Moolatrikona: the special sign of a graha
Moolatrikona is a classical dignity: a planet placed in its moolatrikona sign, within a stated range of degrees, is considered strong.
What it is
Each graha has one moolatrikona sign, and the degree range is given in the standard texts. For example, the Sun's moolatrikona is Simha and the Moon's is Vrishabha. The exact degree ranges vary between sources, so they should be checked before use.
How it is worked out or read
Moolatrikona is weaker than exaltation in traditional ranking and stronger than own-sign placement. It is a dignity and does not change a planet's sign.
Where it appears on this site
This site does not compute moolatrikona. The sign of each planet is shown in the birth chart, and you can compare it with this article.
The degree ranges
In the commonly cited Parashari values, each planet's moolatrikona is a stretch of one of its own signs. The Sun's is Simha from 0 to 20 degrees. The Moon's is Vrishabha from 4 to 30 degrees, the first three degrees being its exaltation zone. Mars's is Mesha from 0 to 12 degrees. Mercury's is Kanya from 16 to 20 degrees, after its exaltation zone. Jupiter's is Dhanu from 0 to 10 degrees. Venus's is Tula from 0 to 15 degrees. Saturn's is Kumbha from 0 to 20 degrees. Some texts give slightly different ranges.
Why the zone matters
Moolatrikona sits between exaltation and own sign on the ladder of dignity. A planet in its moolatrikona is described as working with authority and clarity, in the sign that most fully expresses its nature as a ruler. The rest of the same sign, outside the moolatrikona range, counts as own sign. So the Sun at 25 degrees of Simha is in its own sign, while at 15 degrees it is in moolatrikona.
Rahu and Ketu
The texts do not agree on moolatrikona signs for Rahu and Ketu, just as they do not agree on their exaltation signs. Different authorities assign different signs, and many practitioners do not use moolatrikona for the nodes at all. A reader who meets a moolatrikona claim for Rahu or Ketu should ask which text it comes from.
Where the moolatrikona sits in the ranking
In the traditional ranking of dignities, moolatrikona is usually placed between exaltation and own sign. A planet in its moolatrikona is read as strong, comfortable and focused, but the texts do not treat it as strong as exaltation. The precise order varies between sources, so a reader should state which list is used. The idea of a moolatrikona range is that the planet is strongest within a stated number of degrees of its sign, and weaker beyond those degrees in the same sign.
Checking the range
Because the degree ranges differ between texts, the reader should look up the range in the chosen source and then check the planet's exact degree in the chart. A planet just outside the range may still be in its own sign, which is a separate dignity. This site does not score moolatrikona. It shows the sign and degree for each planet, and the reader can apply a range from a text they trust.