Chapter 3
Divisions of a sign
1. The ten-fold division of the Zodiac is known as Dasa vargas (Vargas mean divisions). Under the scheme of Dasavarga the various divisions are as Under :—
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(1) Rasi |
Each Rasi 30° |
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(2) Hora |
2 parts of a Rasi of 15° each. |
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(3) Drekkana |
3 parts of a Rasi of 10° each. |
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(4) Trimsamsa |
5 parts of 5°, 7° or 8° each. (All parts are not equal) |
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(5) Saptamsa |
7 parts of 4°-17"-8" each. |
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(6) Navamsa |
9 parts of 3°-20 each. |
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(7) Dasmamsa |
10 parts of 3°each. |
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(8) Dwadasamsa |
12 parts of 2°-30' each. |
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(9) Shodasamsa |
16 parts of l°-16'-52" each. |
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(10) Shastyamsa |
60 parts of 30' each. |
Vargottama is the name given to that particular Navamsa in a Rasi which bears the same sign as that of Rasi itself.
2. If amongst the ten vargas only the Rasi, Hora, Drekkana, Navamsa, Dwadasamsa and Trimsamsa are taken into consideration, the divisions are known as Shad vargas. If we add Saptamsa division to them, the 7 kinds of divisions are known as Sapta vargas.
Some learneds have taken the view that the effect emanating from Navamsa is equal to that of Rasi and Bhava.
3. In Rasis the effect is full. In the Shodasamsa, Dasmamsa and Shastyamsa divisions (Vargas) it is one-fourth. In the other vargas it is half. In an odd Rasi, the planets are said to be in 'infancy, in boyhood, youth, in middle age and in very old age (near death), according to first, second, third, fourth and last six degree portions respectively reached by them in a sign. But in an even sign this is in the reverse order.
Notes — In Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius and Aquarius there is infancy up to 6 degrees, up to 12° boyhood, from there to 18° it is youth and up to 24° it is middle age and the last 6° comprise the very old age. It is reverse in the case of even signs viz., Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn and Pisces.
4. Hora is half of a Rasi. In an odd sign, the halves belong, to the Sun and the Moon and to the Moon and the Sun when the sign is an even one.
The Drekkana or third portions of a sign belong to the lords of the sign itself, of the 5th house and of the 9th house.
The owners of the Dwadasamas or l/12th portion of a sign are counted from that sign.
In an odd sign the Trimsamsas or degrees, that is, l/30th portions belonging to Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury and Venus are respectively 5, 5, 8, 7 and 5. In an even sign it is reversed. Then Venus. Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars have 5, 7, 8, 5 and 5 degrees respectively.
The first Navamsa in the signs from Aries onwards begins respectively with Aries, Capricorn, Libra and Cancer.
5. In an odd sign in Krura Shastyamsas or inauspicious l/60th portions are 1st. 2nd, 8th, 9th. 10th, 11th. 12th. 15th, 18th, 30th, 31st. 32nd. 33rd. 34th, 35th, 39th. 40th, 42nd, 43rd, 44th. 48th, 51st. 52nd and 59th. The rest are Saumya or auspicious ones. In the case of an even sign it is necessary, that is, the Shastyamsa portions stated Krura in the odd signs are the Saumya ones in the even signs and vice versa.
6. The Saptamsas or the l/7th portion are in the case of an odd sign, counted regularly from the sign itself. In the case of an even sign, they are counted from 7th sign onwards.
In the case of an odd sign, the Dasamamsas or 1/10th portions are counted from the sign itself. In the case of an even sign, they are counted from the 9th onwards. The lords of the Shodasamsas or the 1/16th portions in the case of an odd sign are those of the 12th sign counted from that sign Brahma, Vishnu, Hora and Ravi. In an even sign this is reversed.
If we have to assess the comparative strength of a planet, we should find out whether he is in a kendra, trikona, in his own sign, in his moolatrikona sign, in his sign of exaltation or is vargottama. Then we should scrutinize its portion in Dasavarga or Saptavarga. Some make the assessment only from Dasavarga, others assess the strength and auspiciousness of a planet from thirteen vargas.
7. The position of a planet has to be considered with reference to 13 vargas to ascertain whether he is in his friend's house, his own house or in his house of exaltation. The number of such vargas obtained by the planet will result in the attainment of the following kinds of vaiseshikamsas. The combination of 2, 3. 4, 5, 6. 7, 8 and 9 vargas are respectively called Parijat, Uttama, Gopura, Simhasana, Parvata. Devaloka, Suraloka and Airavata.
Shri V. Subrahmanya Sastri in his English Translation and Commentary of this work has given the following example. Suppose Jupiter's position is 8-l°-25'-l" or the 2nd Degree of Dhanus. He occupies his (1) Moolatrikona (2) Drekkana (3) Saptamsa (4) Dasamsa (5) Dwadasamsa and (5) Shodasamsa. Thus Jupiter should be declared to have attained a Parvatamsa.
8-9. The results of a planet attaining various Vaiseshikamsas are as follows:
Parijat amsa — Respectability, good qualities, wealth, happiness, authority and dignity.
Uttamamsa — Modest, clever and well-behaved.
Gopuramsa — Intelligence, wealth, acquisition of lands, cows and house.
Simhasanamsa — Makes the native friend of a king or equal to him.
Paravatamsa — Acquisition of good houses, elephants, vehicles and other princely appendages.
Devalokamsa — Kingship, renown for good qualities.
Suralokamsa — Endowment with good fortune, acquisition of wealth, grains, and kingship and birth of children.
10. If in a nativity a planet be weak in all the 10 vargas the result will be the death of the native. If the planets be weak in 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 out of the 10 vargas the results will be as follows: —
9 Vargas — Destruction of the native.
8 Vargas — Grief to the native.
7 Vargas — Calamity.
6 Vargas — Unhappiness.
5 Vargas — Love of kinsmen
4 Vargas — Foremost in the family
3 Vargas — Friend of a king
2 Vargas — Wealthy
1 Varga — Kingship
If a planet be strong in all the 10 Vargas, the native will be a king of kings.
A planet in infancy makes the native progressing. If he is in boyhood the native achieves happiness. If the planet be adolescent, he endows the native with kingship. The native suffers from ill health If the planet be in middle age. The planet in old age causes death of the native.
Notes — This means that a planet from infancy to youth gives progressively auspicious results and from middle age to old age the results are inauspicious.
11. If the benefic planets be endowed with strength in the Shadvargas, the native will be wealthy and longlived. If the Ascendant falls in the Krura amsas in the Shadvargas, the native will be shortlived, poor and of wicked disposition but if the lord of Amsas in which the Ascendant falls, be strong, the person concerned will become a king (a person with a high status political or administrative).
If the lord of the Navamsa of the Ascendant be strong, the native will be lull of happiness. If the lord of the Drekkana of the Ascendant be strong, the person concerned will achieve the status like that of a king. If the lord of the Ascendant itself be strong, the native will become the ruler of the Earth and will enjoy good fortune.
12. If in any nativity, malefics being in odd signs fall In the Sun's Hora (first 15 degrees), the native will be cruel strong and wealthy. Opposite to this, if the benefics being In even signs occupy the Moon's Hora (first 15 degrees), the native will be lustrous, humble, soft-spoken, graceful and fortunate. If it be otherwise, the results will also be of the same nature. If the dispositions be of mixed nature, the results may be expected accordingly.
If in any nativity, the Ascendant and the Moon be both strong and the lords of the Ascendant and the Moon's sign be also equally strong, the native will be long-lived, happy and renowned.
13. The appearances of the Drekkanas are as under The last Drekkanas or decanats of Leo, Aries, Sagittarius, Libra and Gemini, the first decanates of Sagittarius and Aries and second ones of Virgo and Gemini are called Ayudha Drekkanas or 'armed' decanates. The second decanate of Scorpio is called 'Pasa' (noose). The first decanate of Capricorn is called 'Nigala'. The first decanates of Leo and Aquarius and second one of Libra are vulture faced. The first decanate of Taurus is like a 'Pakshi' (bird) and the first decanate of Cancer has a face like a pig.
14. The first decanate of Scorpio and third ones of Cancer and Pisces are called Serpent decanates. The second decanates of Aries and Taurus, the first of Leo and last of Scorpio are named as quadruped decanates.
The persons born when these decanates are rising will be poor, cruel and unscrupulous.
In a dual sign, the three decanates in their order will be Adhama (bad), Madhyama (moderate) and Uttama (good). In the case of a moveable sign, the order is reversed, that is, the first will be Uttama and the second madhyama and the last Adhama. In a fixed sign the order will be Adhama, Uttama and Madhyama. The effects will be in accordance with the names of the decanates.
15. If the lord of the Lagna Drekkana be in his own varga, be associated with a benefic or be in his sign of exaltation or friendly house; if the rising Trimsamsa, Dwadasamsa or Hora endowed with strength be in a similar position, the native will be gifted with all noble qualities, will be pure, clever, longlived sympathetic and wealthy, will be blessed with children, will be widely renowned and will enjoy royal comforts.
16. Note the Rasi of Mandi at birth and also where the lord of that Rasi is posited. The Ascendant at birth will be in a house 5th or 9th to that of the aforesaid lord or one triangular to the Navamsa occupied by the lord of the Rasi representing the Navamsa occupied by the Mandi. It may be triangular to the Navamsa Rasi occupied by Gulika. But if the Moon be strong, the Ascendant should be ascertained similarly through the Moon and not through Mandi.
17. The person concerned will be gifted with attractive appearance and good qualities, if the Moon be in his own Drekkana or a friend's decanate. If the Moon has attained an Uttama varga, the native will be fortunate. If she is posited elsewhere, the native will be endowed with qualities belonging to the planet who is the lord of the Moon's sign. Planets that are in their own Trimsamsa will do all that has ascribed to them as Karakas.
The native will be wealthy like a king if there be at least one planet in his own exaltation house aspected by or associated with a friendly planet.
18-19. A planet is called Pradeepta (blazing) when he is in his sign of exaltation. He is Sukhita (happy) when he is in Moolatrikona Rasi. He is called Swastha (healthy) when he is in his own sign. He is Mudita (delighted) in a friendly house. He is Shanta (calm) when he has attained the varga of a benefic planet. He is Shakta (capable) when he shines brightly (not combust by being near the Sun). A planet is Vikala (distressed) when he is combust. He is Nlpidita (troubled-tortured) when he is overcome in the planetary war by another planet. He is Khala (base) when he is in the varga of a malefic. He is Sudukhit (exceedingly unhappy), he is Atibheeta (very afraid) when he is in his sign of debilitation.
20. The planet in Pradeepta Avastha gives good effects In full. They will be nil when he is In Vikala Avastha. In the intervening Avasthas the auspicious effects will be decreasing proportionately and the inauspicious effects will correspondingly increase. The Avasthas of the planet will determine the effects according to the names given to them.
The good or bad effects in various Avasthas are approximately as given below: —
Pradeepta — 100 per cent good. Sukhita — 80 per cent good. Swastha — 75 per cent good. Mudita — 60 per cent good. Shanto — 50 per cent good. Shakta — 40 per cent good. Nipidita—40 per cent bad. Khata—50 per cent bad. Sudukhito—60 per cent bad. Attbheeta—75 per cent bad. Vikala—100 per cent bad.
The planets in good avasthas yield favourable effects in their Dasas and Antardasas. The reverse is the case with planets in adverse avasthas.
Thus ends the third chapter on "Divisions of the Zodiac" in Phaladeepika composed by Mantreswara.
