Week 2 · Unit 3 · The Chart's Language
Milestone 2 of 5: Where a chart comes from
Other Starting Points
Bhāva, Horā and Ghaṭi Lagna — three more ascendants, and one daśā the source cannot apply consistently.
Assumes you have done: Unit 2 — in particular, what Iṣṭa Kāla is
Why this matters
A chart has one ascendant. Chapter 6 immediately gives you three more, each advancing at a different rate from sunrise. That sounds like complication for its own sake and is not: the underlying idea is that a life can be read from more than one starting point, and it is the same idea that produces the Sudarśana Chakra in Week 11 and the whole logic of reading from the Moon. Meeting it here in a small, self-contained form makes it ordinary later.
Learn
Parashara has just spent a long chapter establishing the ascendant. He opens Chapter 6 by giving you three more.
Three ascendants that need no latitude
Bhāva Lagna advances one sign every five ghaṭīs from sunrise. Horā Lagna advances one sign every two and a half ghaṭīs. Ghaṭi Lagna advances one sign every ghaṭī.
A ghaṭī is twenty-four minutes. So Ghaṭi Lagna races through the whole zodiac in about five hours, Horā Lagna in twelve, Bhāva Lagna in twenty-four.
Notice what they have in common, because it is the whole structure of the chapter: all three start from the Sun’s position at sunrise, and all three advance at a fixed rate. They need no shadow measurement, no latitude, no table of rising times. That is what makes them cheap to compute and what makes them different in kind from the natal Lagna, which is a real astronomical event and depends on where you are standing.
The idea underneath
Verse 9 then says something more interesting than the calculations: draw a separate chart for each of these lagnas, placing the planets in the signs they occupy.
That is a general principle wearing a particular costume. The frame can be re-anchored. The planets stay where they are; you change what counts as the first house; you get a different reading of the same sky.
You will meet this move again and again. Reading houses from the Moon instead of the Lagna is the most common instance and you will use it from Week 3 onward. Reading the ninth from the ninth for the paternal grandfather is the same idea applied to a house rather than the whole chart. The Sudarśana Chakra in Week 11 formalises it by reading from three anchors at once.
Meeting the idea here, in a small self-contained form, means that when it turns up in a larger technique later it registers as familiar rather than as one more thing to learn.
Houses that are not boxes
Verses 10 to 12 slip in something worth pausing on. The fifteen degrees on either side of a house’s degree, Parashara says, are where its effects are most revealed.
That is a different model of a house from the one this course uses. This course treats each sign as one house entire — whole-sign houses, house one being the rising sign. These verses point towards the other model, where a house is centred on a cusp and can straddle a sign boundary.
Both are in use in living practice, and both have classical support. The course stays with whole-sign, for two reasons: BPHS’s own house rules are stated in sign language throughout, and consistency matters more than any marginal gain from switching.
Varṇada Daśā, and an honest stop
The rest of the chapter, verses 13 to 27, gives Varṇada Daśā — a sign-based period system computed by counting between the natal ascendant and the Horā ascendant, with the direction of counting depending on whether each is odd or even, used chiefly for questions of longevity.
Read it. Then do something specific: read Parashara’s two worked examples and check whether they apply his stated counting rule the same way.
They do not.
This will not be the last time. BPHS is a long text assembled over a long period, and it has seams. Learning to see them, name them, and neither paper over them nor be scandalised by them is a real part of learning to use the book. Next: the divisional charts, and the house vocabulary you will use for the rest of your life.
Read BPHS
This is the source itself. The teaching above prepares you for it; it does not replace it.
अथाहं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि तवाग्रे द्विजसत्तम! |
भाव-होरा-घटी-संज्ञलग्नानीति पृथक् पृथक् ॥ १ ॥
- Parasara addresses Maitreya: "O excellent Brahmin, now I explain before you separately the ascendants that are christened (named) as Bhava Lagna, Hora Lagna and Ghati Lagna".
सूर्योदयं समारभ्य घटिकानां तु पंचकम् ।
प्रयाति जन्मपर्यन्त भावलग्नं तदेव हि ॥ २ ॥
इष्टं घट्यादिकं भक्त्वा पंचभिर्भादिजं फलम् |
योज्यमौदयिके सूर्ये भावलग्नं स्फुटं च तत् ॥ ३ ॥
2-3. Bhava Lagna : Beginning from sunrise every 5 ghatis to the time of birth constitute one Lagna and that is the Bhava Lagna. Therefore, when the time of birth is divided by 5 and the Quotient is added to the Sun's longitude as at sunrise. that will be the spashta Bhava Lagna.
As Rashis or signs are of two kinds, therefore, Lagnas or Ascendants are also of two kinds: the one is the भविम्बीय (नक्षत्र बिम्बोदय वश) Bhavimbiya, that is the rising of the constellations or asterisms and the other is the भवृत्तीय (क्रान्तिवृत्तीय स्थानोदयवश) Bhavratiya i.e. the rising of the sphere (place) of the stars on the Ecliptic.
Of these two Lagnas (Ascendants) the 'भविम्बीय लग्न' (i.e. the rising of the constellations or asterisms) is fruitful and should be used in the prediction of good actions like birth, journey, marriage, यज्ञ Yajna etc., while the other Lagna 'भवृत्तीय' (i.e. the rising of the sphere (place) of the Stars on the ecliptic) is fruitful and is to be used in the prediction of Eclipses (the rising and setting of the planets) and their effects etc. The verse given below refers to the use of these two Lagnas:
"एतयोर्लग्नयोर्लोकि प्रथगस्ति प्रयोजनम् ।।
जन्मयात्रा-विवाहादौ भबिम्बीय फलप्रदम् ।
लग्नं ग्राह्यं भवृत्तीय ग्रहणादिप्रसिद्धये ॥”
That is, the use of these two lagnas is quite separate in this world. The Bhavimbiya Ascendant is fruitful in the prediction of auspicious actions like birth, journey, marriage etc., while it is well known that the Bhavratiya Ascendant, is to be used in finding out the time of Eclipses etc., for the rise of the constellations or asterisms sends their rays on the earth, and these rays have their influence (auspicious or inauspicious) on time and human beings. Therefore the Sages have instructed to use the 'भविम्बीय लग्न' (Bhavimbiya Ascendant) in the prediction of invisible effects like journey, marriage etc., and to use the 'भवृतीय लग्न' (बिन्दु रूप) Bhavratiya Asc. in minutely knowing the ग्रास-स्पर्श मोक्षादि or full Eclipse, touch and release in an Eclipse; thus the knowledge of visible effects is obtained by using the locally ascertained स्पष्ट 'भवृत्तीय लग्न' (Position of Bhavratiya Asc.) When the Bhavratiya sthana Bindu (or the points of the sphere of the Ecliptic) rise in their respective horizons there is not the rising of all of them simultaneously. At the time of the rise of the place Bhavrata the asterisms due to their respective latitudes either remain above or below the horizon. In a place above 24 latitude all the asterisms have always the above said position; because at least some latitudes of the asterisms (नक्षत्रों) are obtained. In the horizons of all those living on the earth there is always the rise of the 12 constellations or asterisms as signs (Bhavimbiya Rashis), but there is not the rise of the 12 spheres as signs (Bhavratiya Rashis) because in the heavens the position of the Ecliptic (क्रान्तिवृत) is from east to west and therefore, due to the movement of the Zodiac from east to west there is not the rise of all the 12 spheres as signs on the Eciptic. But the position of the constellations or asterisms as signs is from south to north, that is, they (the constellations or asterisms as signs), Bhavimbiya rashis are spread with their full body from the North to the south pole (from Uttar Kadamba to Dakshina Kadamba), therefore, due to the movement of the Zodiac from East to West there is always the rise of the 12 constellations or asterisms as signs (Bhavimbiya Rashis) in the horizons of all those living on the earth. There is the rise of only 10 spheres as signs (Bhavratiya Rashis) at some place, at other it is 8, at other 6, at other 4, at other 2 and at other it is only 1 (one). In such a condition how the spashta longitude of 12 Hours can be known.
On this earth at 66° Lat when the 'कदम्ब तारा' (Pole star) appears on the Zenith, there is the simultaneous rise of all the 12 Rashis or signs. What is that which should be considered as Lagna at that time. Half of a sign is called Hora. This is accepted by all. Therefore, half of the value of the rise of a Rashi Lagna should be the value of the rise of the Hora Lagna or Hora ascendant. This is also accepted by all. When the value of the rise of the Hora Lagna is 2 1/2 ghati, the value of the rise of the Lagna is necessarily to be 5 ghatis.
In this way, there are a number of irregularities in the rise of Lagna (Ascendant) for the purpose of predicting invisible effects. According to the Jaimini system, for the purpose of predicting things like age etc., all the learned astrologers make consideration with Hora Lagna or Hora Ascendant as of 2 1/2 ghatis, but they do so with Lagna or Ascendant taking as rising in their own place. This is surprising because where Palbha is 13, the value of the Rashi Lagna or the Full Lagna as arrived at with the rising in their own place becomes less than that arrived at with the rising of the Hora Lagna. For example, suppose the Palbha is 13. Multiplied by 10 it gives the First Charakhanda as 130. When it is deducted from the Lankodayamanna of Aries Which is 278 Palas the rise (the value of the rise) of Aries (30 degrees) comes to 148 palas and the value of the rise of the Hora Lagna (15 degrees) comes to 150 Palas. Is this not a matter of great surprise? And where Palbha is 28 there the pala of Pisces and Aries as arrived at by the rise in one's own place is reduced to even less than zero because Palbha 28 multiplied by the first Charakhanda comes to 280. When it is deducted from the Lankodayamana of 178, the value of the rise of Pisces and Aries in one's own place will be negative by 2 pala.
It is said by the Sages that the half Ghari Lagna at the end. of the Pisces Lagna and that at the beginning of the Aries Lagna is Gandanta and is to be left out in all auspicious deeds. But how will the saying of the Sages be in harmony where the value of the Lagna (Ascendant) as arrived at by taking the rise at one's own place comes to be equal to or even less than the gandanta ghari.
The Bhava Lagna is known in the following way: (i) First of all the time of sunrise of the day of the birth is known. The time of sunrise should be local. The time of birth is also converted into the Local time and not the standard time. The difference of the two is found out. This difference is multiplied by 2 1/2 and the resultant is the Ishta Kaala which is in ghati,pala and vipala. (ii) The position of the Sun on the day of the birth (the time of sunrise) is found out. (iii) The Ishta Kaala is divided by 5 and the Quotient is added to the spashta of the sunrise. It is the sum of the two that is called Bhava Lagna.
Here we have the phrase पञ्चमिर्भादिजं फलम् which means that the Quotient of Rashis (sign) etc., is to be divided by 5. How can we arrive at the Quotient in terms of Rashis, degrees and Kalas etc., by dividing the Ishta Kala by 5? The method is as follows. Suppose the Ishta Kaala is 38 ghati, 26 Pala and 19 vipala 38/26/19 divided by 5: 38/26/195 = 7 Rashis (because 5 ghati = 1 Rashi) and the remainder is 3.
This remainder (3) is multiplied by 6 = 18
As 10 Pala is one degree 10
So, 26 pala = 26/10 or 2 degree and the remainder is 6
The Quotient 2 added to 18 is 2 + 18 = 20
The remainder 6 multiplied by 6 is 6 × 6 = 36
Again as 10 vipala is = 1 Kala
So 19 vipala is 19/10 = 1 Kala and the remainder is 9
The Quotient 1 added to 36 is 36 +1 -37
The remainder 9 multiplied by 6 is 6 x 9 = 54 vikala.
Therefore, the Ishta Kaala from the time of the birth comes to be 70-200 - 37" - 54".
Suppose the position of the Sun (the Sun spashta) on that day is 3-2°-14'-46 the two are added which comes to be
| 3 - 02⁰ - 14' - 46" | |
| 7 - 20⁰ - 37' - 54" | |
| 10 - 22° - 52' - 40" | which is the Lagna spashta. |
तथा सार्धद्विघटिकामितादर्कोदयाद् द्विज ! |
प्रयाति लग्नं तन्नाम होरालग्नं प्रचक्षते ॥ ४ ॥
इष्टघट्यादिकं द्विघ्नं पञ्चाप्तं भादिकं च यत् ।
योज्यमौदयिके भानौ होरालग्नं स्फुटं हि तत् ॥ ५ ॥
4-5. The HORA LAGNA: Similarly O Brahmin, that Lagna which repeats itself every 2 1/2 ghatis, from the sunrise (to the time of the Birth) is spoken of by the name of Hora Lagna. Therefore, the ghatis, palas etc., of the Ishta Kaala are multiplied by 2 and the product is divided by 5 and the quotient therefrom is added to the longitude of the Sun at the time of sunrise. The resultant is the Spashta Hora Lagna.
Example: Suppose the Ishta Kaala is 16 ghatis and 30 Palas.
Then as per formula(16 - 30) × 2533 - 005 = 6° - 18'
It is added to the longitude of the Sun at sunrise
कथयामि घटीलग्नं श्रृणु त्वं द्विजसत्तम ! ।
सूर्योदयात् समारभ्य जन्मकालावधि क्रमात् ॥ ६ ॥
एकैकघटिकामानात् लग्नं यद्याति भादिकम् ।
तदेव घटिकालग्नं कथितं नारदादिभिः ॥ ७ ॥
राशयस्तु घटीतुल्या: पलार्धप्रमितांशकाः ।
योज्यमौदयिके भानौ घटीलग्नं स्फुटं हि तत् ॥ ८ ॥
Therefore, the Hora Lagna is 07 - 26° - 53'- 40"
6-8. GHATI LAGNA : O excellent of the Brahmins; listen to me, I narrate to you of Ghati Lagna. The Lagna which passes as one ghatika beginning from the sunrise and arriving gradually to the time of birth, has been spoken of by Narada and other Sages as Ghatika Lagna. Therefore, consider the number of ghatis passed equal to the Rashis (or Ghatika Lagnas). The half of the Palas or the palas divided by 2 are the degrees. The Rashis and degrees so arrived are to be added to the longitude of the Sun at sunrise and that will be the spashta Ghati Lagna (Clear Ghati Ascendant).
Example: In the example given above to know the Hora Lagna the Ishta Kaala is 16 ghatis and 30 palas. Therefore, 16 ghatis give 16 Rashis and 30 palas divided by 2 give 15 degrees. The 16 Rashis and 15 degrees added to the longitude of the Sun at sunrise.
| 07 - 20⁰ - 35' - 40" |
| 16 - 15 |
| 0 - 5⁰ - 35' - 40" |
which is the Ghati Lagna Spashta.
क्रमादेषां च लग्नानां भावकोष्ठं पृथक् लिखेत् ।
ये ग्रहा यत्र भे तत्र ते स्थाप्या राशिलग्नवत् ॥ ९ ॥
- USE OF SPECIAL ASCENDANTS: The birth charts of these Lagnas Bhava, Hora and Ghati are to be written or prepared separately one after the other. The planets should be situated in the Rashis in which they are as per that Lagna.
उक्ता लग्नादि-भावानां दीप्तांशास्तिथिसम्मिताः ॥
तस्माद् भावात्पुरः पृष्ठे तिथ्यंशैस्तत्फलं स्मृतम् ॥ १० ॥
लग्नात्तिव्यंशतः पूर्व भावारम्भः प्रजायते ।
तिथ्यंशैः परतस्तस्य पूर्तिः सन्धी च तौ स्मृतौ ॥ ११ ॥
भावारम्भो फलारम्भो पूर्ण भावसमे ग्रहे ।
फलं शून्यं च भावान्ते ज्ञेयं मध्येऽनुपाततः ॥ १२ ॥
10-12. The 15 degrees of the Houses, Ascendant house and other houses are said to be (brightened portions, the portions in which the effects are more revealed). Therefore, 15 degrees before the degree of the house starts its प्रावृत्ति 'Pravarti' (or beginning) and 15 degrees ahead is its पूर्ति 'Poorti' (or ending). The beginning of effect of the planets commences just from the beginning of the House and the degrees of the planet being equal to the House the effect is full and the effect also is reduced to be nil at the end of the House. Therefore, the effect should be understood proportionately between the house and the cusp (the pointed end of the House).
वर्णदाख्यदशां भानां कथयाम्यथ तेऽग्रतः |
यस्य विज्ञानमात्रेण वादेदायुर्भवयं वायुर्भवं फलम् ॥ १३ ॥
ओजलग्नप्रसूतानां मेषादेर्गणयेत् क्रमात् ।
समलग्नप्रसूतानां मीनादेरापसव्यतः ॥ १४ ॥
मेषमीनादितो जन्मलग्नान्तं गणयेत् सुधीः ।
तथैव होरालग्नान्तं गणयित्वा ततः परम् ॥ १५ ॥
ओजत्वेन समत्वेन सजातीये उभे यदि ।
तर्हि संख्ये योजयीत वैजात्ये तु वियोजयेत् ॥ १६ ॥
मेषमीनादितः पश्चाद्यो राशि: स तु वर्णदः ।
13-16. Now I narrate before you in detail the Dasa which is called Varnada Dasa of the Houses just by the knowledge of which the effect of longevity etc., is to be predicted. In the case of natives having their natal Ascendant in an odd sign, count directly from Aries onwards to the natal ascendant, in that those having it in an even sign, count directly from Pisces onwards to the natal Ascendant in the reverse order. The wise and the learned should count from Aries and Pisces onwards to the natal Ascendant. In the same way, if the natal Ascendant is an odd sign count from Aries to the Hora Lagna in direct order, if it is an even sign count from Pisces to the Hora Lagna in reverse order. If both the figures are odd signs or if there are even signs, then add both the figures. If one is odd and the other is even, then find the difference between the two figures. If, after adding and finding the difference, the figure obtained is odd, then the sign obtained by counting from Aries in direct order is the Varnada for the Ascendant and; if the figure obtained is even then the Varnada for the Ascendant is the sign obtained by counting from Pisces in reverse order.
Example 1 : Suppose the natal Ascendant is Leo and the Hora Lagna is Capricorn The natal Ascendant is an odd sign. Therefore the figure arrived at when counted from Aries in direct order to Leo is 5. The Hora Lagna is an even sign. Therefore, the figure obtained when counted from Pisces in reverse order to Capricorn is 3. Both the figures being odd, these are of the same class i.e., odd. Therefore, both are added. By adding we get 8 which is an even number. Therefore counting from Pisces in reverse order to the 8th sign the sign arrived at is Leo. Therefore, Varnada sign is the sign of Leo.
Example 2 : Suppose the natal Ascendant is the sign Libra and the Hora Lagna is also Libra. Both are odd signs. Therefore when counted from Aries directly the signs arrived at in both the Lagnas are 7. Both the signs are odd or of the same class. So when added we get 14. If (14) is divided by 12, then the remainder is 2. Therefore the Second sign i.e., Taurus is arrived at as the Varnada sign.
एतत्प्रयोजनं वक्ष्ये श्रुणु त्वं द्विजपुंगवः ! ।
होरालग्नभयोर्नेया सबलाद्वर्णदा दशा ॥ १७ ॥
यत्संख्यो वर्णदो लग्नात् तत्तत्संख्याक्रमेण तु ।
क्रमव्युत्क्रमभेदेन दशा स्यादोज-युग्मयो ॥ १८ ॥
17-18. Effects of Varnada: Now I explain to you the use of it (of Varnada), O excellent of the Dwijas (the twice born), listen to me. Out of the two, namely the natal Ascendant and the Hora Ascendant which ever is stronger, from there starts the Varnada Dasa. If the natal Ascendant is an odd sign, the counting of Dasas is in direct order, in the case of the natal Ascendant being an even sign it is in the reverse order. The dasa years of the natal Ascendant will be as many as the number of signs intervening between the natal Ascendant and the Varnada sign. The dasa years of every house should be known from the Varnada of every house.
पापदृष्टिः पापयोगो वर्णदस्य त्रिकोणके ।
यदि स्यात् तर्हि तद्राशिपर्यन्तं तस्य जीवनं ॥ १९ ॥
रुद्रशूले यथैवायुर्मरणादि निरूप्यते ।
तथैव वर्णदस्यापि त्रिकोणे पापसंगमे ॥ २० ॥
वर्णदादपि भो विप्र ! लग्नवच्चिन्तयेत् फलम् ।
वर्णदात् सप्तमाद् भावात् कलत्रायुर्विचिन्तयेत् ॥ २१ ॥
एकादशादग्रजस्य तृतीयात्तु यवीयसः ।
सुतस्य पंचमे विद्यान्मातुश्चतुर्थभावतः ॥ २२ ॥
पितुश्व नवमाद् भावादायुरेवं विचिन्तयेत् ।
शूलराशिदशायां वै प्रबलायामरिष्टकम् ॥ २३ ॥
19-23. EFFECTS OF VARNADA : If a (Trikona) त्रिकोण trine from the Varnada of the Ascendant receives the aspect of or the occupation by a malefic, the native's life will last down to the dasa (period) of the sign. As the consideration of life and death is made from the Shoola Dasa of the planet named Rudra, the same should be understood by the occupation of the trine from the Varanda by malefics. O Brahmin, the effect (good or bad) should be considered from the Varnada also just as it is done from the natal Ascendant. From the seventh House from the Varnada is to be considered the longevity of the native's spouse, from the eleventh from it that of his elder brother, from the third from it that of his younger brother, from the fifth from it that of his son, from the fourth from it that of his mother and from the 9th from it that of his father. The evil will happen in the Dasa (period) of strong Shoola Rashi.
एवं तन्वादिभावानां कर्तव्या वर्णदा दशा।
पूर्ववच्च फलं ज्ञेयं देहिनां च शुभाशुभम् ॥ २४ ॥
ग्रहाणां वर्णदा नैव राशीनां वर्णदा दशा ।
कृत्वाऽर्कधा राशिदशां क्रमादन्तर्दशां वदेत् ॥ २५ ॥
एवमन्तर्दशादिं च कृत्वा तेन फलं वदेत् ।
क्रम व्युत्क्रमभेदेन लिखेदन्तर्दशामपि ॥ २६ ॥
स्वस्वदेशोद्भवं लग्नं जन्मलग्नमिहोच्येत ।
भावहोरादिलग्नानां सर्वत्रैव समक्रिया ॥ २७ ॥
24-27. The Varnada Dasa of all the houses Tanu etc. should be known in the same manner and the auspicious and inauspicious effects of human beings are to be known there from as before. These Varnada dasas are there only of the Bhavas or Houses (Rashis) and not of the planets occupying them. The 'अन्तर्दशा' 'Antardasa' (or sub-period) of a Rashi is the 1/12th of the Dasa and the effect should be spoken of after knowing the Antardasha etc, in this way. The Antardasha should also be written in the direct and the reverse order as before. The Janama Lagna or the Natal Ascendant is to be calculated according to one's birth place (nativeland) whereas the Bhava Lagna, Hora Lagna and Ghati Lagna, have the common process everywhere.
Practice
Bhāva Lagna advances one sign every 5 ghaṭīs, Horā Lagna one sign every 2½ ghaṭīs, Ghaṭi Lagna one sign every ghaṭī. What single quantity distinguishes the three?
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Answer: Their rate — how fast each one moves through the zodiac from sunrise.
All three begin at the Sun's position at sunrise and run forward at fixed speeds. The natal Lagna, by contrast, moves at whatever rate the sky and your latitude dictate, which is why it needs the Chapter 5 machinery and these do not. A ghaṭī is 24 minutes, so Ghaṭi Lagna covers the whole zodiac in about five hours and Bhāva Lagna in about a day. Get the rates and you have the chapter.
Source: BPHS 6.2–8
Verse 9 says charts should be drawn separately for each of these lagnas, with the planets placed in the signs they occupy. What is the underlying idea?
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Answer: That the same planetary positions can be read against more than one starting point, and each starting point tells you about a different aspect of the life.
This is the concept worth taking from the chapter, and it recurs repeatedly. Reading houses from the Moon rather than the Lagna is the same move. So is the Sudarśana Chakra in Week 11, which reads a chart from the Lagna, the Sun and the Moon simultaneously. Once you have the general idea — the frame can be re-anchored — each specific instance becomes a variation rather than a new technique.
Source: BPHS 6.9
Verses 10–12 say that the fifteen degrees on either side of a house's degree are where its effects are most revealed. What does that imply about treating houses as thirty-degree boxes?
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Answer: That the box model is an approximation. A house has a centre where its matters are concentrated and edges where they thin out.
There are two ways of handling houses in practice. Whole-sign treats each sign as one house entire, which is what this course uses and what most of BPHS assumes. Bhāva Chalita puts the house cusp at the middle of the house and lets houses straddle sign boundaries, which is what these verses point towards. Both are defensible and both are used. The course stays with whole-sign for consistency and because BPHS's own house rules are stated in sign terms — but you should know the other exists, and know that a planet within a couple of degrees of a sign boundary is a genuinely ambiguous case rather than a settled one.
Source: BPHS 6.10–12
A colleague mentions Varṇada Daśā and asks what BPHS says about it. What is your answer?
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Answer: Chapter 6, verses 13–27. It is a sign-based daśā, computed from the natal and Horā ascendants, used chiefly for longevity questions — and BPHS's own two worked examples do not apply its counting rule the same way.
Being able to give both the location and the caveat is the whole outcome here. This course does not teach Varṇada's use, and the reason is stated plainly rather than hidden: where a source cannot demonstrate its own rule consistently, teaching a resolution would mean inventing one.
Source: BPHS 6.13–27
Check your understanding
Answer from memory first. Looking back at the reading before you try turns a memory test into a copying exercise.
How long is a ghaṭī, and how many are there in a day?
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Answer: Twenty-four minutes. Sixty in a day.
Worth knowing because BPHS measures time in ghaṭīs and palas constantly — a pala is a sixtieth of a ghaṭī, twenty-four seconds. Half the arithmetic in Chapter 5 becomes readable once these are automatic.
Why does this course read all of Chapter 6 and then teach only part of it?
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Answer: Because the three special ascendants illustrate a principle used repeatedly later, while Varṇada Daśā is not used by anything else in BPHS and is inconsistently demonstrated in its own chapter.
That is the depth judgment applied out loud. The test is not "is this interesting" but "does anything downstream need it, and can it be taught accurately?" For Varṇada the answer is no and not quite — so you read it, you know where it is, and you carry on.
What you carry forward
Two things grow across the whole course. This unit adds to both.
To your chart-analysis process
- **Step 3 (continued) — read the Lagna and the chart's overall shape.** Note that the Lagna is one starting point among several, and that where a planet sits within a degree or two of a sign boundary, its house is genuinely uncertain rather than merely close.
To your field manual
- 1 ghaṭī = 24 minutes; 1 pala = 24 seconds; 60 ghaṭīs = 1 day.
- Bhāva Lagna: 1 sign per 5 ghaṭīs from sunrise. Horā Lagna: 1 sign per 2½ ghaṭīs. Ghaṭi Lagna: 1 sign per ghaṭī. All three start from the Sun's sunrise position.
- A chart can be re-anchored to a different starting point — the Moon, the Sun, a special lagna. The technique is always the same; only the anchor changes.
- This course uses whole-sign houses throughout. A planet within about 2° of a sign boundary is an honestly ambiguous house placement.
By now you should be able to
- Derive Bhāva, Horā and Ghaṭi Lagna and say what distinguishes them
- Explain the general principle of reading a chart from an alternative starting point
- Describe what Varṇada Daśā claims to do
- State honestly where BPHS's own treatment of Varṇada is inconsistent