Signs (Rashis)

The positions of all these planets, upagrahas, lagna and special lagnas in the zodiac are measured in degrees, minutes and seconds from the start of the zodiac (which is a fixed point in the sky). 

These positions are measured as seen from earth and they are called “geocentric positions". For the positions (calculated in degrees, minutes and seconds)  of  planets,  
lagna,  special  lagnas  and  upagrahas,  

we  also  use  the  words longitude  and  sphuta. When watched from earth, the longitude of any planet in the skies can be from 0°0'0'' (0 degrees 0 minutes 0 seconds) to 359°59'59''. 
It should be noted  that  0°0'0''  corresponds  to  the  beginning  of  the  zodiac.  
Many  western astrologers  consider  Sayana or  tropical  (moving)  zodiac,  whereas  Nirayana or sidereal (fixed) zodiac is considered in Vedic astrology. 

The zodiac (sky) lasts 360°as mentioned above and it is divided into 12 equalparts. 
They are called “rasis”  (signs). English names, Sanskrit names, two-letter  symbols and  values  of  the  start  longitude  and  the  end  longitude  (in  degrees,  minutes  and seconds) of all twelve rasis are given in Table 1


 

Notation:  

If a planet is at 221°37', then you can find from Table 1 that it is between 210°0'0''  and  239°59'59''.  
So,  that  planet  is  in  Scorpio  (or  Vrischika).  Its  advancement  from  the  start of  the  rasi  occupied  by  is  11°37'.  Its  position  in  the  zodiac (221°37') is shown by some people by the notation 11° °° °37' in Sc or simply 11  Sc 37. 
This means “advanced by 11°37' from the start of Sc (Scorpio)". 
Some people show it as  7s 11°  37'. 
This means “after completing 7 signs, advanced by11°37' in the 8th sign (which is Scorpio)". 
Each rasi again has many kinds of divisions and they are called “vargas".