Narayana Dasha — Three-Parts Rule: Theory, Avasthas & Sirshodaya Signs

The three parts rule for Narayana Dasha: how to find when, inside one mahadasha, each of its 5–10 possible results is felt. The dasha is cut into three equal parts — one for the sign, one for its lord, one for the planets occupying or aspecting the sign by rasi drishti. The sign chooses first (Sirshodaya = first third, Prishtodaya = last, Ubhayodaya = middle); the lord takes the first or last part still free according to the sign he sits in; the associations get what is left and share it equally in order of advancement in sign. The lord’s third splits into four quarters — house occupied, houses owned, yogas, avastha for a natural benefic, the reverse for a malefic. Also: how to weigh a planet’s state (friend or enemy sign, Uchcha Bala, Sayanadi avastha), and why a divisional-chart dasha sign is not read as a lagna.

Key principle

One of those three parts will give the results of the sign itself, one part will give the results of the lord of the sign, and one part will give the results of the various associations of the sign — the planets occupying it and the planets aspecting it by rasi drishti.

Why Multiple Results Exist in a Single Narayana Dasha

The Fundamental Problem

One Narayana Dasha sign can give 5–10 quite different results. PVNR lists them for three dashas of his own chart (Virgo lagna).

Aries dasha — "9 or 10 different results":

  • Aries is the 8th house → 8th house results
  • Its lord Mars owns the 3rd and 8th → 3rd and 8th house results
  • Mars sits in the 8th → 8th house results again (here the same house, but the lord could be elsewhere)
  • Four planets occupy Aries and three more aspect it by rasi drishti → each gives its own results

Cancer dasha:

  • Cancer is the 11th house → gains
  • Its lord Moon is in the 6th house, the house of enmity, with Rahu afflicting him there → 6th house results; enmities are possible
  • Moon and Rahu (in Aquarius) aspect Cancer by rasi drishti → gains through Rahu (foreign sources), gains through Moon's significations (food business, nursing)

Leo dasha (2007–2012, five years) — ten results:

  • Leo is the 12th house from Lagna → 12th house results
  • Leo is the 10th house from Arudha Lagna → 10th house results
  • Its lord Sun is in the 7th house → 7th house results
  • Ketu occupies Leo → Ketu's results; Ketu is 3rd lord → 3rd house results
  • Mercury, Mars, Venus, Saturn and Jupiter all have rasi drishti on Leo → each gives its own results

The question: when is each of these felt? Not every result runs through the whole dasha. One comes at the beginning, one at the end, one in a particular month.

A Student's Question: Different Areas, or Different Views of One Area?

A student asks whether these are results in different areas of life, or different influences on the same area. PVNR: "It can be both."

  • In Cancer dasha there will be gains (11th house). What kind of gains depends on who aspects the sign — Rahu, Moon.
  • The lord in the 6th can also give enmities. The enmity may be over those gains, or it may be a separate matter altogether.
  • Hypothetical: if Jupiter (4th and 7th lord) were in Cancer, exalted — gain of 4th house matters (a house, a car) and marriage or harmony with the wife. A debilitated Mars there would add negative results of whatever Mars shows in the chart.

Rahu and the Lottery

A student suggests Rahu aspecting the 11th could give a lottery. PVNR disagrees:

  • Rahu signifies shock, but in the negative sense — not a lottery win.
  • Gains through lottery and speculation come from the 5th and 8th houses linked with the house of gains. Then the gain is speculative and unexpected.

What the Rule Does

"I am going to give you some special rules... to divide the dasha into some other artificial division, not the antardasha but some other division, so that you know exactly when each result will be experienced."


Divisional Chart ND — Clarification

The ND Sign Is NOT the Lagna in Divisional Charts

A student asks: when the software shows Aries Narayana Dasha running in Dasamsa, do we take Aries — or the lord of Aries — as lagna and judge from there?

Answer: Neither.

  • In Rasi chart ND the dasha sign is the progression of the lagna (the dasha starts from lagna or the 7th house). So there you do take the dasha sign as lagna and judge how the planets are placed from it.
  • Dasamsa ND is built differently. You take the 10th lord of the Rasi chart — he shows the intelligence you apply to your work — place him in the Dasamsa and progress him. The dasha sign is the progression of the 10th lord, not of the lagna.
  • The Dasamsa dasha sign shows the work the person is doing at that time. Read the influences on that sign to see the influences on career.

"In the case of Dasamsa Narayana Dasha, the Narayana Dasha sign is not the lagna, and even its lord is not the lagna. It is simply the progression of the tenth lord. So you take the Dasamsa Narayana Dasha sign and use that to see what are the influences on his career at that point of time."

Divisional-chart Narayana Dashas are left for a later class. This class and the next few stay with the Rasi chart.


Sirshodaya, Prishtodaya, and Ubhayodaya Signs

Before the rule, one classification from Parasara: how each sign rises.

The Three Categories

CategoryLiteral MeaningSigns
SirshodayaHead-rising (Sirsha = head, Udaya = rising)Gemini, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Aquarius
PrishtodayaBack-rising (Prishtam = back; some translate it "tail")Aries, Taurus, Cancer, Sagittarius, Capricorn
UbhayodayaBoth-rising (Ubhaya = both)Pisces (the only sign left over)
  • Pisces "is confused. It doesn't know how to rise" — it twists and comes up with head and back together. A student suggests it is because the symbol is two fishes; PVNR goes along: one rises with the head, one with the other end.
  • Every classic gives this list — Parasara, Varahamihira — but none says what to do with it.

"Everybody will list this in a book, but they won't tell you what to do with it. There are no clear hints anywhere in the classics on how to use this."


The Three-Parts Rule — The Core Technique

The Main Principle

Each Narayana Dasha mahadasha is divided into 3 equal parts:

  • The sign: one part gives the results of the dasha sign itself
  • The lord: one part gives the results of the lord of the dasha sign
  • The associations: one part gives the results of the planets occupying the sign and the planets aspecting it by rasi drishti (sign aspect — graha drishti is not counted here)

"One of those 3 parts will give the results of the sign itself, one part will give the results of the lord of the sign, and one part will give the results of various associations of the sign — the planets occupying it and the planets aspecting it by rasi drishti."

Which Part Goes to Whom

The sign chooses first, by its own rising type:

  • Sirshodaya dasha sign → first third
  • Prishtodaya dasha sign → last third
  • Ubhayodaya dasha sign → middle third ("you can't have both, you have to select one")

The lord chooses second, from the two parts left, by the sign he is placed in:

  • Lord in a Sirshodaya or Ubhayodaya sign → the first available part
  • Lord in a Prishtodaya sign → the last available part ("he will be lazy; he will want to give his results at the end")

The associations get what is left over.

"The sign itself gets the priority and the lord gets the next priority, and then everybody else gets to take whatever is left."

Worked through with the class:

  • Sign took 1 → lord takes 2 (Sirshodaya/Ubhayodaya placement) or 3 (Prishtodaya placement)
  • Sign took 2 → lord takes 1 or 3
  • Sign took 3 → lord takes 1 or 2
  • A lord placed in a Sirshodaya or Ubhayodaya sign can never give his results in the third part.

Quick Reference Matrix

Dasha Sign RisingLord Placed InPart 1Part 2Part 3
SirshodayaSirshodaya/UbhayodayaSignLordAssociations
SirshodayaPrishtodayaSignAssociationsLord
PrishtodayaSirshodaya/UbhayodayaLordAssociationsSign
PrishtodayaPrishtodayaAssociationsLordSign
UbhayodayaSirshodaya/UbhayodayaLordSignAssociations
UbhayodayaPrishtodayaAssociationsSignLord

Subdivision of the Associations' Part

  1. Count every planet that occupies the dasha sign or aspects it by rasi drishti. Include Rahu and Ketu. Do not include Mandi, Gulika or the other upagrahas — only planets.
  2. "It's a democracy now": divide that third into as many equal parts as there are planets.
  3. Order: by advancement within the sign each planet occupies. The most advanced gives its results first, the least advanced last.
  4. Rahu: count from the end of the sign — advancement = 30° − Rahu's longitude in the sign — because he always moves backwards. This is the same reversal used in the chara karaka scheme; the published class notes apply it to Ketu as well.

"Whoever is more advanced in the sign, they will give their results first. Whoever is less advanced in their sign, they will give their results later."

Chara Karakas Give the Order at a Glance

This is the same ordering as the chara karakas: Atmakaraka, then Amatyakaraka, Bhratrukaraka, Matrukaraka, Pitrukaraka, Putrakaraka, Gnatikaraka, Darakaraka. Keep the karaka list of the chart, pick out the planets that occupy or aspect the dasha sign, and take them in that order. Karakas that are not among them are skipped.

The Sub-Period Is the Peak

A planet's influence on the dasha sign may be felt through the whole dasha. Its own small portion is when that influence peaks.

When the Rule Is Worth Using

If the dasha is short — say one year — do not bother: a third is four months, a quarter of that is one month, and the annual chart (Tithi Pravesha) gives that precision anyway, perhaps better. For a dasha of 5, 10 or 12 years the division matters.


Subdividing the Lord's Slot — 4 Quarters

The third given to the lord is divided into 4 equal quarters. The order of results depends on whether the lord is a natural benefic or malefic. (The whole method is still called the "three parts rule", even though it has this four-part rule inside it.)

For Benefic Lords

QuarterResults Given
1st QuarterThe house the lord occupies
2nd QuarterThe houses the lord owns (both, if he owns two)
3rd QuarterThe lord's yogas — planets he conjoins, exchanges signs with, or is in mutual aspect with; raja yogas and bad yogas alike
4th QuarterThe lord's avastha — his state

Analogy: a good man goes to someone's house to ask for help with a problem in his own house. He finds they have a problem themselves. He forgets his own need, helps them first, and only then attends to his own responsibility. So a benefic first looks after the house he is in, then the houses he owns.

Yogas include bad ones: if the 9th lord and the 8th lord exchange signs, that duryoga gives its result in the yoga quarter.

For Malefic Lords — the Order Is Reversed

QuarterResults Given
1st QuarterThe lord's avastha — is he happy or sad? He looks after himself first
2nd QuarterThe lord's yogas — he wants to be associated with everybody
3rd QuarterThe houses the lord owns — his responsibilities
4th QuarterThe house the lord occupies — bottom of his list

"You are project manager for a particular project. Is it going well or not? It doesn't matter. But are you having dinner with the CEO or not? Are you chatting with your vice president or not? That matters more than actually doing your job."

PVNR adds that this is only an analogy — "if Saturn or Mars comes before you, don't say you are selfish. They will not like it."

Benefic or Malefic?

  • Natural nature, not functional. Saturn is a functional benefic for Capricorn lagna, but here he is a malefic. The question is whether the planet is saumya or krura by nature.
  • Sun: malefic. Mars, Saturn: malefic. Jupiter, Venus: benefic.
  • Moon: benefic when waxing (Shukla Paksha), malefic when waning (Krishna Paksha).
  • Mercury: benefic with a benefic, malefic with a malefic. With Jupiter he is benefic; with Saturn he is malefic. "He can change his colors... Out of all the planets, it's only Mercury who is so flexible."

What "State" Means at Its Simplest

Even without the formal avasthas, dignity already tells the state:

  • Exalted → proud, excited, very happy. The exaltation sign is the planet's favourite place.
  • Debilitated → depressed, sad.
  • Own house → peaceful, relaxed at home.
  • Moolatrikona → formal, as at the workplace; does his duty sincerely, but is not relaxed.
  • Friend's sign → good. Enemy's sign → bad.

Avasthas — What They Are and How to Use Them

PVNR has not taught the avasthas in detail yet ("we will do them later"). He shows where the software lists them (Strength tab → basic avasthas and Sayanadi avasthas) and gives the outline while judging the Sun's state.

Basic Avastha 1: Age (5 States)

  • Bala — child
  • Kumara — adolescent
  • Yuva — youth, the prime
  • Vriddha — old
  • Mrita — dead

A planet in Yuva avastha, in the middle of the sign, gives results to the fullest. Near either end of the sign he is child/adolescent or old/dead and does not give perfect results. But a 10-year-old can be a genius and a 90-year-old who did yoga all his life can be fit and active — "you can't really go by age, but that's one criterion."

Basic Avastha 2: Alertness (3 States)

  • Awake — full results
  • Dreaming — half results
  • Asleep — no results

"That's what the sastra says." It is one parameter among several.

Basic Avastha 3: Mood

Sad, depressed, excited, ashamed (lajjita) and so on. Dina = sad, helpless. Dukhita = distressed, unhappy.

Sayanadi Avastha (Most Important of the Avasthas)

Shows the exact activity of the planet — is he eating, sleeping, what is he doing. From it you derive the kind of activity the planet is interested in. Example: Nrityalipsa = desirous of dancing — a very energetic state, "party mode".

Priority Order

  1. Friend's house or enemy's house — the number one criterion
  2. Uchcha Bala — how close to the exaltation point
  3. Sayanadi avastha
  4. Everything else (Dina etc.) comes last

Combine them. A planet in the worst enemy's house (adhishatru sthana) cannot dance even if he is in Nrityalipsa avastha. "You can't just go by one word."

Uchcha Bala Calculation

Exaltation is not all-or-nothing. Sun is deeply exalted at 10° Aries and deeply debilitated at 10° Libra; in between he is more exalted or more debilitated.

  • Take the planet's distance from its deep debilitation point and divide by 3 → a number from 0 to 60.
  • 180° from the debilitation point → 60 (full). At the debilitation point → 0.
  • In the software: Strength → Shadbala → Sthana Bala → Uchcha Bala.

Values in PVNR's chart, read out in class:

  • Saturn 1.63 — in his debilitation sign, very close to the deep debilitation point
  • Mercury 6 — about 18° from his deep debilitation point in Pisces
  • Venus 56 — very close to his exaltation point (about 27° Pisces)
  • Sun 54 — close to Aries; "90% strength in terms of uchcha bala"

The Sign's Slot — How to Read It

Tradition gives no clear rule for subdividing the sign's own third.

"To further divide the period of the sign into various portions and see when which result will be experienced, I don't really know any consistent principle, so I will not go into that."

For the lord and the associations you can get further clarity; for the sign you cannot.

What to Examine for the Sign's Slot

  1. Nature of the sign: sattvic, rajasic or tamasic; fiery, watery and so on; energetic, peaceful, calm
  2. House from Lagna
  3. House from Arudha Lagna
  4. House from Moon — the result at the level of the mind
  5. Signs aspecting it by rasi drishti: the houses those signs are from lagna also give results in this third

Malefic Sign vs. Benefic Sign in the 3rd/6th from AL

The rule for planets in the 3rd and 6th from Arudha Lagna holds for bare signs too:

SignIn 3rd/6th from ALResult
Malefic sign (e.g. Aries, owned by Mars)3rd or 6th from ALGood materially — material success
Benefic sign3rd or 6th from ALBad materially — losses, giving things up; good for a spiritual person

The worked case — Aries, 6th from PVNR's Arudha Lagna — is in his Aries dasha.


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