I know that deep information given in this article may be too early for some beginners in astrology, but I wanted to deal with this less known but very important topic of Vedic Astrology. So, I am just putting it on record and if you have any problem in understanding this, you can email me with queries on this article. I will be happy to help.


Many of my clients & people who follow my articles know that I am never a great fan of Divisional Charts and I analyze them only on specific request or when birth chart is confusing, which happens very rarely. At the same time, it doesn’t mean that I belittle their importance in looking in to details of a specific area of life, like D-9 is important for looking at person’s righteous path in life and D-10 is important for the right Career Path. As Divisional Charts are basically made out of D-1 chart, my only contention remains that if I consider Nakshatra, Padas and Degrees in D-1 chart only, then I need not to see any divisional chart and it works in 99% cases.


But here is the case of Shastiamsha Chart (D-60) which is special. As I said that every divisional chart is meant for one particular area of life and as such it should be used for predictions. But then they say that Sage Parashara gave D-45 & D-60 charts the portfolio of General Well Being. It means these 2 divisional charts can be used to look at overall life of individual. It makes a strong case to look at D-60 chart as it relates to Overall Life. All the things which can be seen from D-1 chart, can also be seen from D-60 chart. Then question comes in the mind that why not D-45 chart, if they both have portfolio of General Well Being? The reason is that they say that Sage Parashara has given points of importance for every chart and the points given to D-60 is higher than not only D-45 chart but higher than even D-1 chart, may be because it changes every alternate minute. It makes D-60 chart even more important than D-1 chart. Another thing is that D-60 chart shows the highest bar of results which can be available and which can't be superseded by D-1 or any other D-Chart. So, if D-60 is not showing an early success in career, then no matter what D-9 & D-1 show for career, person will still get late success in career. Likewise, for other areas of life also, D-60 will set the highest bar of results which D-1 and other D-Charts will follow. They also say that D-60 is helpful in knowing about the past life karmic debts of person.


Now, let’s put the curiosity to rest and see how all these charts function in tandem with each other. To understand this, I need to describe some of the concepts of astrology which might be confusing for you but I will try to make it simpler. Please feel free to ask if there are queries.


1. Birth Chart or Lagna Chart. – This is the most commonly seen horoscope for everyone. It is like taking picture of sky at the time of birth and finding which planet is where? It remains the most important chart for person. Everything in life can be seen from this chart alone. This is also called D-1 chart, i.e. 1st divisional chart.


2. Divisional Charts – Then Vedic Astrology comes with the tools like Divisional Charts (D Charts). These charts are made from Birth Chart and deal with specific issues in life. Like righteous life path is seen from 9th house in Lagna Chart and it is also seen from D-9 chart, which is 9th divisional chart. It is also called Navamsha chart and deals only with righteous path related matters. But D-9 can only be used for seeing the Life Path of person and from D-9, you can’t see someone’s relation with parents, because it relates only with life path. Likewise, if you want to see someone Career, you need to check 10th house of Lagna Chart and it is also seen from D-10, i.e. 10th divisional chart, which is also called Dashamsha Chart. Now, you can’t see health matters from D-10 chart as it rules over Career issues only. Likewise, we have different D-charts for different aspects of life, from D-2 (Wealth), D-3 (Sibblings), D-4 (Home Life)…… till D-144 (which I have no idea what it is about).


As all the divisional charts are made on the basis of planets’ position in main birth chart. This is the reason why all the divisional charts are in harmony with main birth chart. It can never happen that main birth chart shows career as Doctor but D-10 will show career as Sports Person. It can never happen that birth chart shows early success in career but D-10 shows delayed/no success. All divisional charts show results in harmony with main birth chart. Now with this background, let’s move ahead to understand why this background was necessary?



3. Ways of Prediction – There are different ways of making predictions for a person. These are through –


a. Sun Sign – This is most common way of predictions we are used to. Looking at our Sun Sign prediction in news paper, magazines or in TV these days. Like, I was born when Sun was in Capricorn, so I can look for Capricorn predictions. But Sun is in Capricorn for one month every year. So, does it mean that all people in world who are born with Sun in Capricorn every years alongside me will have same future? Doesn’t sound good.


b. Moon Sign – Then we come to Indian way, Moon Sign. So, if I was born with Moon in Taurus, then predictions given for Taurus Moon Sign applies on me. But again, Moon remains in Taurus for 2 days 6 hours every month. So, now all the people born in those 2 days and 6 hours alongside me will have same future? Although time limit is considerable short here, but it still doesn’t sound good.


c. Birth Chart - Ascendant Sign – Ascendant sign of a birth chart changes every 2 hours. Like, I was born with Scorpio Ascendant. Again, we have considerably reduced the time from 1 month to 2 hours. It is very precise but still there will be many kids born in world during those 2 hours, and in India also, with same Ascendant. So, we need to further dig deep.


d. Navamsha Chart – If Ascendant of Birth Chart gets changed in 2 hours’ time then Ascendant of Navamsha Chart gets changed in 13 minutes time. Now, although we are considerably close but it still doesn’t help us as D-9 only relates with righteous path related matters.


e. Saptamsha Chart – It is known as D-7 chart and is looked for happiness factor of person. It changes its planetary positions within 7 minutes. Still not helpful as it is limited for happiness and other 5th house related matters.


f. Shashtiamsha Chart (D-60) – Finally, the buck stops here. It is known as D-60 chart. It is looked for General Well Being. So, it can be looked for Overall Life of Person. That’s why; they say that Sage Parashara gave this chart same importance as Birth Chart and said that it can be looked for all the matters of life. This chart gets changed within 2 minutes. Cool. It is most precise for the individual. At least as precise as we can get.


g. Twins – This chart is seriously helpful in understanding the horoscopes and differences in lives of twins. So, horoscopes of twins are seen from a completely different rule. 1st we need to see their birth chart, i.e. D-1 or Lagna Chart. If it is exactly the same, then we need to see their D-9 chart. If it is also exactly same then we need to see their D-7 chart. If that is also exactly the same then we come down to D-60 chart. Now, why D-60 chart should not be used at 1st place? Well, for the same reason as it changes within 2 minutes. So, we need extremely accurate time if we are looking at D-60 chart, else it is always better to look at Birth/Lagna Chart. The point (precise timing) which makes D-60 as the most important chart, is also the point which is its drawback.


Now, how do we Calculate D-60 Chart? Although any Software will provide you ready-made D-60 chart but additional info is of no harm.



Here is the way –


a. Ascendant – As we know that D-60 is the 60th divisional chart. So, it is 60th part of a sign. So, take a sign of 30 degree and divide it by 60. 30/60 = (0.5) half a degree is 60th division of sign. If my Ascendant at Birth Chart is Pisces at 11.00 degree. Divide 11.00 by 0.5 = 22.00. So, my ascendant at D-60 chart will be 22nd house/sign from my ascendant at Birth Chart. Start counting from Pisces and 22nd house/sign will be Sagittarius. That will be my Ascendant of D-60.


b. Planets – Likewise for Planetary Positions in D-60, take the degree of planet. Multiply it by 2, leave the minutes from the result and then divide the figure by 12. Add 1 to remainder. The result is the number of sign away from that planet’s sign position in birth chart. Let’s see from example.


c. Sun – Suppose I have Sun in Scorpio at 6.29 degree. 6.29 x 2 = 12.58 degree, now leave the 0.58 minutes. 12/12. Remainder is 0. 0 + 1 = 1, i.e. the 1st sign from Scorpio is the sign where Sun should go in D60. Hence, it will remain in Scorpio.

d. Moon – If I have Moon in Cancer at 16.22 degree. 16.22 x 2 = 32.44 degree, now leave the 0.44 minutes. 22/12. Remainder is 10. 10 + 1 = 11, i.e. the 11th sign from Cancer is the sign where Moon should be in D60. Hence, it will be in Taurus.


e. Mars – If I have Mars in Aquarius at 4.12 degree. 4.12 x 2 = 8.24 degree, leave 0.24 minutes. Now, 8 can’t be divided by 12, so simply add 1 to 8. It comes as 9th sign from Aquarius. Hence, Mars comes in Libra in D-60.

Like this, we can find the planetary position of all planets.


Now, how to analyze D-60 chart?


Analyze as you would analyze any chart. Just suppose you are looking at someone’s birth chart and use all your techniques of looking at Ascendant, Dignity of Planets, Yogas etc. Apply all that knowledge in D-60 as is. Treat it as another birth chart for the simple reason that this is chart which can be seen for all areas of life like a Birth Chart. So, all your tricks of the trades should be applied in D-60 as is.


Now, Moola Dasha.


This makes D-60 more unique as it has its own Dasha system. You can apply Vimshottari Dasha on D-60 but there is one more dasha named Moola Dasha, which is calculated from Vimshottari Dasha itself, and applied specifically in D-60 charts only. You can use both Dashas simultaneously. The point where Moola Dasha makes most sense is when you analyse D-60 charts of twins. There you will find the reason behind difference in their lives.


Now, how Moola Dasha works?


It is better to refer Mool Dasha here as Lagna Kendra Aadi Gruha (LKAG) Dasha as by this name we can remember the order of Dasha activation.



a. Lagna means Ascendant.

b. Kendra means Angular Houses (as we are taking Ascendant separately, we can say that here Kendra means 4th, 7th and 10th houses).

c. Aadi means other houses, i.e. Succeedent Houses (2nd, 5th, 8th & 11th houses) & Precedent Houses (3rd, 6th, 9th & 12th houses).

General rule is that dasha will begin from Lagna or any other Kendra house of D-1 chart, which has planet(s) in it. If 2 or more Kendra houses have same number of planets, then we look which house has planets in better strength and dasha begins from there, followed by planets of other Kendra houses.


Once planets in Kendra houses are exhausted, dashas shift to Succedent Houses’ Planets and then Precedent Houses’ Planets.

Exceptions –


1. If Ascendant is an odd sign (Aries-1, Gemini-3, Leo-5 etc), dashas of Kendra planets are followed by dashas of succedent houses’ planets.


2. If Ascendant is an even sign (Taurus-2, Cancer-4, Virgo-6 etc), dashas of Kendra planets are followed by dashas of precedent houses’ planets.


3. If Saturn is in ascendant, then no matter if ascendant is odd or even, dashas of Kendra planets are followed by dashas of succedent houses’ planets.


4. If Ketu is in ascendant, then no matter if ascendant is odd or even, dashas of Kendra planets are followed by dashas of precedent houses’ planets.


One thing to remember that empty houses won’t be considered for dashas. Those houses will be activated as per house lord dasha running in accordance with the order given above, means whenever house lord planet gets activated as per above rules.


Strength of the House/Sign as per the planets there –


a. The sign with a planet (or with more planets) is considered stronger than a sign without a planet (or with lesser number of planets).

b. If the signs have equal number of planets, then the status of the planets like exaltation, Moolatrikona, Swakshetra etc, should be considered to declare the stronger sign.

c. If they are still equal in strength, then the natural strengths of Dual signs being stronger than fixed signs and fixed signs being stronger than movable signs is considered.

d. If they are still equal in strength, then the degrees be considered. The Planet with a higher degree shall be stronger and shall make the sign stronger.

So, LKAG dasha will always begin with Lagna or any other Kendra house which has planets in it. So, if in a D-1 chart, Capricorn Lagna has no planet in it. So, we move to next Kendra house # 4. There we have 2 planets, Rahu & Mars in Aries. House # 7 has no planets, and house # 10 again has 2 planets, Ketu & Sun in Libra. So, out of 4 houses, 2 houses have 2 planets each. Now, we need to decide the dasha sequence as follows –

Out of Rahu, Ketu, Sun and Mars, only Mars is in own sign. So, person will start life with Mars MD of LKAG Dasha.

It will be followed by Rahu Dasha as Rahu is sitting with strong Mars.

Followed by Ketu Dasha as Ketu is in Libra, stronger than Sun in Libra which is debilitated.

Followed by Sun Dasha.

Then we will move to precedent houses 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th houses and have dashas of planets in same order of dignity.

Then, we will move to succedent houses 2nd, 5th, 8th and 11th houses and have dashas of planets in same order of dignity.


Calculation of Dasha –


To know the number of years of a dasha, we need to follow this rule –

a. Count the number of houses from a planet’s position to its Mool Trikon Sign (MTS). Subtract 1 from the number. Subtract the remainder from the number of years of MD that planet has in the Vimshottari. Remaining years will be LKAG Dasha of planet.

b. If number to be subtracted from Vimshottari Dasha is equal to or greater than Vimshottari Dasha (VD), then we will take the full Vimshottari dasha of that planet as LKAG Dasha. Please find the examples here –


1. Mars – Mars is in Aries. Its MTS is Aries only. Count from Aries to Aries is 1 only. Subtract 1, remainder is 0. Mars has a 7 year long VD. 7-0 = 7 years LKAG Dasha.

2. Sun – Sun is in Libra. Its MTS is Leo. Count from Libra to Leo is 11. Subtract 1, remainder is 10. Now, Sun’s VD is 6 years. As the number to be subtracted from 6 is 10. We will keep 6 years as Sun’s LKAG dasha but with additional rule that if the planet, for which we found the dasha as above, is debilitated, we would subtract one year from dasha. So Sun LKAG Dasha will be of 5 years.

Likewise, if the planet, for which we found the dasha as above, is exalted, we would add one more year to dasha.

Like this you can find number of years for all planet’s moola dasha. For Rahu & Ketu keep Aquarius and Scorpio as their MTS respectively.

Analysis of Moola Dasha in D-60 Chart –

As I said analyse D60, as you would analyze any chart.

a. What things dasha planet is karaka of?

b. See which houses dasha planet is activating?

c. See where dasha planet is placed?

d. Condition/Dignity of dasha planet?

e. What all yogas are activating?

f. Use conjunctions but don’t use planetary aspects. Use Jaimini Rashi Aspects when you are reading any D chart. Planetary aspect will remain as per D1 chart.

So, just to kill the confusion here. Planetary placement in D1 chart is the actual placement of planets in the sky at the time of birth, right? But when we go into D charts, same planets change their houses and signs. It doesn’t mean that they will change their positions in the sky too. So, we don’t use planetary aspect in D charts.

Rashi Aspects under Jaimini works like this. Planets in Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn will aspect planets in Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius and vice-versa, except the planets in the sign next to it. So, planets in Aries will aspect planets in Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius, but wont aspect planets in Taurus as it is next to Aries. Likewise, for all signs.

Planets in Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces will aspect each other.

Actually, it is wrong way to say that planets will aspect. Rashis will aspect each other and through Rashis, planets sitting in those Rashis will impact each other.


Finally, How to use Moola dasha (MD) with other dasha systems? Like Vimshottari-VD, Jaimini etc.

The fact that we are dependent upon VD for calculation of MD is itself an indication that VD holds an upper hand. If we don’t have VD, how we are going to get MD? So given a choice, I will analyse D-60 with VD first and then see if same events can be seen from MD. One thing we need to understand that all these different systems/techniques/tricks of Astrology, Readings, D charts, Different Dashas are supplementary to each other. They confirm with each other but it is so publicised online these days that only this dasha or that technique is best and most accurate. It is happening just like followers of different religions say that only their religion can lead to God. In my view, one should know all the techniques & systems and apply wherever necessary. Like, here you can read from VD and then see if same predictions can be given from MD. It will make your prediction more profound, right? So, all these different ways are there to confirm things. I would advise to 1st see D60 chart from VD and then from MD. Then if you like, you can further check with Chara Dasha, Yogini Dasha, Narayana Dasha etc. They all claim to be the best and most authentic. J


Hope this helps. Thanks,



SPB