What is the difference between lagna and moon sign?
Lagna (ascendant) is the zodiac sign rising on the eastern horizon at birth; the Moon sign is the sidereal sign the Moon occupies. ePandit computes both with Swiss Ephemeris in Lahiri sidereal mode. Birth time strongly affects lagna; the Moon sign changes more slowly.
What the engine returns
Chart computation returns an ascendant rashi from house cusps and a Moon rashi from the Moon’s sidereal longitude. When birth time is unknown, time-sensitive divisional fields may be empty; lagna quality depends on a reliable birth time.
Why both appear in readings
Guidance is framed on the sidereal zodiac with Lahiri ayanamsa and equal bhavas from the chosen sign reference. The app can emphasize lagna-based timing while still reporting the Moon’s nakshatra for dasha.