Introduction
"Shodasha" means sixteen. In the birth chart (D1) each sign is one 30° unit. To make a varga (divisional chart), each sign is split into equal (or fixed) parts, and we see which part a planet falls in. Each part is assigned a sign, and that gives a new chart. In the navamsa (D9), for example, each sign has nine parts of 3°20′.
Bṛhat Parāśara Horā Śāstra (chapter 6) gives the sixteen vargas, how each is calculated and what each is used for; chapter 7 covers the varga groups and vimśopaka.
The sixteen vargas and what they are linked to
| Varga | Name | What tradition (BPHS) links it to | Average minutes before its lagna changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | Rashi | the body and the whole life (the base chart) | ~120 |
| D2 | Hora | wealth and resources | ~60 |
| D3 | Drekkana | siblings and the happiness they bring | ~40 |
| D4 | Chaturthamsha | fortune, home and fixed property | ~30 |
| D7 | Saptamsha | children and the next generation | ~17 |
| D9 | Navamsa | the spouse, and a second look at every planet | ~13 |
| D10 | Dashamsha | work, position and one's role in society | ~12 |
| D12 | Dwadashamsha | parents | ~10 |
| D16 | Shodashamsha | vehicles, comforts and pleasures | ~7.5 |
| D20 | Vimshamsha | worship and spiritual practice | ~6 |
| D24 | Chaturvimshamsha | learning and education | ~5 |
| D27 | Bhamsha | the general capacity of the planets | ~4.5 |
| D30 | Trimshamsha | the reading of life's challenges | ~20–30 (five unequal parts) |
| D40 | Khavedamsha | life's general good and difficult experiences; in later tradition, the maternal line's legacy | ~3 |
| D45 | Akshavedamsha | all matters, in general; in later tradition, the paternal line's legacy | ~2.7 |
| D60 | Shashtiamsha | all matters, in fine detail | ~2 |
The minutes are rough averages (about 2 hours ÷ the number of parts). The real margin depends on the rising sign, the place of birth and the lagna degree. D30 has only five unequal parts per sign (5° to 8°), so its margin is 20–30 minutes.
How the vargas are read
- D1 is the foundation. Every varga is derived from it, and tradition reads the D1 first.
- A varga is a second look. For a topic, the related varga is consulted: the navamsa for partnership, the dashamsha for work. Tradition holds that a varga confirms or adds colour to what the D1 shows.
- A planet's position in one varga decides nothing alone. A planet in its debilitation sign in some varga, for instance, is only the name of a position; it is not read as a "problem".
- Shadbala's saptavargaja bala uses seven of these vargas (D1, D2, D3, D7, D9, D12, D30).
Higher vargas and the birth time
The lagna crosses a sign in about two hours. D9 splits each sign into nine, so the D9 lagna changes on average about every 13 minutes. D60 has sixty parts, so its lagna can change in about 2 minutes.
A hospital clock, a remembered time or "around 7 in the morning" can easily be off by that much. So ePandit writes beside each varga how many minutes earlier or later the birth would have to be for its lagna to change.
- If the margin is only a few minutes, do not lean on that varga's lagna and houses.
- The planets' varga signs change more slowly than the lagna, though the Moon can move quickly in the higher vargas.
- If the birth time is unknown, it is best to set the higher vargas aside.