The Role of the Dasamsa Chart
By Dr Satya Prakash Chowdhary
The role of the Dasamsa in the Rise and Fall in one’s Career and Status.
Symbolism of the Dasamsa or Tenth harmonic (divisional chart).
Every student of Jyotish knows well that apart from the natal chart or rasi chakra, there are other divisional charts or vargas used for better clarity as well as for a more in-depth analysis. While some of the vargas like Drekkana (D-3), Navamsa (D-9), Dwadasamsa (D-12) and Shastiamsa (D-60) are to be used for both the overall results as well as specific results, there are other charts that are used for specific purposes. Dasamsa is one among such important vargas. It is well known that Dasamsa or D-10 is used to shed more light on profession or career. But is that all? What is the actual scope of this division? Let us see what Parasara (BPHS) says about the Dasamsa. According to Parasara (BPHS 7), the D-10 or Dasamsa is used for judging ‘Mahatphalam’.
The word ‘mahatphalam’, can loosely be translated as ‘Great results’ or ‘Great fruits’. Now that does not directly or necessarily mean just career or profession. The dasamsa is used (along with the rasi or natal chart) to predict about matters related to career, status, achievements, one’s role in the society, etc. This is also what the 10th house or mid-heaven signifies. Since the dasamsa shares the same symbolism as the 10th house largely, let’s briefly look into what the 10th house signifies.
The symbolism of the Tenth House/ Meridian axis and the Dasamsa
One could write many pages listing the various direct and derived significations of any house, planet or sign. But it helps the beginner to first identify the key word or key symbolism of a house, from which many other significations arise or are derived. The most important of the houses are the angles, which are the corner stones, rather the pillars of the chart. They support the chart and are hence refered to as Vishnu sthanas (Vishnu sustains or maintains the universe). The 10th house (which roughly corresponds with the mid-heaven) is the point of maximum externalization of the self. It represents one’s social role and position, and life direction too. Traditionally these are linked to one’s career as well. Quite often it is true; true to the extent that one defines oneself by what one does. A very important key word for the tenth house is ‘sva-dharma’.
While the 9th house signifies dharma, the tenth signifies svadharma. While dharma is universal to a certain extent, svadharma is very much individual and varies from individual to individual. Now what is svadharma? Simply put svadharma is “what an individual needs to do with his/her life in order to evolve”. But spiritual evolution, rather the ascent back to the original state, the cosmic roots, is also linked to liquidation of karma. Thus the tenth house affords us a chance to liquidate karma through one’s career or whatever one most naturally is suited to do. The 4/10th is very enigmatic and probably one of the least understood in a way. A word about the Meridian axis or the 4/10 axis.
The fourth house is a house of inward and personal life as opposed to outward and social concerns (seen in the opposite tenth house). Matters that support one’s existence both on physical and emotional levels come under this house. The fourth house symbolizes at a broader level all that is supportive of your physical existence, thus signifying the home, mother (or anybody who fulfils the mother like nurturing and supportive role), one’s forbears, native land, past and tradition. Among all the above, the home is the most personal and intimate life. It is the support under one’s feet. Your home is the piece of earth where you settle down and put out roots. It is the place of intimate personal life to which you retire after a day of confronting the outer social world. The idea of belonging is the main point of this house. Real estate, land and agriculture also belong to this house. Hence a loaded 4th house could symbolize a sense of insecurity that can perhaps drive you to get more land, property and houses to fill the inner conflict. It governs the feelings of belonging, being at home, and being connected. It symbolizes psychological structures that are genetically inbuilt or formed in earliest life. More number of planets in the fourth house, indicate a strong personal, subjective manner of dealing with the world, making you an introvert. You need to feel secure, making the need for a sense of belonging very important. At a root level, this house speaks of your basic securities (or insecurities). One’s desire to achieve stability and to put down roots is seen here. Consequently, 4th house events are related to one’s search for situations and people who can offer material and moral security. A negative manifestation could indicate lack of the much-needed support or conflict at home. But this could often drive one to the opposite house as a compensation. Remember that planets in the 4th house influence the 10th house affairs by their full aspect on the 10th. All planets aspect the 7th sign from the sign they occupy, thus affirming the fundamental principle of polarity. Opposite houses counterbalance each other.
The tenth house symbolizes your role in the outside world, a state that you aspire to, your svadharma- your very own purpose in life. Tenth house matters not only draw you away from the concerns of your family and home, but can also be very fulfilling. Anything and anybody capable of influencing your social status also comes under this house. The tenth house includes among others, career, profession, honor from people of authority, work of or in the government, service, commerce, self-respect, fame, influence and status. More planets here signify a need to achieve and be recognized as a person of importance. While the 1/7 axis tells us about how one (1st ) interacts with others, how one reaches out to the others (7th), the 4/10 tells about one’s sense of identity, about the way one expresses oneself, the objective towards which one is working, and the experiences from which one is coming. While the 4th house indicates your sense of identity, who you are, the tenth indicates what you should aspire for, what you need to do in order to grow. Thus in a way the 10th holds the key to the enigma of the 4th. The 4th represents the unconscious workings of your mind, and how you externalize them in the Tenth. As the karmasthana, the tenth house can represent the ultimate blossoming of karma. Career affords one a chance to liquidate karma by living out one’s personal dharma (svadharma). That is why the highest manifestation of Ketu in the 10th is self-realisation (remember Ketu in 10th in ideal conditions can give self-realisation as in the case of Sri Ramakrishna).
Having covered the significance of the angles, especially the 4th and the 10th, let me move to the dasamsa, by reminding you that much of the symbolism of the tenth gets repeated in the Dasamsa.
Since the topic of dasamsa is too vast to be covered in one article, I will restrict myself to just the career part. But bear in mind that the roots of one’s svadharma, the point of maximum externalization of the self, and its relation to one’s career, are all seen here. Thus while ‘great results or fruits’ or ‘mahatphalam’ are to be seen here, I will restrict myself to a very common job that every astrologer is asked to do by most clients- chart the rise and fall in one’s career.
Mapping the rise and fall in one’s career through the use of the Dasamsa
Factors influencing career
How do we analye one’s profession and career life? What are the factors that we should look at?
- The planets in the tenth house.
- Lord of the tenth
- Planets aspecting the tenth
- Karakas Saturn and Sun
- 10th lord dispositor in D-9
- Dasamsa or D-10
In this article the emphasis is on the dasamsa. But no divisional chart works in isolation from the rasi chart. Since the rules in the rasi (natal) chart are mostly applicable in a divisional chart with some modifications, first let me take you through the natal chart.
Planets in the Tenth
A planet in the tenth speaks about one’s career. If there is more than one planet, how does one go about? Look at the following guidelines.
Who is the stronger planet? How do the planets influence each other mutually? Are there any yogas formed by the conjunction of these planets? What is the combined influence of the planets in the tenth generally as well as with reference to the career or tenth house effects? Each of the planet in the tenth gives its effects in its periods and sub-periods more strongly, while the influence of the other planet(s)
10th lord and its placement
Understanding the interplay of the tenth house energies with other houses is vital in judging one’s career. I will therefore take you through a brief journey through the same. What is being discussed below is the essence of various texts, which I have tried to modernize slightly. Read through and ponder over the same.
