SRI JAGANNATH CENTER

Partly from the upcoming book;

Jyotiña Fundamentals, by Visti Larsen

Vimsämça
(part one)
Ones spiritual direction
By Visti Larsen – Guide and Guru: Sanjay Rath
Introduction
1.1. Philosophy/Purpose of Vimsämça
The Vimçämça is the 20th divisional chart and hence for short it’s named; D-20. Another name
recently arisen for this chart is Upäsanämça, where the word; Upäsana refers to the 5 methods of
worship;
1. Abhigamana or approach
2. Upädäna or preparation of offering
3. Ijyä or oblation
4. Svädhyäya or recitation
5. Yoga or union
Mahaåñi Päräçara also supports this use by mentioning;

%pasnaya iv}an< saXy< iv<zitÉagke. 4.

upäsanäyä vijïänaà sädhyaà viàçatibhägake || 4||
“Knowledge about the persons Upäsana should be perfected from the twentieth division.”
This is divisional chart is popularly known to highlight the person’s spiritual path, as well as the
lack of the same. The technical reason being the following;

The divisional charts work in multiples of twelve.

Every multiple of the same indicates a new level of consciousness, one higher than the other. I.e.
the divisional charts from 1-12 refer to the physical level of consciousness, whilst the charts from
13-24 refer to the mental level of consciousness in particular. The twentieth divisional chart hence
refers to this level of consciousness.

Removing multiples of 12 from 20, we get 8 as the remainder; the number eight refers to the
eighth house itself which is the house of death and rebirth, from which the concept of spirituality
arises from, hence the technical reason for the use of this chart, is explained.
1.2. Calculation
Päräçara1 Muni gives the calculation of the Viàsäàça as follows;

Aw iv<zitÉaganamixpa äü[aeidta>,

i³ya½re iSwre capan! m&geNÔadœ iÖSvÉavke. 17.

atha viàçatibhägänämadhipä brahmaëoditäù |
kriyäccare sthire cäpän mågendräd dvisvabhävake || 17||
Brahmaëoditäù (Maitreya) – now light will be spread on the names of the 20 divisions. Movable
signs start from the labourer (Aries), Fixed signs start from the bow (Sagittarius) and Dual signs
start from the king among the forest animals (Leo).

Päräçara Muni explains that the counting of Viàsäàça starts from either of the fiery signs- viz;
Aries, Sagittarius or Leo, depending on whether the sign is a movable, fixed or dual sign
respectively. This calculation follows a bicyclical order starting from Aries. (Refer to Table 1:
Viàsäàça deities and signs)

For reference the deities of the Viàsäàça are given as well.

kalI gaErI jy lúmIivRjya ivmla stI,

tara JvalamuoI ñeta lilta bglamuoI. 18.

àTyi¼ra zcI raEÔI ÉvanI vrda jya,

iÇpura sumuoI ceit iv;me piricNtyet!. 19.

kälé gauré jaya lakñmérvijayä vimalä saté |
tärä jvälämukhé çvetä lalitä bagalämukhé || 18||
pratyaìgirä çacé raudré bhaväné varadä jayä |
tripurä sumukhé ceti viñame paricintayet || 19||
Kälé, Gauré, Jaya, Lakñmi, Vijayä, Vimalä, Saté, Tärä, Jvälamukhé, Çvetä, Lalitä, Bagalämukhé,
Pratyaìgirä, Çacé, Raudré, Bhaväné, Varadä, Jayä, Tripurä and Sumukhé are the names of the in
odd sign Viàçäàça.

smrazaE dya mexa iDÚzI;aR ipzaEicnI,

xUmavtI c mat¼I bala ÉÔ=é[anla. 20.

ip¼la DuCDuka "aera varahI vE:[vI ista,

1 Båhat Päräçara Hora Çastra – Ñoòaçavargädhyäyaù – Çloka 17-21.

ÉuvnezI ÉErvI c m¼la ýpraijta. 21.
samaräçau dayä medhä chinnaçérñä piçauciné |
dhümävaté ca mätaìgé bälä bhadra'ruëänalä || 20||
piìgalä chucchukä ghorä värähé vaiñëavé sitä |
bhuvaneçé bhairavé ca maìgalä hyaparäjitä || 21||
In even signs the names are; Dayä, Medhä, Chinnaçirñä, Piçauciné, Dhümävaté, Mätaìgé, Bälä,
Bhadra, Aruëa, Analä, Piìgalä, Chucchukä, Ghorä, Värähé, Vaiñëavé, Sitä, Bhuvaneçé, Bhairavé,
Maìgalä and Aparäjitä.
Table 1: Viàsäàça deities and signs

# Odd sign Startº - Endº Movable Fixed Dual Even sign

1 Kälé 0:00 - 1:30 Ar Sg Le Dayä
2 Gauré 1:30 - 3:00 Ta Cp Vi Medhä
3 Jaya 3:00 - 4:30 Ge Aq Li Chinnaçirñä
4 Lakñmi 4:30 - 6:00 Cn Pi Sc Piçauciné
5 Vijayä 6:00 - 7:30 Le Ar Sg Dhümävaté
6 Vimalä 7:30 - 9:00 Vi Ta Cp Mätaìgé
7 Saté 9:00 - 10:30 Li Ge Aq Bälä
8 Tärä 10:30 - 12:00 Sc Cn Pi Bhadra
9 Jvälamukhé 12:00 - 13:30 Sg Le Ar Aruëa
10 Çvetä 13:30 - 15:00 Cp Vi Ta Analä
11 Lalitä 15:00 - 16:30 Aq Li Ge Piìgalä
12 Bagalämukhé 16:30 - 18:00 Pi Sc Cn Chucchukä
13 Pratyaìgirä 18:00 - 19:30 Ar Sg Le Ghorä
14 Çacé 19:30 - 21:00 Ta Cp Vi Värähé
15 Raudré 21:00 - 22:30 Ge Aq Li Vaiñëavé
16 Bhaväné 22:30 - 24:00 Cn Pi Sc Sitä
17 Varadä 24:00 - 25:30 Le Ar Sg Bhuvaneçé
18 Jayä 25:30 - 27:00 Vi Ta Cp Bhairavé
19 Tripurä 27:00 - 28:30 Li Ge Aq Maìgalä
20 Sumukhé 28:30 - 30:00 Sc Cn Pi Aparäjitä

These Çakti help one reach ones worshipped deity quicker. Example, if you wish to worship
Mercury in the form of Viñëu and he is placed in Jäya vimsämça, then some would prescribe
mantras worshipping Viñëu and Jäya jointly.
It should be mentioned that some disagree with the number of deities allotted to the vimsämça.
Use of Vimçämça
1.3. Source of Spirituality
AaTma riv> zItkrStu vet> sÅv< xraj> zizjae=w va[I,

gué>istae }anzuoe mdí ra÷> zain> kalnrSy Ê>om!.1.

ätmä raviù çétakarastu vetaù sattvaà dharäjaù çaçijo'tha väëé|
guruùsito jïänaçukhe madaçca rähuù çäniù kälanarasya duùkham||1||
The Sun is the Atma, Moon is the Mana, Mars indicates the strength, Jupiter and Venus show
knowledge and happiness respectively, ones ego is indicated by Rahu and Saturn is the cause of
grief.

AaTmadyae ggngEb¡iliÉbRlvÄra>,
ätmädayo gaganagairbaàlibhirbalavattaräù|
The Atma, and other significations will be strong if their placement in the heavens (bhavas) is
auspicious.
Saravali, Grahaguëädhyäyaù , Çloka 1 & 2

In the initial çloka of Saravali’s Grahaguëädhyäyaù, we find a clear outline of the significations of
the grahas. He continues stating that these indications will be strong, if the grahas placement will
be auspicious. Kalyan Verma specifically uses the word; gagana, meaning sky and implies using
the Bhävas as the sky is based on the movement of the Lagna (rising) with reference to the Suns
position. Hence Kalyan Verma is asking us to look at the Bhäva position in the chart to judge the
strength of the significator.

For our purpose of deciding the source and spiritual strength, our focus is on the Sun. The sun is
the Atma, and its strength bestows more Atma-Jnäna (knowledge of the soul) on the native.
Whether the native is moving towards this knowledge or away from this knowledge will
determine whether the person is spiritual or not. This is seen from the relationship between the
Lagna lord and the Sun.
v Placement of the Sun in trines or quadrants from the Lagna lord is highly conducive
towards spirituality or moving on the spiritual path. Other combinations suffer from
some flaw, and requires correction.
v Incase of other combinations, determine if a single planet links the Lagna lord and the
Sun, either through aspect, lordship, conjunction, etc. If so, then that planet will bring the
spirituality and should be propitiated.
Even if the native’s spiritual path is a tough one, the mutual relationship between Jupiter and
lagna lord will be conducive for spiritual life, as the native will be guided towards spirituality by
a competent Guru.
This will however result in the acceptance of a new religion, as the native rejects their birth
religion indicated by the Sun.
Instead of the lagna lord, if this is analyzed from the chara ätmakäraka, we can understand the
native’s inner spirituality.
If neither of the above mentioned links exists, there is no reason to enter the native’s Viàsäàça
Chart (D-20).
Chart 1: Standard Nativity

In the given chart, Jupiter is the lagna lord and is in trines to the Sun indicating a native with a
strong sense of spirituality. Jupiter is lagna lord itself and is placed in lagna indicating a person
who naturally seeks knowledge and spiritual guidance.
Chart 2: Spiritual Aspirant (1)
The given chart has Sun in the lagna itself; however there is a choice between two lagna lords.
Due to the Käla Amrita Yoga formed in the chart, Ketu will dominate the lordship of Lagna and
the spiritual direction of the native. Ketu is placed in third from the Sun, which will indicate a
person who will struggle with spiritual concepts, or has to apply themselves before
understanding God. Since this refers to the birth religion, we may analyze the fourth and ninth
houses for parents. Rähu is the fourth lord and is placed in the ninth house showing that the
parents are from different countries or have a different birth tongue. As Rähu is the ätmakäraka,
this is very significant for the native’s spiritual growth.
Jupiter is however in Kendra to lagna lord Ketu and will indicate the native being guided into
spirituality by a supreme intelligence. The guide in question should be understood from the
ninth lord/Guru Devata.
1.4. Use of the Sun in the D-20
The placement of the Sun in the D-20 chart becomes utmost vital in deciding the source of ones
spirituality, i.e. due to whom or which circumstances are conducive to ones spirituality.
Examples
Chart 3: Spiritual Aspirant (2)

In the given chart, the Sun is placed in the twelfth house in Viàsäàça. This is a very inauspicious
placement as per Vaidyanath Dikshita2. This placement shows that the native would not be
inclined to spirituality or reject their birth religion. The reason will be seen from the lordship of

2
Jataka Parijata, Kälacakradaçädhyäyaù:
æat&Swangtae jIvae darSwangt> k…j>, twa jNmgtae mNdae ra÷nRvmraizg>.34.

cNÔae= òmg&h< yat> suy aeR ir>)g&h< gt>, bux > sÝmÉavSwae ÉagRv> zÇuraizg>.35.

#Tyev< mr[Swan< tiSmn! papyute=wva, pap†òe=irnIcSwe ÊbRle Ê>omaßyat!. 36.

the Sun; seventh house, i.e. relationships, partners, etc. The native should be advised not to mix
spirituality with their private life.
However Jupiter is aspecting the lagna and is in kendra to the lagna lord, hence the native may
accept a different religion. The native though a born catholic practices the teachings of the Hindu
religion.
Chart 4: Spiritual Aspirant

In the given chart, the Sun is placed in the second house. This shows that the family/Kula will
play an important role in the native’s instigation of spirituality. This Sun happens to be in
Parivartana Yoga with Mercury, causing an exchange between the second and fourth houses
making the fourth house indications to play an important role in the instigation of spirituality.
The native’s mother played an important role in instigating the native’s spirituality, and later the
uncles of the family (Mercury) also played an important role.
Deity
OM TA T SA T