Navamsa and the divisional charts

A divisional chart, or varga, redraws the kundli by dividing each sign into equal parts and giving each part its own sign. The navamsa divides each sign into nine parts of 3°20′, exactly the size of a nakshatra pada, and the chart it produces, the D9, is read alongside the main chart (the D1) for the strength of planets and for marriage. The Kundli generator draws both.

How the navamsa is built

1. Take a planet's sidereal longitude and find its sign and degree within the sign.
2. Divide the degree by 3°20′ to get the navamsa number, 0 to 8.
3. Count that many signs on from the sign itself: the result is the navamsa sign.

Counting on from the sign itself gives the same answer as the classical rule, which starts movable signs from themselves, fixed signs from their ninth and dual signs from their fifth, because nine signs on from a fixed sign and five on from a dual sign land in the same places. So 0° Mesha is Mesha in the navamsa, 3°20′ Mesha is Vrishabha, 0° Vrishabha is Makara, 0° Mithuna is Tula.

Reading the D9

• Planetary strength. A planet exalted or in its own sign in the navamsa is read as strong even if the D1 placement is ordinary; the reverse weakens an apparently strong planet.
• Marriage. The navamsa lagna, its lord and the 7th house of the D9 are read for the spouse and the quality of partnership.
• Vargottama. A planet in the same sign in D1 and D9 is read as settled and strong in that sign's meaning.

The other vargas

The tradition uses many divisions, each for a department of life: the hora (D2) for wealth, drekkana (D3) for siblings, saptamsa (D7) for children, dasamsa (D10) for career, dwadasamsa (D12) for parents. They are built the same way with different counts. The site draws the D9; others can follow once the D9 has been reviewed.

Worked example

In the chart for 14 August 1990, 12:00, Mumbai, the Moon at 5°34′ Vrishabha falls in the second navamsa of a fixed sign: counting nine signs on from Vrishabha gives Makara, then one more gives Kumbha, so the Moon's navamsa sign is Kumbha. The lagna at 16°14′ Tula is in the fifth navamsa; counting five on from Tula gives Kumbha too, so the Moon and lagna share a navamsa sign. Saturn, in Dhanu in both charts, is vargottama.

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