There has been a healthy debate going in knowledgeable astro circles about the real importance of navamsa. At times learned astros have taken extreme positions but thankfully almost everyone agrees that navamsa does really matter. Question is, how much? Why D9 "chart" is so important - let's see.
Let's look beyond hype, perceptions and outright falsehoods.
Navamsa is one of the vargas or sign divisions (and there are many vargas other than the navamsa). Navamsa and other divisional chart/diagram/matrix/table shows the relationship between houses, signs and planets in smaller dimensions.
D9 and other vargas don't operate outside the scope of the rashi or D1 chart. Vargas make things as seen in D1 more specific and modified.
As far as relationship/marriage is concerned, it's always helpful to have Venus and 7th house lord (of rashi chart i.e. D1) to be placed in good navamsa sign. So, in navama (D9), you want Venus to be in signs where Venus is strong/good e.g. Pisces, Taurus, Libra, Gemini even Scorpio but not in signs like Virgo, Aries, Leo etc. where it throws many relationship challenges. Similarly you also want the lord of 7th house (of D1) to be placed in good signs for that planet in D9.
Generally for relationships, even (female) signs work better than odd signs in charts of male and female natives (both). Together these two considerations indicate the scope of "availability" and "receiving" good relationship(s). To understand the scope of happiness from marriage and relationship, the navamsa dispositors (sign lord in D9) of these two planets should be well placed and strong in rashi chart e.g. D1. Other authentic navamsa analysis techniques in vedic astrology are specified later in the article (scroll down).
The most contentious part of disagreement on navamsa is not about it's role in love, relationship, marriage and sexuality. It's about the role of navamsa in judging the strength of planets in horoscope. Why navamsa analysis often involves strength of planet? Many people have taken extreme positions on this matter and I will bust all the myth with logical facts.
Relationship and marriage compatibility in 21st century using astrology.
One common scenario is if a planet occupies it's sign of debilitation in D1 and goes to it's sign of exaltation in D9, it's considered very strong. This planet can be Venus or 7th house lord or any other planet. This has been even written by CS Patel in his navamsa book. If I recall correctly, he did that while quoting a shloka from Chandra kala nadi (Dev Keralam). I also noticed that he has specified navamsa in his translation for the generic word amsa/varga in the shloka which makes his interpretation debatable in its scope.
If it was so simple and straightforward, then I would have expected this navamsa principle to have been mentioned prominently among neech bhanga rules ie. cancellation of debilitation in our classics.
Without getting into neech bhanga debate and focusing on planetary strength here, the most important concept that resolves the difference is vimshopak bala or 20 points system of planetary strength.
Using vargas, there is a 20 point system of planetary strength called vimshopak bala given in the chapter called vargavivekodhyay (वर्गविवेकोध्याय) or chapter on varga wisdom (BPHS 8th chapter in most versions, verse 17/18).
In 6 different divisional charts or shad varga, the distribution of 20 points as assigned to each planet is as follows :
| Rashi (D1) | 6 |
| Navamsa (D9) | 5 |
| Dreshkan (D3) | 4 |
| Hora (D2) / Dwadasamsa (D12) | 2 each |
| Triamsamsa (D30) | 1 |
As you can see in vimshopak system of planetary strength, a planet gets 15 points out of 20 from D1, D9 and D3 alone which covers 75%.
Let me back this logical conclusion up with a quote from Phaldeepika which specially mentions rising rashi (D1), navamsa (D9) and dreshkan (D3). The verse says if the lord of rising navamsa (D9) is strong, the native enjoys good comforts (also happiness), if the rising dreshkan (D3) is strong native enjoys high status and if the rising rashi (D1) lord is strong, native acquires material wealth eg land.
So yes, navamsa is in fact very important for planets to be strong and give good results. It's second only to the D1. Is navamsa the only varga to be seen? Obviously NOT as we can see above. But if you are looking at D1, D9 and D3, you are pretty much 75% accurate in measuring the planetary strength.
So, navamsa ALONE can't set the agenda but it's the captain of the team of vargas and all vargas operate within the scope of D1 rashi chart.
In BPHS, there are other systems of divisions mentioned eg Sapta varga (7 vargas system), dashavarga (10 varga) and shodashvarga (16 varga system) wherein more divisions eg D16/D20 are included and the 20 points keep dividing across all vargas but the proportion is same ie D1 enjoys highest share, then D9 then D3 and so on.
As a personal note, I follow shad varga ie 6 divisions varga as part of overall analysis because Varahamihir and later Kalyan Varma author of Saravali have used shad varga system. Even in BPHS, Sudarshan Chakra talks specifically about shad varga to ascertain not only planetary strength but also benefic and malefic nature of planets. I use the specific vargas that aren't covered in shad varga eg D10 or D24 when I wish to look closer at the relevant house eg career/education.
So it looks like even CS Patel wrote about navamsa knowing the above principles, apart from the said shloka in CKN/DK that he quoted.
Another very important consideration is why vargottama is defined in terms of navamsa. It could well have been said vargottama sign is the first dreshkan (10 degrees) in every sign, which happens to be the same sign. But nowhere to my knowledge its defined as vargottama. Why? It does indicate the special status of navamsa.
Navamsa is uttam (good/best) among vargas hence the term vargottama is applicable exclusively for navamsa. There is no confusion in definition of vargottama in classics. That is why navamsa is captain of the team of vargas.
So, planetary strength as well as its benefic/malefic nature is definitely impacted by navamsa AND also by other vargas notably D3. That, I think clearly answers the question - HOW important navamsa is.
Apart from the context of planetary strength and benefic/malefic behaviour of planets, navamsa has other important significance in prognosis many of which I consider worth mentioning (below).
Please note these verses are specific about navamsa (नवाँश) and don't use the generic term amsa/varga.
1. Saravali chapter 41 (Mool dasha) shloka 19
It specifies the navamsa, not just amsa and writes specifically about the greatly reduced ability of a planet to give good results if it's in enemy or debilitated navamsa even if it occupies a favourable sign in D1 chart.
2. Jatakdesh marg chapter 10 shloka 12
It talks about the result of houses where rashi and navamsa sign occupied by ascendant lord, Moon sign lord and lord of a specific house.3. Jatakdesh marg chapter 10 shloka 23
It says when Jupiter, karaka of a house and Moon transits the navamsa sign occupied by ascendant lord in birth chart, good events related to the said house takes place.4. Sarvarth Chintamani Chap 2 verse 16
It specifies the navamsa while saying a planet in own navamsa gives good results, apart from other conditions ie own sign, own Dreshkan, mool trikon, etc.5. Saravali Chap 3 verse 13
Definition of vargottama sign is clearly defined in terms of navamsa ie 1st navamsa in movable, 5th navamsa in fixed and 9th navamsa in dual signs are vargottama.6. Phaldeepika Chap 3 verse 11
When benefic planets are strong in shubh shad vargas ie vargas of natural benefics they give good results for wealth and longevity. In similar manner, the strength and nature of lords of rising sign (D1), rising navamsa (D9) and rising dreshkan (D3) as well the the vargas occupied by them decide the potential of wealth, happiness and status of the native respectively.7. Sarvarth Chintamani Chap 2 verse 7
It specifies navamsa while describing source of income as indicated by the planet in whose navamsa the 10th house lord is placed. This is articulated in many later classics eg Phaldeepika.8. Saravali Chap 20 verse 22
It's about Pravajya yoga is formed when Moon is in Dreshkan (D-3)of Saturn and aspected by Saturn and Mars. If moon is in navamsa of Mars and aspected by Saturn, this is another form of Pravajya yoga.9. Jataka Parijat Chap 5 verse 73
Based on the planet at 7th sign from the navamsa sign occupied by mandi at birth, the circumstances of native's death are mentioned.10. Sarvarth Chintamani Chap 2 verse 19
It specifies lord of the navamsa occupied by Saturn, mandi etc among the death inflicting planets.11. Hora Saar Chap 22 verse 1
A person earns wealth (profession) through own qualities and nature. The wealth is provided by the planet placed in 10th sign from the ascendant, Moon or Sun (strongest among them) or the ruler of navamsa occupied by the lord therefrom.12. Saravali Chap 24 verse 22
Moon gives the favourable results to the maximum in vargottam navamsa, medium in own navamsa and minimum in other navamsa. In case of unfavourable results, the order is reversed ie minimum in vargottam, medium in own and maximum in other navamsas.13. Laghu Jataka Chap 9 verse 3
Varahamihira in his 9th chapter on ayurdaya ie longevity, mentions additional years contributed by lagna if the ascendant is vargottama, own sign in navamsa and dreshkan. Contribution by lagna towards the longevity doubles up in this situation.14. Sarvarth Chintamani Chap 2 verse 70
If ascendant lord is placed in sign of exaltation or friendly vargas or own navamsa or when aspected by benefics, health of the native is good.15. Saravali chap 46 verse 22
In female horoscope if 7th house has Venus's sign and navamsa, the husband is good looking and fortunate. If 7th house has Mercury's sign and navamsa, the husband is a skilled in Science.16. Jatak Parijat Chap 14 verse 93
Jupiter in 9th house going to own navamsa or aspected by benefic planet, the person has a high sense of duty towards dharma.17. Sarvarth Chintamani Chap 3 verse 48
If a strong Jupiter occupies 2nd house and the lord of the navamsa occupied by lord of 2nd house is placed in Kendra/trine (in D1) and aspected by benefics, the person understands the consequences of actions and follows the 6 shastras.18. Jataka Parijat Chap 6 verse 1
If Sun is aspected by a malefic and placed in sign of it's exaltation (Aries) but goes to the navamsa of it's debilitation (Libra), the native is poor. The verse even says if Venus is vargottama but in the sign and navamsa of it's debilitation i.e. Virgo, the person lives like a beggar (devoid of all comforts in life). This verse is part of the chapter that mentions various ypgas that nullify good rajyogas or strong planetary combinations. So, it's very imoprtant that a planet is placed in strong navamsa apart from the rashi (sign in D1).
19. Deva Keralam Part 2 verse 3046
The weakest among the 3 planets - navamsa dispositor of Saturn, navamsa dispositor of Mandi and navamsa dispositor of 8th lord (of D1) is the main planet that destroys happiness.
20. Jataka tatva canto 3 (Prakirnatatva) verse 216
The number of malefic aspect(s) with no benefic aspect on the sign (in D1) indicated by the navamsa sign of the bhav madhya (house cusp) of 5th house indicates the number of miscarriages in progeny.
So it's important that we don't take extreme positions in ascertaining the true worth of navamsa. I wish to share how I understand various references to the terms 'navamsa' and 'varga' in classical text.
When a shloka uses the term amsa, we must look at all the inclusive vargas (all the 6 vargas in shad varga system). When a shloka uses the specific term navamsa, we need to use only the navamsa for the shloka.
You have examples of the same classic using the words navamsa and amsa in different places. For example, in the chapter on Mool dasha in saravali (quoted above), there is specific use of the word navamsa whereas in the same classic chapter 24, it talks of results of Moon in various amsa (the generic term). Even translator R Santhanam is using it exclusively for navamsa when the word is only amsa. I think it's clearly a mistake.
When we have clear distinction between the generic and specific terms in our classics, I think we must apply the said principles in their right scope.
In conclusion, we must not jump to mean navamsa for every amsa word and definitely not disregard the real value of navamsa in Jyotish as I have clearly laid out it's importance.
Author : Partho Banerjee
