7

LESSON 1

WHAT IS THE ASHTAKAVARGA SYSTEM?

This system is devised as a numerical scheme of interpretation that lets us

easily see a snapshot assessment of the strength of a house thru a unique
point system.

The Ashtakavarga system is a method of calculating the powers of the

planets relative to each other. Therefore, it can be used in any chart i.e.
all the divisional charts, along with Chaleta Bhava charts (diurnal charts)
and even with Horary Astrology. This system also gives the power of each
planet for all twelve houses. For each and every house, all seven planets
contribute their power or strength in terms of numerical value. This makes
it easy to compare the powers of the planets for each house. There is no
other system which can give such a clear cut view of the comparative
strengths of all the planets

By employing the Ashtakavarga system along with other principals, the

following things can be determined with great accuracy :

1) Predicting the general strengths of the planets and the houses

2) Anticipating certain important events in a person’s life
3) Forecasting dasha results
4) Overall life readings
5) Profession of the person
6) Timing events for important results
7) Day to day power of the horoscope and results
8) Marking the evolution of the achievements in the life.
9) Prasna Charts
10) Political and Social forecasting
11) Transit results

The powers of the planets depends on its relative position versus other
planets. This can be judged at a glance the Ashtakavarga chart. Making a
judgment of the planet only by its sign or placement in a particular house
without considering the planet’s power with respect to other planets
doesn’t give an accurate assessment of the overall picture.

In the Ashtakavarga system, the Ashtakavarga charts are cast using the
natal chart and the benefic points. The individual Ashtakavarga chart is
also known as the Bhinnashtakavarga. The combined effect given in one
chart is known as the total Ashtakavarga chart or the Sarvashtakavarga
chart. The individual chart and the sarvashtakavarga charts are both
required for calculation purposes. Some also include the Ashtakavarga of
 8

the Lagna, Rahu and Ketu, but as per my experience I don’t recommend
this. The outer planets like Uranus, Neptune, Pluto are not taken into
consideration either. Some people cast the malefic Ashtakavarga charts or
the Rekha ashtakavarga chart, which is really nothing more than the
repeated work. The total of benefic and malefic points in a house, for a
planet is eight. If the benefic points are known, then automatically we
know the malefic points. Eight minus the benefic points gives the malefic
points. The total benefic and malefic points in a house in
sarvashtakavarga always comes to 56. There are seven planets and each
contributes eight points, so 7 X 8 = 56. Hence, if we know the benefic
points, obviously malefic points are also known. (56 less the benefic points
= the malefic points). For example, if a house contributes 28 benefic
points, it means it still has 28 malefic points remaining. Therefore the
result of that house will be normal. The house that gets less than 28
benefic points will give less of a result as indicated by that house. Similarly
if any house contributes more than 28 points then the results denoted by
that house will be enhanced. The grand total of all the benefic points
distributed by the seven planets and the lagna always total 337. The
contribution of each planet is given in the Ashtakavarga chart of that
planet, as given below.

BHINNASHTAKAVARGA

The SUN distributes 48 benefic points to each of the following houses

from its natal position in the chart. Every other planet helps to distribute
the Sun’s overall points to their own assigned houses below as it relates to
their own natal positions

from the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
SUN • • • • • • • •
MOON • • • •
MARS • • • • • • • •
MERCURY • • • • • • •
JUPITER • • • •
VENUS • • •
SATURN • • • • • • • •
LAGNA • • • • • •
 9

The MOON distributes a total of 49 benefic points in the following pattern

in a similar manner while each of the other planets helps to distribute them
throughout their own assigned houses. Remember that the 1st column
position always represents the natal position of each planet.

from the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
SUN • • • • • •
MOON • • • • • •
MARS • • • • • • •
MERCURY • • • • • • • •
JUPITER • • • • • • •
VENUS • • • • • • •
SATURN • • • •
LAGNA • • • •

MARS distributes a total of only 39 benefic points in the following

pattern:

from the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
SUN • • • • •
MOON • • •
MARS • • • • • • •
MERCURY • • • •
JUPITER • • • •
VENUS • • • •
SATURN • • • • • • •
LAGNA • • • • •

MERCURY distributes a total of 54 benefic points in the houses:

from the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
SUN • • • • •
MOON • • • • • •
MARS • • • • • • • •
MERCURY • • • • • • • •
JUPITER • • • •
VENUS • • • • • • • •
SATURN • • • • • • • •
LAGNA • • • • • • •
 10

JUPITER distributes the highest total of 56 benefic points like so:

from the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
SUN • • • • • • • • •
MOON • • • • •
MARS • • • • • • •
MERCURY • • • • • • • •
JUPITER • • • • • • • •
VENUS • • • • • •
SATURN • • • •
LAGNA • • • • • • • • •

VENUS distributes a total of 52 benefic points like so:

from the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
SUN • • •
MOON • • • • • • • • •
MARS • • • • • •
MERCURY • • • • •
JUPITER • • • • •
VENUS • • • • • • • • •
SATURN • • • • • • •
LAGNA • • • • • • • •

SATURN distributes only a total of 39 benefic points in the following

houses:

from the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
SUN • • • • • • •
MOON • • •
MARS • • • • • •
MERCURY • • • • • •
JUPITER • • • •
VENUS • • •
SATURN • • • •
LAGNA • • • • • •
 11

The total individual contribution of benefic points by any planet in any

horoscope will be the same as mentioned above. The sum total of all the
benefic points for all the planets will always be 337 for any horoscope.
These figures do not change. These are benefic points. There are seven
planets plus the Lagna that contributes to these 8 different reference
points, and there are twelve houses, hence the total points should be 12 X
8 = 96, for each planet. These 96 points may be benefic or malefic. The
fact that Jupiter contributes a huge 56 benefic points out of 96 points,
means that 96 - 56 = 40 malefic points. That is the reason why Jupiter is
called the great benefic. Similarly, Mercury contributes 54 points, Venus
contributes 52 points, and so forth.

Mars and Saturn however, give only 39 benefic points each, which means
96-39 = 57 malefic points. Since the malefic points outnumber the benefic
points they are called malefic planets. From the above, it can be observed
that each and every planet gives both malefic and benefic results.
Because Jupiter, for example, gives the maximum amount of benefic
points, it is called a benefic planet, while Saturn and Mars give more
malefic points and are therefore called malefic planets.

ASHTAKAVARGA TABLE

House → 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Sign → Ar Ta Ge Ca Le Vi Li Sc Sg Cp Aq Pi
Planet ↓ tot.
SUN
MOON
MARS
MERCURY
JUPITER
VENUS
SATURN
TOTAL

The above shows a basic ashtakavarga table before all the points are
filled in. The top row represents the houses in the chart. In order to avoid
confusion as to whether the top row is the house or the numbered sign, I
will add the names of the signs underneath the houses. In this table, the
signs represent a chart with an ARIES lagna, but they will always rotate
under the stationery house signs in the top row, so that the proper lagna
sign for the chart will always go under the 1st house column. If for
example, AQUARIUS was the ascendant for the chart, then the order of
the planets starting under the 1st house house would be Aq, Pi, Ar, Ta, Ge,
 12

Ca, Le, Vi, Li, Sc, Sg, Ca. The side row lists the 7 planets. Each row will
represent the individual planets’ point distribution throughout the houses in
a numerical value from 0-8, zero being the weakest and 8 being the most
powerful. At the bottom is a row for the totals of all the points accumulated
for each column. The last column totals up the points in each row of
planets. The accumulated totals for both rows and the columns will always
be 337.

Let’s take an example and calculate the chart of a male, born on October
26, 1961 at 9:45am in Nagpur, INDIA, 21N09, 079E06. Use the
Ayanamsha of 22:17:42. The charts will be shown in both Northern and
Southern styles to accommodate individual preferences.

ASHTAKAVARGA CHART OF MALE

House → 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Sign → Sc Sg Cp Aq Pi Ar Ta Ge Ca Le Vi Li
Planet ↓ Tot.
SUN 4 1 4 5 3 4 3 4 5 6 4 5 48
MOON 5 5 4 3 5 4 5 3 6 5 1 3 49
MARS 4 3 3 3 3 4 1 1 5 6 2 4 39
MERCURY 5 5 3 5 3 4 2 6 4 7 5 5 54
JUPITER 6 3 6 4 5 4 5 5 6 5 2 5 56
VENUS 4 5 3 3 5 3 5 5 3 6 7 3 52
SATURN 4 2 2 3 4 2 4 3 5 5 3 2 39
TOTAL 32 24 25 26 28 25 25 27 34 40 24 27 337
 13

Here we can see that all the planets contribute various points to each
house. Remember that minimum points can go as low as zero and the
maximum can go as high as 8. No planet can have more than 8 points to a
house.

The numbers highlighted in red indicate the planetary positions in the

chart for that row as indicated by the planet to the left. For example, we
can easily see that the SUN is located in the 12th house and contributes 5
points to this house. The MOON is located in the 7th house and
contributes 5 points also to that house and so forth.