Bite-size learnings · Divisional charts
How to calculate a navamsa (D9) chart by hand
1. What the navamsa is
The navamsa (D9) is the divisional chart made by splitting every sign into nine. Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra gives it the most weight of all the divisional charts: it is read for marriage and partnership, and to judge how strong each planet really is. A planet that looks strong in the birth chart but falls weak in the navamsa delivers less than it promises.
All you need is each planet’s sign and degree in the sidereal zodiac, as an Indian kundli gives them. If your positions come from a Western (tropical) chart, they are about 24° off and every navamsa will be wrong.
2. Step 1: find which ninth the planet is in
Each navamsa spans 3°20′ (three degrees and twenty minutes). Look up the planet’s degree in its sign:
| Part | Degrees in the sign |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0°00′–3°20′ |
| 2 | 3°20′–6°40′ |
| 3 | 6°40′–10°00′ |
| 4 | 10°00′–13°20′ |
| 5 | 13°20′–16°40′ |
| 6 | 16°40′–20°00′ |
| 7 | 20°00′–23°20′ |
| 8 | 23°20′–26°40′ |
| 9 | 26°40′–30°00′ |
3. Step 2: find the starting sign
The counting does not always start from the planet’s own sign. It depends on the kind of sign:
| Kind of sign | Signs | Count from |
|---|---|---|
| Movable (chara) | Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn | The sign itself |
| Fixed (sthira) | Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius | The 9th sign from it |
| Dual (dvisvabhava) | Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces | The 5th sign from it |
A quicker way to remember it: go by the element. Every fire sign (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) starts from Aries; every earth sign (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) from Capricorn; every air sign (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) from Libra; every water sign (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) from Cancer. Both rules give the same answer.
4. Step 3: count, with three worked examples
Count forward through the zodiac from the starting sign, counting the starting sign as one, until you reach the part number from Step 1.
| Planet | Part | Start from | Count | Navamsa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moon 21°02′ Taurus | 7th (20°00′–23°20′) | Capricorn (earth) | Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer | Cancer |
| Mars 4°10′ Leo | 2nd (3°20′–6°40′) | Aries (fire) | Aries, Taurus | Taurus |
| Jupiter 28°00′ Sagittarius | 9th (26°40′–30°00′) | Aries (fire) | Aries … Sagittarius | Sagittarius (vargottama) |
Jupiter lands in its own birth sign, Sagittarius. A planet in the same sign in the birth chart and the navamsa is called vargottama, and the texts count it as strong. It always happens in the first navamsa of a movable sign, the middle (5th) navamsa of a fixed sign and the last (9th) navamsa of a dual sign.
5. The navamsa lagna
Treat the ascendant’s degree exactly like a planet’s. An ascendant at 25°29′ Gemini is in the 8th part (23°20′–26°40′); Gemini is air, so count from Libra: Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus. The navamsa lagna is Taurus. Because the ascendant moves through a navamsa in about 13 minutes, the navamsa lagna needs an accurate birth time.
6. The shortcut: nakshatra padas
The 27 nakshatras have four padas (quarters) each, 108 in all, and each pada is exactly one navamsa. Starting from Ashwini pada 1 as Aries, the padas run through the zodiac in order, nine times round: Ashwini 1 Aries, Ashwini 2 Taurus, Ashwini 3 Gemini, Ashwini 4 Cancer, Bharani 1 Leo, and so on. So if your kundli shows a planet’s nakshatra and pada, you can read its navamsa straight off. The Moon at 21°02′ Taurus is in Rohini pada 4, which is Cancer, the same answer as above.
7. Drawing the chart
Put the navamsa lagna in the first house and each planet in the sign of its navamsa, exactly as you would draw a birth chart, in North or South Indian style. Retrograde and combust markings are not carried over; dignity is judged afresh from the navamsa sign.
8. Common mistakes
- Tropical positions. Using Western degrees moves everything about 24°.
- Decimal degrees. 21.5° is 21°30′, not 21°50′. Convert before comparing with 3°20′ steps.
- Counting from the wrong sign. Fixed signs start from the 9th sign, dual signs from the 5th, not from themselves.
- Forgetting to count the starting sign as one. The 1st part is the starting sign itself.
- Boundaries. A planet within a few minutes of a 3°20′ boundary can fall either side; check the birth time.
Skip the countingSee your D1, D9 and D10 charts side by side from your birth details, with every planet’s navamsa and the vargottama planets.
D9 and D10 chart calculatorGo deeper
- Navamsa (D9) and dashamsa (D10) chart calculator
- Navamsa finder for a single planet
- Course chapter 9: divisional charts
- The 27 nakshatras and their padas
- Free kundli
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate a navamsa manually?
Divide the planet’s degree in its sign by 3°20′ to find which of the nine parts it is in. Start counting from the sign itself if it is movable, from the 9th sign if it is fixed, or from the 5th sign if it is dual. Count that many signs, including the starting sign: the sign you reach is the navamsa.
What is the quick rule for the starting sign?
Go by the element of the sign: fire signs start from Aries, earth signs from Capricorn, air signs from Libra and water signs from Cancer. It gives the same answer as the movable, fixed and dual rule.
How do I find the navamsa lagna?
Use the ascendant’s degree exactly as you would a planet’s. The navamsa lagna changes about every 13 minutes of birth time, so it needs an accurate time.
Can I use the nakshatra pada instead?
Yes. The 108 padas of the 27 nakshatras are the 108 navamsas. Ashwini pada 1 is Aries, pada 2 Taurus, and so on through the zodiac again and again, so a planet’s pada tells you its navamsa directly.
Why does my manual result differ from software?
Most often because the planet’s position came from a tropical (Western) source, or a different ayanamsa. Use sidereal positions with the Lahiri ayanamsa. A planet within a few minutes of arc of a 3°20′ boundary can also fall either side with a small change in birth time.