Varga (astrology)

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The term Varga (Sanskrit varga, 'set, division') in Indian astrology (Jyotisha) refers to the
division of a zodiacal sign (ri) into parts. Each such fractional part of a sign, known as an
aa, has a source of influence associated with it, so that these sources of influence come to be
associated with collections of regions around the zodiac.
There are sixteen varga, or divisional, charts used in Jyotisha.[1] These vargas form the basis of a
unique system of finding the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of planets.[2]

Contents

1 Overview
2 Divisional charts
3 Implication
4 References
5 See also

Overview
Hindu astrology divides the zodiac into several types of segments; these subtle divisions or
divisional charts are called Vargas and are said to be the various micro-zodiacs created within
the natural macro-zodiac, the Horoscope.[3]
The particular location of planets in the Varga charts materially influences the results of planets
constituting a yoga. The two sets of vargas that are commonly used are a) the Shadvarga i.e.
the six-fold division of sign namely, the Rasi or sign, the Hora, the Drekkena or decanate, the
Navamsa, the Dwadasamsa and the Trimsamsa, and b) the Saptavarga i.e. the seven-fold
division, by tagging the Saptamsa to the Shadvargas.[4] Some follow the Dasavargas or the tenfold division, and in his Bhat Parara Horstra, Parasara speaks about the Shodasvarga or the
sixteen-fold division of a rasi. Planets become more and more auspicious by gaining more and
more of their own, exalted or friendly vargas. Accordingly the status thus acquired by planets
stands graded for easy identification etc. When a planet acquires two out of sixteen such own or
exalted vargas or divisions then it is known to have gained the status called the Parijatamsa or
Bhedakamsa, when three vargas are gained then the Uttamamsa or Kusumamsa or Vyanjanamsa,
four the Gopuramsa or Naagpushpamsa or Kimshukamsa or Chaamaramsa, five the
Simhasanamsa or Kundakamsa or Chhatramsa, six the Parvatamsa or Keralamsa or
Kundalamsa, seven the Devalokamsa or Kalpavrkshamsa or Mukatamsa, eight the
Kumkumamsa or Brahmalokamsa or Chandanvanamsa, nine the Iravatamsa or
Poornachandramsa, ten the Vyshnavamsa or Shridham or Ucchaishrvamsa, eleven the
Saivamsa Dhanvantriamsa, twelve the Bhaswadamsa or Suryakantamsa, thirteen the
Vaisheshikamsa or Vidrumamsa, fourteen the Indrasanamsa, fifteen the Golokamsa, and
sixteen the Shrivallabhamsa (Bhat Parara Horstra Slokas 42-51) (Sarvartha Chintamani
St.32-35).

Divisional charts
The Bhat Parara Horstra defines sixteen divisional schemes,[5] each named according to
the denominator of the fraction specific to the division. Thus, the integral fraction is division by
1, which yields, trivially, 12 regions of the zodiac corresponding to the 12 signs themselves:
perforce this varga scheme is named ri. Similarly, a divisor of 2 defines 24 regions; the name
hor, derived from the word
(aho-rtra) meaning day-night by removing the first (a)
and last sounds (tra) {Reference: Saravali by Kalyanaverma (Sanskrit Classic)}, is
etymologically related to the analogous 24 hours in a day. The divisor of 3 defining 36 regions,
named dreshkana, is similarly related to the Decans of Chaldean horology.

Varga

Divisor Chart
Area of Influence
Rasi
1
D-1 Body, Physical Matters and all General Matters
Hora
2
D-2 Wealth, Family
Dreshkana
3
D-3 Siblings, Nature
Chaturthamsa
4
D-4 Fortune and Property
Saptamsa
7
D-7 Children/Progeny
Navamsa (astrology) 9
D-9 Wife, Dharma and Relationships
Dasamsa
10
D-10 Actions in Society, Profession
Dvadasamsa
12
D-12 Parents
Shodasamsa
16
D-16 Vehicles, Travelling and Comforts
Vimsamsa
20
D-20 Spiritual Pursuits
ChaturVimsamsa
24
D-24 Education, Learning and Knowledge
SaptaVimsamsa
27
D-27 Strengths and Weakness
Trimsamsa
30
D-30 Evils, Failure, Bad Luck
KhaVedamsa
40
D-40 Maternal Legacy
AkshaVedamsa
45
D-45 Paternal Legacy
Shastamsa
60
D-60 Past birth or Karma
Four other vargas are attributed to Jaimini:
Varga
Divisor Chart Area of Influence
Panchamsa
5
D-5 Fame & Power
Shasthamsa
6
D-6 Health
Ashtamsa
8
D-8 Unexpected Troubles
EkaDasamsa/Rudramsa 11
D-11 Death and Destruction
Besides Rshi (D-1), Navamsha (D-9), Dreshkana (D-3), Dasamsa (D-10) and Trimsamsa (D-30)
are considered significant divisional charts.

Implication
A planet situated in any one rasi i.e. sign, by itself constitutes a yoga or an ava-yoga owing to the
relationship it establishes with the rasi-lord and other bhava-lords with reference to the Lagna
and each other, but its mere occupation need not necessarily produce the results assigned for its
such occupation. No planet acts alone, it becomes an active participant by having established an
unavoidable relationship with one or more other planets; its assigned results are influenced by
the rasi and the vargas gained, that is, according to the varga-wise status gained by it and the
associating planets. The failure of the yogas to give the expected results can also be due to the
varga-wise weak status of the dispositors of the yoga-forming planets rather than the weakness of
these planets. The Sun situated in the 9th house from the lagna but not in an inimical sign or
navamsa gives wealth, sons, friends and piety even though it makes one antagonistic towards

father and wife and not experience happiness. However, the Sun as the lagna-lord exalted in the
9th makes the person and his father fortunate, have many brothers and friends, intelligent, adept,
influential and renowned; in case the exalted Sun in the 9th is in its own navamsa or in
vargottama but aspected by a friendly planet, he will enjoy Raja yoga.[6]
Janardan Harji in his Mansagari states that if at the time of birth any planet occupies a friendly
sign or its own sign or is in its exaltation sign in a trikonabhava (trine) then that planet having
gained many favourable vargas gives its assigned good results in full. One such planet makes one
wealthy, and two adept, successful and renowned.[7] In the section devoted to arishtas and
arishtabhanga of Chapter IV he reiterates that if at birth a strong (varga-wise) Mercury or Venus
or Jupiter is situated in a kendrasthana from the lagna even if combined with an evil planet, it
will single-handedly soon destroy all arishtas, and that the Moon situated in the 8th house from
the lagna in a drekkena owned by Jupiter, Venus or Mercury will confer a long lease of life.
Parasara states that the Moon in mutual aspect with Venus gives rise to Raja yoga; the person
born with the Moon in Vargottma navamsa or in Goparamsa aspected by all strong planets will
be a ruler even if lowly-born, three planets aspecting such Moon will make a person born in a
royal family a king. A Raja yoga arises if the birth ascendant or hora-lagna or ghati-lagna is
occupied by one or more planets occupying their exaltation, own or moola-trikona rasi, navamsa
or drekkena; a person will certainly become a ruler if the concerned lagna equipped with
unobstructed argala is occupied by Jupiter, Venus or the Moon (Bhat Parara Horstra
XXXV.14-16, 37). If the lord of a kendrasthana and a trikonabhava combining having gained
favourable vargas give rise to Raja yoga; having gained Uttamamsa they will make a person a
very wealthy ruler, if in Gopuramsa that person will be honoured by other rulers and if in
Simhasanamsa the person will be a great ever-victorious ruling a large kingdom (Bhat Parara
Horstra XXXVI.18-20).
Venkatesa in his Sarvartha Chintamani (Slokas I.29 & 112) explains that planets occupying the
cruel Shashtiamsas (1/60th division of a sign) produce evil results, planets in good Shashtiamsas,
and which planets are also occupying good vargas or divisions become powerful to confer good
results and that planets in exaltation, in friendly signs, own navamsas, own rasis, drekkenas,
shodasmsas and trimsamsas possess Sthanabala and exercise the most favourable influence.[8]