Divisional Considerations THE 16 VARGAS, VIMSOPAKA STRENGTH 1-8.

USE OF THE 16 DIVISIONS: I now explain the use of these sixteen divisions. The physique from the ascendant, wealth from Hora, happiness through coborn from decanate, fortunes from Chaturthamsa, sons and grandsons from Sapthamsa, spouse from Navamsa, power (and position) from Dasamsa, parents from Dvadasamsa, benefits and adversities through conveyances from Shodasamsa, worship from Vimsamsa, learning from Chathur Vimsamsa, strength and weakness from Bhamsa, evil effects from Trimsamsa, auspicious and inauspicious effects from Khavedamsa, and all indications from both Akshavedamsa and Shashtiamsa. These are the considerations to be made through the respective Vargas of divisions. The bhava whose lord is in a malefic Shashtiamsa will diminish, so say Garga and others. The bhava whose lord is in a benefic Shodasamsa (or Kalamsa) flourish. This is how the 16 Vargas are to be evaluated. 9-12. After assessing the 20 point strength of the ascending degree, other houses and the planets, the good and bad effects be declared. I explain below the method of knowing the Vimsopaka strength (20 point strength) just by knowing which an idea of the results of actions of this birth and of former birth will clearly emerge. The planets from the Sun on get full strength when in exaltation or in own sign and are bereft of strength when in the 7th (from exaltation). In between, the strength be known by rule of three process. In the case of a planet owning two signs, distinction of placement in odd/even sign identical with own sign be made. 13-16. HORA, DECANATE, AND TRIMSAMSA EFFECTS: Jupiter, the Sun and Mars five (pronounced) effects in the hora of the Sun. The Moon, Venus, and Saturn do so when in Moon's hora. Mercury is effective in both the Horas. In the case of an even Rasi, the hora of the Moon will be powerful in effects while the Sun's hora in an odd sign will be so. Full, medium, and nil will be the effects respectively in the beginning, middle, and the end of a hora. Similar applications be made for a decanate, Turyamsa, Navamsa, etc.. As for Trimsamsa effects, the Sun is akin to Mars and the Moon is akin to Venus. The effects applicable to Rasi will apply to Trimsamsa. 17-19. VIMSOPAKA STRENGTH: The shadvargas (six divisions) consist of Rasi, Hora, decanate, Navamsa, Dvadasamsa, and Trimsamsa. The full strength, for each of the divisions respectively are 6, 2, 4, 5, 2, and 1. This is the Vimsopaka strength relating to Shadvarga division. Adding the Sapthamamsa to the Shad Vargas, we get Sapta Varga, the Vimsopaka strength for which is: 5, 2, 3, 2 1/2, 4 1/2, 2, and 1. These are gross strengths while subtle ones should be understood by exact positions. 20. Add Dasamsa, Shodasamsa, and Shastiamsa to the said Saptha Varga Divisions, to get the scheme of Dasa Varga (10 divisions). The Vimsopaka strength in this context is 3 for Rasi, 5 for Shastiamsa, and for the other 8 divisions, 1 1/2 each. 21-25. When the 16 divisions (Shodasa Varga Scheme) are considered together, the Vimsopaka score goes thus: Hora 1, Trimsamsa1, decanate 1, Shodasamsa 2, Navamsa 3, Rasi 3 1/2, Shastiamsa 4, and the rest of the nine divisions each 1/2. The Vimsopaka strength remains as 20 (in the above computations) only when the planet is in its own house Vargas. Otherwise the total strength from 20 declines: to 18 in extreme friend's Vargas, to 15 in friendly Vargas, to 10 in equal's divisions, to 7 in enemy's Vargas, and to 5 in sworn enemy's Vargas. (These figures are called Varga Viswa.) 26-27. VIMSOPAKA PROPORTIONAL EVALUATION: Multiply the figure due to full strength for the division by the Varga Viswa and divide by 20 to get the exact strength of the planet. If the such total is below 5 the planet will not be capable of giving auspicious results. If it is above 5 but below 10, the planet will yield some good effects. Later on up to 15 it is indicative of mediocre effect. A planet with above 15 will yield wholly favorable effects.

28-29. OTHER SOURCES OF STRENGTH: Maitreya, there are other kinds of sources as I explain below. Planets in the 7th from the Sun will be fully effective. One with an identical longitude in comparison to the Sun's will destroy the good effects. Rule of three process be applied to the planet in between these positions. Notes: If a planet is eclipsed by the Sun (combust) it proves impotent. See the following table for degrees of combustion as per the Surya Siddhanta Planet Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn in direct motion 12 deg 17 " 14 " 11 " 10 " 16 " in (R) motion -08 deg 12 " 11 " 08 " 16 "

NB: Important Note Regarding Combust Retrograde Planets 30-32. DASA EFFECTS WITH VIMSOPAKA STRENGTH: Maitreya, after assessing the Vimsopaka strength through the various divisions, the rising and setting of the planets be considered. The Vimsopaka strength is classified as under: Poorna, Atipoorna, Madhya, Atimadhya, Heena, Atiheena, Swalpa, and Atiswalpa. Thus should be classified the Vimsopaka strength and the Dasa period results declared accordingly. 33-36. ANGLES, TRINES, ETC. DEFINED: O Maitreya, listen to other matters which I am explaining. The Kendras (angles) are specially known as ascendant, the 4th house the descendant and the mid-heaven (the 10th house). The 2nd, 5th, 8th, and the 11th are Panapharas or succedents while the 3rd, 6th, 9th, and the 12th are called Apoklimas or cadents. The 5th and 9th from the ascendant are known by the name Kona or trine. Evil houses or Trika houses are the 6th, 8th, and the 12th. Chaturasras are the 4th and 8th. The 3rd, 6th, 10th, and 11th houses are Upachaya. 37-38. NAMES OF BHAVAS: The 12 houses are: Thanu, Dhana, Shaja, Bandhu, Putra, Ari, Yuvati, Randhra, Dharma, Karma, Laabha, and Vyaya are in order the names of the houses. I explained these briefly and leave it to you to grasp more according to your intelligence. As delivered by Lord Brahma, some further information is added thus (i.e. in the following verses.). 39-43. INDICATIONS FROM HOUSES: The 9th from the ascendant and the 9th from the Sun deal with one's father. Whatever effects are to be known from the 10th and 11th counted from ascendant be also known from similar houses counted from the Sun. Whatever results are to be known from the 4th, 1st, 2nd, 11th, and the 9th should also be known from the 4th of the Moon, from the Moon sign itself and 2nd, 11th, and 9th from the Moon respectively. Whatever has to be known through the 3rd from the ascendant be also analyzed through the 3rd from Mars. The 6th from Mercury be also considered in regard to indications deriveable from the 6th counted from the ascendant. The 5th from Jupiter, the 7th from Venus, and both the 8th and 12th from Saturn stand for consideration respectively in respect of offspring, spouse, and death. The lord of the Bhava is equally important when estimating the indications of a particular Bhava (house).

could someone explain to me what those two things are? I read in some post that if vimsopaka bala is low then the dasa concerned will be difficult. Im currently running Ve/Ve and Venus has Vimsopaka bala= 8.4 and dwadasa vargeeya bala= 0

What does that mean ?

Re: vimsopaka and dwadasa vargeeya bala

Vimsopaka bala tells us about benefic placement of planets in major divisional charts. You should have atleast 10 points to fair average in the dasa period. Vaiseshikamsa tells us the number of times a planets gets it's own sign in major varghas. Vaiseshikamsa above 3 for benefics and above 2 for malefics is considered good. The more the better. Dwadasa vargeeya, pnachvargeeya and harsha bala has application in yearly tajak chart or sudershan chakra dasa

Different Strengths
When judging the results given by houses and planets, we have to judge their strength. Sometimes we have to compare the strength of two planets and see which one will dominate. For example, when finding the arudha pada of a house falling in Scorpio, we learnt that we have to take the stronger of Mars and Ketu as the lord of Scorpio. In several rasi dasas, dasas start from the stronger of lagna and the 7th house. We need to be able to compare them and judge which is stronger. A house may be influenced by several planets and they may suggest contradictory results. In such a case, we need to decide which influence dominates. There are different ways of measuring the strengths of planets and rasis for different purposes. We will learn some of them in this section. Why Different Strengths Why do we need different strengths for different purposes? Why cant we use the same strength? To understand this, let us consider an analogy. Suppose X is an engineer. Suppose Y is another engineer with exactly the same background and suppose Y comes to the house of X for a few days. Suppose Y sleeps in the afternoon and X doesnt. Suppose it is 1 pm and Y is ready for his afternoon nap. Suppose the two engineers have promised a charity in town that they would give a big donation together and suppose someone from the charity comes to Xs house. Because it is not his house and because he is sleepy, Y is probably not going to play a prominent role and X is probably going to talk pleasantries and then give a check on behalf of Y and himself. The money is both his and Ys, but X is in a better position to handle it. Shadbalas are similar to this. When two or more planets take part in a yoga, the one that is stronger as per shadbala ends up giving the results. Both X and Y may have to deal with contractors, workers and vendors for their professional work. If Y has better relations with the people he deals with, he will be

more productive at his work as an engineer. Similarly, strength as per ashtakavarga shows the ability of planets to deliver their goods in harmony with other planetary forces at work in a chart. Even if a planet has good shadbala, it will be unable to deliver its goods if it is at odds with other planets in the chart, i.e. has a low ashtakavarga strength. An engineer who has good relations with workers, vendors and contractors related to one project may not go along well with people involved in another project. In that case, he will produce excellent results in the former project and he may not be effective in the latter. Similarly, a planet may have good ashtakavarga strength in one divisional chart and poor ashtakavarga strength in another divisional chart. Then it will give its results more effectively in the area of life related to the first chart. Despite good capabilities and potential to get work done, Y may be unable to get his work done if he is depressed about something or if he is absent-minded for some reason. If he is in a cheerful state, he may get his work done well. Thus the state one is in decides ones final output. Similarly, a planet must be in a good avastha (state) to give good results. There are different kinds of states states related to age, states related to alertness, states related to mood and states related to activity. When one hires an engineer as an employee or when one assigns a project to an engineer, one is concerned about how effective he will be in the project. But suppose one is considering the same engineer as a partner in business. Then his effectiveness in a particular project does not matter much. What matters now is how well rounded he is. He should have good overall knowledge of various projects. Vimsopaka bala is analogous to this. When we consider the overall effectiveness of a planet in ones life, we no longer look at its effectiveness to give results in a specific area of life. Instead, we look at Vimsopaka bala. It shows the overall strength of a planet and its ability to play an important role in ones life (rather than a specific area of life). If X and Y have to decide who eats a cake first or who gets to drink the only can of soft drink left in the refrigerator, they are probably not going to argue about it. Their qualifications or productivity at work or mental state or overall ability are not going to matter. For something so trivial, they will probably toss a coin or have a friendly armwrestling or simply do what their friends present in the room suggest. If Y has more friends in the room and they say let Y have it, then Y is going to have it. Similarly, for trivial things like determining who initiates dasas, antardasas etc, we have very simple rules that are different from shadbala, ashtakavarga bala, avastha bala, Vimsopaka bala etc. As it has been emphasized many times in this book, Vedic astrology has a rich variety of parameters, tools and techniques. Attempting to use various techniques in an interchangable manner only leads to confusion. One should strive to understand the meanings of various parameters and tools and use the right set of parameters and tools

for the occasion. Though we have different ways of measuring a planets strength, their meanings are different and accordingly they are used for different purposes. We will learn the most common ones in this chapter.