Sashtiamsa D60

The Sashtiamsa is the 1/60th division of the sign measured in half a degree or 30’ of arc. There are a total of 1800 Sashtiamsas in the zodiac with 60 in each sign. As a time measure, the average time taken for Lagna to traverse a Sashtiamsa is 48 seconds. Thus, the smallest measure of time used by Sage Parasara to differentiate between two births in the horoscope is about 48 seconds with this Sashtiamsa shall change.

Two charts even if they were of twins shall surely have the Ascendant and or other planets in different Sashtiamsa indicating past incarnations and consequently, the inherited karma that will manifest in this life is also going to be different.

According to Sage Parasara, drawing of Sashtiamsa as below:

Take the longitude (of a planet or Ascendant) in a sign (ie. ignore the signs advanced) and multiply it by 2. Divide the resultant by 12 and increase the reminder to the next higher integer. Count as many signs from the sign occupied by the body and the resultant sign is its Sashtiamsa. The Lord of the resultant sign is its Sashtiamsa dispositor.

The nature of the Sashtiamsa is based on the Sashtiamsa demi – gods. Each Sashtiamsa has to be understood from the nomenclature given by sage Parasara. Planets in shuba Sashtiamsa give good results whereas those in kroora Sashtiamsa give evil results.

The placement of the planet in the various signs in the Sashtiamsa chart is relevant and advised by the seers. It is worthwhile to examine what can be studied from such a Sashtiamsa chart. We know the 9th house rules Dharma and Bhagya. Vaidyanathan Dikshithar has advised us to examine the Dharma from Sashtiamsa and further advises us to examine the Bhagya from the Navamsa.

According to Vaidyanatha Dikshithar, ‘If the Lord of the ninth house occupies the 8th house and is associated with an inimical planet or by itself is in a malefic amsa the native shall be without Bhagya’.

Dharma and Bhagya are both ruled by the ninth house. This is where we see the difference in the use of the Navamsa chart for Bhagya and the Sashtiamsa for Dharma.

While the Navamsa limits itself to spirituality (Dharma) in connection with the Karakamsa alone. The Sashtiamsa goes deep into the very cause of our re-birth.

Author: Bharathi R Ram

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