Vargas (Divisional Charts)

The vargas are the divisional charts of Vedic astrology, produced by subdividing each sign into equal parts and reading the result as a chart in its own right. The set of sixteen runs from the rasi (the basic birth chart, D-1) through the navamsa (D-9, the ninth-part chart) to finer divisions, each magnifying a particular area of life.

Each varga is dedicated to a theme: the navamsa to marriage and inner strength, the dasamsa (D-10) to career, the saptamsa (D-7) to children, and so on. A planet strong in the birth chart but weak in the relevant varga is read differently from one strong in both.

The divisional charts let the astrologer zoom in: rather than judging marriage from the seventh house of the birth chart alone, the tradition also reads the navamsa; rather than judging career from the tenth house alone, it reads the dasamsa. The navamsa in particular is treated as almost a second birth chart, essential to any serious reading.

The atlas gives each varga its division, its theme, and its use. The vargas build on the twelve rashis, treated in their own category, and belong to the Vedic Astrology section.