensibility and pleasure into the middle degrees. Uttara Phālgunī’s Solan quality echoes the sign’s own ruler, reinforcing themes of service, leadership, and productive labor.
No planet reaches exaltation or debilitation in Siṃha — it stands as a neutral ground for most planets, though the Sun’s essential dignity here is at its own-sign maximum. Planets placed here benefit from the Sun’s clarity and authority but must navigate the tendency toward rigidity and excessive pride that the fixed fire combination can produce. The fifth bhāva of the natural zodiac is Siṃha’s domain — creativity, children, intelligence, speculation, and the pure joy of self-expression.
In Praśna Jyotiṣa, Siṃha lagna signals questions about authority, recognition, leadership, creative projects, and the querent’s capacity to act from a position of genuine strength. The Sun’s condition in such a chart is decisive — a well-placed Sun suggests authentic authority and a favorable outcome; an afflicted or weak Sun indicates ego-centered obstacles or resistance from authority figures. Muhūrta elections involving Siṃha are favorable for government petitions, creative launches, performances, and any action requiring visible presence and projective force.