Understanding Ashtakavarga, The System and Points

Ashtakavarga is a unique method in Vedic astrology to know how strong your horoscope is. In the horoscope, there are twelve houses and each house is given some points based on the planetary placement, aspect and conjunctions. There are two types of Ashtakavarga; one is Sarvashtagavarga, and then is Bhinna ashtakavarga. “ Ashta” means eight, and “Varga’ means divisions. The strength is calculated on Lagna and seven planets other than Rahu. So, other than Rahu, Ketu the Lagna Sun, Moon, Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn are considered to calculate Ashtakvarga of the horoscope. Each planet is getting some points, which is called Bhinn Ashtakavarga, while all these eight planets are receiving a particular number of points in every house: Sarava Ashtakavarga. Looking at these points, we see how strong the houses are.

What are the points in AshtakaVarga/How to see the Ashtakavarga table

In Sarvashtakavarga, any house is getting less than 25 points; that house is seen as a weak house.
If the house is getting more than 25, that house will be getting medium strength.
If the house is getting more than 28 points, that house is a very strong one.
In Bhinna Ashtakavarga, if a house gets 8 points, that house will be very strong. If the points are from 0 to 3, then the planet is not strong. If the bhinnashtakavarga of the planet is four, then the planet is with medium strength. If the points are five or more than that, the planet is very strong.

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How to read the Ashtakavarga chart

Firstly we need to look at the Bhinna Ashtakavarga. We need to check what points the Lagna and other planets are getting in the Bhinnashtakavargha table. Then we add all those points and find Ashtakavarga points for beach house.

Birth Chart and Ashtakavarga Charts

This is an Aries Lagna chart.

This is the ashtakavarga chart for the above horoscope. Whichever house is getting less than 25 is weak. However, the dursthana houses 6,8 and 12 must get fewer points. These houses show struggles if they have more points, so the person will have to go through a lot of struggles. It can also get another interpretation that the person will go through a lot of struggles and overcome them. However, that is seen through the planetary placements in the birth horoscope, not only the ashtakavarga.

In this horoscope, the Lagna gets 27 points, which shows above medium strength. That means the person is not at all a weak person, but he will have struggles in his life. He will be overcoming the struggles, but it will take some time.
The second house is getting thirty-two points, which means he will make money, but there will be expenses. On the other hand, the third house of siblings is getting only 22 points, so he cannot expect anything from his siblings or relatives as the third house indicates siblings.

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The fourth house indicates home and family, and it is getting 28 points, and this is the assurance from the divine energies that the native will have house, but after the struggles. He will have his own house and a comfortable living in this lifetime.

The fifth house of children and creativity is getting more than 28 points, so this person will definitely have the luck to have children and is highly creative also.

Now, the first dursthana or negative house, i.e., the sixth house, is getting maximum points in the horoscope. The sixth house indicates debts, diseases and struggles. So, the person has to go through a lot of struggles to achieve the blessings. Even if this house has maximum points, we look at the other houses and will tally the points with the sixth house. For e.g., the fifth house is getting 32 points, and the sixth house is getting 36 points. Anywise, the fifth house is assuring the children, so the native will get the children, but he or his spouse may have to go through medical issues.

The seventh house indicates marriage, and it is getting 35 points so that this person will have a strong marriage too, and this point doesn’t show a divorce.

So, this is how we check the Ashtakavarga in the horoscope.

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However, Ashtakavarga is seen for transits. Mahadasa is the greater transit, so it is also seen for Mahadasa. Suppose the native is going through Venus dasa, and in which house Venus is getting maximum points.

Bhinnashtakavarga is the foundation for Satvashtakavarga, and in this, we see how many points are allotted to each planet. Then, we add all the points by that planet.

Venus is getting 6 points in the Lagna, and Venus is the planet for beauty relationships and money. During Venus dasa, the person will get fame as Venus is also the planet for fame. During the same dasa, he will enjoy a comfortable life, and people will appreciate him for his beauty.
The second house for money is getting only three points, which is very weak, so the person will have financial issues during the Venus dasa.

The third house is getting only 2 points, so, during Venus dasa, he will detach him from the siblings and relatives.
The fourth house of home is getting 7 points in Venus dasa to have real estate deals and beautify his house.
During Venus dasa, his children’s life will also be good as the fifth house is getting five points.

The sixth house is getting 4 points, indicating debts, diseases, and enemies. So, during Venus dasa, the person will have struggles, but the Lagna has 6 points so that he will overcome the struggles.

The seventh house of spouse and marriage has 6 points, so during this dasa, the native will get enough support from the spouse, and people from the opposite gender will give him support, and some of them may propose as well. The seventh house indicates masses, so he will also get the name and fame.

This is how we check Ashtakavarga in astrology.

How Accurate is Ashtakavarga?

This is a debatable subject as a practising astrologer will get variable results if he considers Ashtakavarga. Sage Parasara introduces this system and we can see this in Brihat Parasara Hora sastra. There are many parameters like “Ekadipathya reduction, sodyapinda, and other things that we need to check before considering the Ashtakavarga.

To find the correct Ashtakavarga, the accuracy of the birth time is mandatory. Even if the birth time is somewhat accurate, there will be some planet changing the degrees, thus falling into deep exaltation or debilitation or slipping away from the Mool trikona degrees during the time of birth.

There are different calculations from Parasara and Varahamihira. Moreover, they give different points, so it can be a matter of confusion.

The horoscope shows the promise in the lifetime. There are good things as well as bad. The events in the horoscope will be fructifying in the mahadasa and antardasa. The yearly transits also trigger the promised events. The promise in the horoscope will not show different results from Ashtakavarga. Both should not show different results.

Ashtakavarga is indeed a unique way to understand the strength of the planets. However, horoscopes do not always get along with the Ashatakavarga points. So, we should be very careful while we approach Ashtakavarga.

The Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt has 33 points in his seventh house of marriage, but the public knows he had multiple marriages, and his first wife died because of cancer, and his second marriage was a divorce. So even though his third house of siblings has only 24 points, he is very well connected to his siblings.

In Superstar Shahrukh Khan’s horoscope, there are only very few points in the eleventh house of profits and gains. But we know he is a brand and how rich he is.

Practising astrologers will surely come across some findings which don’t comply with the Ashataka Varga points. The accuracy of the birth time can be a reason, but it may not be the same for every chart. Indians are very keen on noting down the accuracy of the birth time, so most of the Indians don’t have an accurate birth time.

There are various opinions regarding the authenticity of Ashtakavarga while reading the horoscope, but it cannot be seen as the most important theme in horoscope reading. Only an expert astrologer can find whether the birth horoscope is in tally with Ashatakavarga or not. The astrologer should have good insights into the promises of the birth chart, then only he can find whether the Ashatakavarga is justifying the promises in the horoscope.

There is no need of mixing Ashtakavarga with the horoscope reading. The birth chart reading is enough if the astrologer is an expert. At times, Ashtakavarga can misguide the inexperienced person as well. Still, if you see fewer points in the Ashtakavarga chart, then special care should be given to those houses. At the same time, we should not overestimate the houses with maximum points.

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