D7 Saptamsa Chart: Children and the Next Generation Explained

The Saptamsa takes its name from sapta, seven. It is the one divisional chart in the Saptavarga, the set of seven charts, that is not already in the Shadvarga of six, and it is the chart the tradition keeps for descendants: children, their prospects and the bond with them.

What the Saptamsa is read for

The Rashi chart’s fifth house is the house of children, creativity and learning, and Jupiter is the natural significator (karaka) of children for both sexes. The Saptamsa is the chart consulted for more detail on this theme. Teachers look at the D7 Lagna, the fifth house from it, the lord of that house, and the position of Jupiter. Some read the Saptamsa for the character of the children as well as their number or timing, though a classical text gives more detail on the first than on the second.

Because the subject is sensitive, a few cautions belong at the start. The Saptamsa describes tendencies, and neither a “strong” nor a “weak” D7 says anything medical. Questions about fertility, pregnancy or a child’s health belong with a doctor. A reading that sets out to predict the birth or loss of children is outside what a careful practitioner will offer, and the site does not offer one.

How the Saptamsa is calculated

The Parashari rule, which the divisional charts calculator follows, divides each sign into seven parts of 4 degrees 17 minutes (30 divided by 7). In an odd sign (Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius) the count begins at the sign itself. In an even sign (Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces) it begins at the 7th sign from it. Each following part takes the next sign in zodiac order.

Take a planet at 9°15′ of Gemini. Each part is 4°17′ long, so this position lies in part 3 (from 8°34′ to 12°51′). By the rule above, part 3 of Gemini is Leo, so the planet sits in Leo in D7.

So in an odd sign the first seven signs from it are used, and in an even sign the seven signs beginning with its opposite. A planet at the very start of every odd sign is in the sign itself, and a planet at the start of an even sign is in the opposite sign.

Seven parts of 4 degrees 17 minutes

The Saptamsa is the first chart in the series whose parts do not divide the sign into whole degrees: 30 divided by 7 is 4.2857 degrees. This matters for the boundaries. The parts end at 4 degrees 17 minutes, 8 degrees 34 minutes, 12 degrees 51 minutes, 17 degrees 9 minutes, 21 degrees 26 minutes, 25 degrees 43 minutes and 30 degrees. A planet within a minute or two of a boundary can change sign in the D7 with a small change in the ayanamsa or in the birth time, so near-boundary planets deserve a note.

The Lagna of the D7 changes about every seventeen minutes, so an accurate birth time is important for this chart.

Where schools differ

The rule above is the standard Parashari one. Some teachers count the Saptamsa from the sign itself in every case, and other counting orders are also in use. If a different program gives different D7 signs, check which scheme it uses. The Saptamsa rule here is stated under every result in the calculator.

How much weight teachers give it

The Saptamsa is in the Saptavarga and the Dashavarga and in the Shodashavarga, and in the commonly quoted Shodashavarga weights it carries 0.5 out of 20. Its practical importance is higher than its weight suggests, because it is the first chart many astrologers open when a client asks about children. Still, it is read together with the fifth house, Jupiter, the lord of the fifth and the running dasha, never alone.

A practical point follows from this sensitivity. When the birth time is only approximate, a reading that rests on the Lagna of the D7 is weak, and a careful astrologer will say so.

Reading your own Saptamsa

Choose D7 in the calculator and note the Lagna, the fifth house from it and where Jupiter falls. Compare with the fifth house in the Rashi chart, where the guides to the fifth house and the house lords give a fuller picture. The Mahadasha calculator shows which planet’s period is running.

The preceding chart is the Chaturthamsa (D4) and the next is the Navamsa (D9), the most widely used of all.

Frequently asked questions