Vedic astrology lessons - varga - the divisional charts

There are several other points which are of importance while analyzing a chart. According to the Rishi Parashara, analyzing the horoscope from Lagna, Chandra Lagna and Soorya Lagna is important to arrive at the correct conclusions.
Chandra Lagna
The sign in which the Moon is placed in the birth chart, called Janma Rasi, is a very important parameter while judging a horoscope. It is used as another lagna. Just as you study the placement of planets from the lagna, the way the planets are placed from the moon is also studied to give an additional view.

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Soorya Lagna

The house in which your Sun is placed is called the Soorya Lagna and this is studied the way lagna and Chandra lagna are studied.

Churning from houses

Churning the houses is a unique way of analyzing several aspects of life. For example your wife wants to know about her younger sister but hasn't got the horoscope details. This can be seen from your horoscope. In your chart the 7th is your wife's house. From there the 3rd is the house of her younger sister, i.e., the 9th house in your chart, is your wife's younger sisters house. By studying your chart by taking your 9th house as lagna, you can infer about your wife's younger sister. Alternately, this can be studied from your wife's chart also by taking 3rd house as lagna. Similarly from your chart your child's wife can be seen - your 5th is your child's house and from there the 7th indicates his wife.
Varga Charts
The Varga charts, also known as the divisional charts, are a unique method employed by the ancient seers to study various aspects of life. Each rasi of 30 degrees is further subdivided and by employing a series rules new additional charts are made. There are 16 divisional charts and they are studied to analyze the finer conditions, strengths and effects of the planets. These charts are also employed to study certain specific aspects of life like spouse, children, parents etc. The following are the varga divisions.
16 VARGAS
1. Rashi or the Lagna chart as it is of 30º to study all aspects of life.
2. Hora or one-half of a sign -15º is the varga to study wealth.
3. Drekkana or one-third of a sign - 10º is the varga to study siblings.
4. Chaturthamsha or one-fourth of a sign - 7º30' is the varga to study destiny and house.
5. Saptamsha or one-seventh of a sign - 4º17`8.5" is the varga to study progeny.
6. Navamsha or one-ninth of a sign - 3º20' is the varga for spouse and many other things.
7. Dashamsha or one-tenth of a sign - 3º- is the varga to study ones profession.
8. Dwadashamsha or one-twelfth of a sign -2º30'- is the varga to study parents.
9. Shodashamsha or one-sixteenth of a sign -1º52'30"- is the varga to study conveyance.
10. Vimshamsha or one-twentieth of a sign -1º30'- is the varga to study spiritual progress.
11. Chaturvimshamsha or one-twenty fourth of a sign -1º15'- is to study knowledge.
12. Saptavimshamsha or one-twenty seventh of a sign -1º6'40"- is to study the strength.
13. Trimshamsha or one-thirtieth of a sign - 1º00'- is misfortunes and nature.
14. Khavedamsha or one-fortieth of a sign - 0º45' is for auspicious & inauspicious effects.
15. Akshavedamsha or one-forty fifth of a sign 0º40' is for all areas of life.
16.Shashtyamsha or one-sixtieth of a sign 0º30' is for all general effects.

For each of these vargas, The details of the different effects produced by the 9 different planets placed in various rasis, houses, house lords etc are given in detail in the shastras.
Of these the Navamsha is the most important varga. Apart from studying the spouse and married/sex life, it is also studied to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses and the effects of the planets with respect to all areas of life. If a planet is badly placed in the lagna chart but improves its position in the navamsa, then the negative effects are reduced and vise versa. This is where the Vedic Astrology scores heavily over all other systems of Astrology. For example, moon, the fastest moving of the nine planets, remains in one sign fro two and half days. The ascendant, or Lagna, extends for a period of two hours. In these two hours, according to the present birth rate, several thousand people are born in the world with the same birth chart! All of them cannot have the same destiny. Apart from that it must be remembered that the slow moving planet like Jupiter stays in a sigh for 1 year and Saturn stays in a sign for 2-1/2 years. In Indian Astrology by preparing the 16 Varga charts based on their exact degrees, it is possible to see the difference in the results of various individuals correctly.

One must have very accurate birth time for the finer varga divisions to give accurate results. Realizing this Parashara prescribed that one must study at least the Shad-Vargas and if possible the Sapta-Vargas. The lagna, hora, drekkana, navamsa, dwadasamsa and trimamsa comprise of the 6 shad-vargas. If you add saptamamsa to these it is the saptavargas. Some recommend the study of the dasa-vargas by adding dasamamsa, shodasamsa and shasthimamsa.

The Amsas of planets: A planet which occupying the same rasi in the natal chart and also in the navamsha chart is said to be in Vargottama-amsa and this enhances its benific effects of the planets. A planet becoming vargottama is a very important condition while evaluating the strengths and effects of the planet and the houses it rules. Similarly a planet occupying the same rasi 3, 4, 5, or more times in the 16vargas is said to be in Simhasanamsa, Parijatamsa, Vaishesikamsa, Devalokamsa, Brahmalokamsa etc., and the benific effects of such conditions for the planets are give in detail to apply and evaluate their results.

The placement of planets in the various vargas is also useful to evaluate the strength and effects of the various planets and houses. This is called the Vimsopaka Bala.

The 16 vargas also play a role in evaluating the other strengths and conditions of the planets.
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