Chatvarimshat means forty. The Khavedamsa is the fortieth part of a sign, with parts of only 45 minutes of arc, which are smaller than a degree. It is one of the six charts that belong only to the full set of sixteen, and it is among the finest in practical use.
What the Khavedamsa is read for
The tradition attaches the D40 to the mother’s side of the family and to the tendencies a person inherits from it. Some teachers also describe it as a chart of the broad auspicious or difficult colouring of life, in a way that is more like a general overlay than a particular subject. Others limit it strictly to the maternal line.
The reading follows the same logic as the other family charts. The fourth house of the Rashi chart stands for the mother, the Moon is her natural significator (karaka), and the D40 is consulted to see how those are placed at a finer level. It is a chart for reflection on family temperament and not a record of family events. A chart cannot tell anyone about their mother’s health or fortunes, and questions on those subjects belong with the family and a doctor.
How the Khavedamsa is calculated
The Parashari rule used by the divisional charts calculator splits each sign into forty parts of 45 minutes (30 degrees divided by 40). In an odd sign (Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius) the count begins at Aries. In an even sign (Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces) it begins at Libra. Each following part takes the next sign in order.
| Sign divided | Part 1 falls in | Last part (40) falls in |
|---|---|---|
| Aries | Aries | Cancer |
| Taurus | Libra | Capricorn |
| Gemini | Aries | Cancer |
| Cancer | Libra | Capricorn |
| Leo | Aries | Cancer |
| Virgo | Libra | Capricorn |
| Libra | Aries | Cancer |
| Scorpio | Libra | Capricorn |
| Sagittarius | Aries | Cancer |
| Capricorn | Libra | Capricorn |
| Aquarius | Aries | Cancer |
| Pisces | Libra | Capricorn |
Take a planet at 17°50′ of Cancer. Each part is 0°45′ long, so this position lies in part 24 (from 17°15′ to 18°00′). By the rule above, part 24 of Cancer is Virgo, so the planet sits in Virgo in D40.
Forty parts is three whole rounds of the zodiac and four extra signs, so the last part of an odd sign falls in Cancer and the last part of an even sign in Capricorn. The table above gives the first and last part of every sign.
The effect of the rule
The start-of-count rule gives a pleasing symmetry. Every odd sign starts at Aries, so the first part of Gemini, Leo or Aquarius is the same as the first part of Aries. Every even sign starts at Libra, the sign opposite Aries. So all odd signs share one pattern and all even signs another, and the entire D40 is described by two rows of forty signs. The only thing that changes the result is the position within the sign: a planet at 5 degrees of any odd sign and a planet at 5 degrees of any other odd sign fall in the same D40 sign.
Sensitivity to birth time
Each part of the D40 is 45 minutes of arc, which the ascendant crosses in about three minutes. The Lagna of the D40 therefore depends on the exact minute of birth, and a birth time rounded to five minutes can give the wrong Lagna. Teachers who use the D40 at all say it should be used only with a time known to the minute, ideally from a birth record. For planets, which move far more slowly, the D40 sign is steadier than the Lagna, though the Moon, which covers 45 minutes of arc in roughly an hour and a half, can change its D40 sign quickly too.
Where schools differ
The Aries-for-odd and Libra-for-even rule is the Parashari scheme and is used by the site. Other schemes for the D40 exist, and published software is not uniform, since the chart is rarely taught in detail. The description of what the chart signifies varies more than the rule itself. Some teachers read it purely for the maternal line, some for auspicious and inauspicious results in general, and some do not use it. If another program shows a different D40 for the same birth, the cause is almost always a different scheme or a different birth time.
How much weight teachers give it
In the commonly quoted Vimshopaka weights the Khavedamsa carries 0.5 out of 20 in the Shodashavarga, one of the smallest shares, and it is not in any smaller set. It is among the least consulted vargas in routine practice. A good astrologer will rarely base a conclusion on it, and when it is used it supports the Rashi chart’s fourth house and the Moon, as set out in the site’s guides to planets in the houses and the Moon in each sign.
For most readers the sensible approach is to treat the D40 as a curiosity unless the birth time is known exactly and there is a specific question about family temperament. The dasha periods tell you what is active at any time in a way no fine varga can.
Reading your own Khavedamsa
Choose D40 in the calculator, enter your details and note the D40 sign of the Moon and the lord of the fourth house. Compare with the Rashi chart. If your birth time is approximate, read the planets only.
The preceding chart is the Trimshamsa (D30) and the next is the Akshavedamsa (D45).
Frequently asked questions
↳ What is the D40 chart used for?
Tradition reads it for the maternal line and inherited tendencies. It is a reflective chart for family temperament and cannot tell you about anyone's health or events.
↳ How is the Khavedamsa calculated?
Each sign is divided into forty parts of 45 minutes. In an odd sign the count starts at Aries, and in an even sign it starts at Libra.
↳ Why is the D40 so sensitive to birth time?
Each part is only 45 minutes of arc, and the ascendant crosses that in about three minutes. A small error in the birth time can change the Lagna of the chart.
↳ Do most astrologers use the D40?
It is among the least used of the sixteen vargas. Many practitioners leave it aside and rely on the Rashi chart, the Navamsa and the dashas.
↳ Which house stands for the mother?
Most Parashari teachers give the fourth house to the mother and the Moon as her significator. Some traditions reverse the houses of the mother and father.