Amsha Kundali – Divisional charts
Amsha kundali or the divisional charts is a speciality of Jyotish Shastra. These are charts where the Zodiac (Bhaa Chakra) is divided into more minute part. These charts are used to throw light on a particular facet of life of a native, unlike the Raashi Chakra which is much more broad based and general and shows the Jyotishi the outer aspect of life and the manifested details. It is called varga kundali or varga chakra (Varga means a class).
The Raashi chakra is also an Amsha kundali in that it divides the whole Bhaa Chakra into twelve parts. Same ways there are other charts which divided the whole Zodiac in many more parts (always in the multiples of twelve). So you must have got the meaning of the Sanskrit word Amsha. Amsha means a degree, a division or a part of the whole. Kundali means a coil or a spiral; it also means an ear ring.
There are Amsha kundalis which divde the whole Bhaa Chakra into Twenty four parts (Which is the same as dividing a whole Raashi into two), or there is one which divides the bhaa Chakra into 720 parts (60 x 12). There are many other higher divisions also mentioned in other classical texts as well as modern Jyotish literature and also in the Tradition (The Naadi division is one such famous Amsha), but these are beyond the scope and purview of this course.
Importance and use of Amsha Kundali
An Amsha kundali focuses particularly of a facet or part of life for which it is designated. Like there is one Amsha Kundali which we see specifically to know about the progenies of the native (Jaataka) in much more details than is possible with the Raashi Kundali. There is an Amsha Kundali to find about the parents of the Jaataka. There is other which can tell in great detail about the attainments or lack of it by the Jaataka in education.
Maharishi Paraashara in his book has delineated sixteen such divisional charts, other authors have added to the list. Then there are different ways of counting the Raashis in different Divisional charts given by different Authors. The Traditional Guru Shishya Parampara also has other secret reckonings of the different Amsha Kundalis.
Nomenclature
The Amsha Kundali is named mainly on the multiples of twelve that it is. Say for example there is a Amsha Kundali which divides the Zodiac nine times twelve (same as dividing the Raashi into nine parts) and therefore it is called Navaamsha (Nav means nine and Amsha means division). Sometimes an Amshaa Kundali is named according to the main focus of the Kundali (chart); say for example Navamsha is also called Dharmaamsha because the main focus of this divisional chart is to see the Dharma of the jaataka (native). Shri K N Rao developed a convenient way to name them, he simply calls them D-1, d-2, d-3 etc, d-1 means divisional chart one, d-2 means divisional chart in which a Raashi is divided into two parts and likewise for other divisional charts. The number of division of a raashi will show the Bhaava to be focused in the divisional chart; this means that in d-2 the bhaava of focus is the second bhaava. Likewise we can find the house to focus in other divisional charts.
See table below.
The sixteen Divisional charts taught by Maharishi Paraashara are: Raashi, Horaa, Dreshkaana, Turiyaamsha, Saptaamsha, Navaamsha, Dashaamsha, dwadashaamsha, Shodashaamsha, Vimshaamsha, Siddhaamsha, Nakshatraamsha, Trimshaamsha, Khavedaamsha, Akshavedaamsha and Shastyaamsha.
He has also given certain groups in which all divisional charts are not considered and tradition shows the use of each grouping for a particular purpose...........................to be posted in the next class
vivek and RishiRahul