A first look at Navamsha
Today you’ll learnUnderstand a divisional chart as a new way of organizing an existing longitude, and work through one D9 lookup.
Nine slices in each sign
A divisional chart, or varga, adds no new observation of the sky. It takes a longitude you already have and sorts it into smaller slices. The Navamsha, which modern software often labels D9, divides each 30° sign into nine equal slices of 3°20′.
Twelve signs with nine slices each give 108 navamshas. The Brihat Jataka translator points out that 27 nakshatras with four padas each also make 108, so each navamsha lines up with one pada. Within a sign, the slice edges fall at 3°20′, 6°40′, 10°, 13°20′, 16°40′, 20°, 23°20′ and 26°40′.
Which sign names each slice
Each slice is named after a sign. Following the cited pattern, the names run through the zodiac in order, again and again, starting from Aries. As a result, the first slice of each sign depends on which group of three that sign belongs to.
After the first slice, keep counting signs in order. Taurus starts with Capricorn, so its slices run Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries and onward. In traditional texts you will also see the Sanskrit names, such as Vrishabha for Taurus, Makara for Capricorn and Kumbha for Aquarius.
- Aries, Leo, Sagittarius start with Aries
- Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn start with Capricorn
- Gemini, Libra, Aquarius start with Libra
- Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces start with Cancer
Same input, careful edges
D9 uses exactly the same longitude as the main chart. If the main chart says 5° Taurus, the Navamsha lookup starts from 5° Taurus. Nothing in the sky is measured again. The same point is simply sorted in a different way.
Because each slice is only 3°20′ wide, a small change in the input can change the result. A point at 6°30′ Taurus lands in the Aquarius slice, while a point at 6°50′ Taurus lands in the Pisces slice. Treat the D9 sign with caution when the input is near an edge or the birth time is uncertain.
Worked example
Fictional worked example: 25° Leo
This position is invented. It uses the same starting-sign pattern on a different sign.
- Since 7 × 3°20′ = 23°20′ and 8 × 3°20′ = 26°40′, 25° falls in slice 8.
- Leo starts with Aries.
- Count eight signs: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio.
- So 25° Leo maps to the Scorpio navamsha.
Your turn
Try it yourself
Take a point at 5° Taurus. The key says Taurus starts with Capricorn. Which Navamsha does the point fall in?
Show the answer
The second slice of Taurus runs from 3°20′ to less than 6°40′, and 5° falls inside it. Taurus starts with Capricorn and then Aquarius, so 5° Taurus maps to Aquarius.
One quick check
Which statement about D9 is correct?
See the explanation
D9 sorts the existing longitude into nine slices of 3°20′ per sign. Nothing new is observed, and the number of slices per sign is nine, not twelve.
Take these three ideas with you
- A navamsha slice is 3°20′. There are nine per sign and 108 in all.
- Taurus slices start with Capricorn, then Aquarius.
- Near a slice edge, a small input error can change the D9 sign.