Rethinking Panchamsa (D5): Restoring the Logic of the Fivefold Division

It is fitting that I begin this essay with an apology, because what follows is a harsh truth, and harsh truths often make people uncomfortable. If you are a Vedic astrologer who relies on divisional charts, especially Panchamsa (D5) and Trimsamsa (D30), read further only if you are willing to confront the possibility that you may have been using them incorrectly. My friend Rok Koritnik challenged me relentlessly nearly eight years ago, pushing me into corners. That challenge set me on this long exploration, and now I am beginning to share my research and findings. For that, I remain deeply grateful to him.

Prelude

The corruption of classical texts and techniques by modern Vedic astrologers and the damage this has inflicted on the tradition in India is difficult to measure. The reluctance to unlearn, the ease with which reason is abandoned, and the aggression that surfaces the moment one questions a method all pushed me to look deeper. I have encountered claims made with great confidence but without any grounding in textual or historical study, and when questioned, the response is often defensiveness rather than inquiry. This pattern, repeated over and over, convinced me that I had to work with these issues myself.

My skepticism about divisional charts has been present for nearly eight years, but I never felt that ancient teachers made mistakes. I have always believed the corruption lies in our understanding, not in the tradition. After years of battle with these divisions, I have finally decided to share my study and the ways in which these divisions can be used correctly. Let us begin with Panchamsa in this essay.

The reason for this strong opening is simple: Panchamsa and Trimsamsa are two useful divisions, but they have been distorted by the modern habit of using them as standalone charts. Neither of these divisions is meant to function like the nativity or Rasi (D1), in other words, not as a standalone chart.

The most basic logical reason is that these divisions are ruled only by the five classical planets, with the luminaries having no role. Therefore, there is no cyclical order we need to cast a chart.

The placement of Panchamsa planets in Cancer and Leo is an error that likely appears when the five-planet Panchamsa cycle is forcibly wrapped around the twelve-sign zodiac. Panchamsa is a table, not a chart, and cannot be cast as one without distorting the cycle.

This should make us reconsider how we have wandered so far from the intent of the tradition.

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Panchamsa

Acharya Neelakantha, in his Tajika Sastram, states that a sign is divided into five parts of six degrees each. In odd numbered signs the sequence of rulers is Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury and Venus. In even numbered signs the sequence is reversed, so the five portions are ruled by Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars.

Odd signs are Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius and Aquarius. Each of these is divided into five equal portions and assigned to Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury and Venus, in that order. If we loosely map the planets to the five elements, this sequence corresponds to fire, air, ether, earth and water. Even signs are Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn and Pisces. These too are divided into five equal segments and assigned to the same five planets, but in the reverse sequence used for odd signs.

The order of planets from Mars to Venus does not follow any of the established classical schemes. It is not the weekly order, the kalachakra order, the order of speed or distance, nor a recognised tattva sequence. If there is a rationale, it has not been preserved in the texts that mention Panchamsa. One possibility, if we approach it philosophically rather than textually, is that Jupiter as ether stands at the centre of the elemental chain and acts as the balancing force between the two active elements, fire and air, and the two passive elements, earth and water. In that sense the five planets from Mars to Venus can be read as fire, air, ether, earth and water arranged around a central equilibrium. If we consider the philosophical backdrop of Tajika, which inherits the Hellenistic division of elements into active and passive pairs, Jupiter as Ether can be viewed as the central balancing element between Fire and Air on one side and Earth and Water on the other. This is a logical interpretation, although it is not explicitly stated in the classical texts that discuss Panchamsa.

As is clear from Neelakantha’s description, the division and the list of rulers are given, but no underlying reasoning is offered. A sign is simply divided into five equal parts and assigned to the five non-luminaries. Odd signs get the direct order and even signs receive the reversed order. This is consistent with a common way of divisions in Jyotisa where even signs reverse the direction of a sequence. Jamini Sutram 3.29 mention Panchamsa, but the translation itself is vague to form any opinion about which I won’t get into here. Either way, it does not justify treating Panchamsa as a standalone chart.

The most decisive point is structural. Panchamsa uses only the five classical planets as rulers and leaves out the Sun and the Moon entirely. Because the cycle breaks at six, there is no continuous loop through the zodiac. A chart based on this scheme will inevitably place planets in Cancer and Leo in a way that contradicts the logic of the division which most software programs do these days.

We do not know the exact internal code used by any Jyotisa program, but we can clearly observe the pattern in the output. Panchamsa has only five planetary rulers and no zodiac structure, so any software that displays it as a twelve-sign chart inevitably has to redistribute the five rulers across all twelve signs. This redistribution produces artificial placements, often filling Cancer and Leo also. What is truly alarming is that these software-generated positions are now being read as if they were valid, with astrologers interpreting them using the regular sign rulerships. This practice is entirely incorrect and cannot be defended in any coherent or reasonable way.

The correct method is not to cast a Panchamsa chart but to use a table of the five divisions. Treating Panchamsa as a standalone chart is methodologically incorrect.

Below is the table to show the Panchamsa portions and rulers of the odd & even signs.

Rasi	1st Portion	2nd Portion	3rd Portion	4th Portion	5th Portion
Aries	Mars	Saturn	Jupiter	Mercury	Venus
Taurus	Venus	Mercury	Jupiter	Saturn	Mars
Gemini	Mars	Saturn	Jupiter	Mercury	Venus
Cancer	Venus	Mercury	Jupiter	Saturn	Mars
Leo	Mars	Saturn	Jupiter	Mercury	Venus
Virgo	Venus	Mercury	Jupiter	Saturn	Mars
Libra	Mars	Saturn	Jupiter	Mercury	Venus
Scorpio	Venus	Mercury	Jupiter	Saturn	Mars
Sagittarius	Mars	Saturn	Jupiter	Mercury	Venus
Capricorn	Venus	Mercury	Jupiter	Saturn	Mars
Aquarius	Mars	Saturn	Jupiter	Mercury	Venus
Pisces	Venus	Mercury	Jupiter	Saturn	Mars

Assuming we agree on the structure of the divisions and set aside the corrupted practice of using Panchamsa as a standalone chart, the next question is how to use it correctly. In my view, Panchamsa should function in the same way that bounds or terms are used in the Hellenistic and Persian traditions. Bounds  were used to identify crisis points in a native’s life and Panchamsa has a slightly different focus. Neelakantha introduces this division in his Tajika Sastram, a work shaped by Persian methods, and this makes it reasonable to apply Panchamsa in a similar manner as bounds/terms.

Much of our modern approach to divisional charts comes from the Parasari tradition, but even there it is unclear whether Parasara intended every division to be cast as a full chart. That ambiguity has been extended uncritically into other systems, and this is where the corruption begins.

If we return to a portion-based understanding of the division, the Panchamsa table becomes a meaningful timing indicator. It can show when a native may attain rank or recognition in creative, scholarly or intellectual fields. It also describes moments when efforts receive support in areas such as theatre, arts and entertainment. In other words, Panchamsa adds nuance and timing to creative success, but only when used in its proper structural context and not as an independent chart.

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Einstein's Nobel Prize

Albert Einstein received his Nobel Prize in November 1922 while he was living through Moon–Rahu–Moon period. The Moon is at 23°47 of Scorpio in the sixth house. Although the Moon rules the second house and is in a fallen condition, its own ruler is exalted in the eighth house of research, upheavals, transformation and longevity. Rahu is also placed in the eighth house along with Mars, the eleventh lord of desires.

Because the Moon is in an even sign, it falls in the fourth portion of the Panchamsa, which is ruled by Saturn. Saturn is the yoga karaka in this chart and rules the ninth house. It is placed in the tenth house and forms a mutual exchange with Jupiter, the lord of the tenth. This parivartana (mutual exchange) activates the dharma (9H) and karma (10H) houses together, giving the classic Dharma Karma Athipathya Yoga for recognition at the highest level. The Moon, as the second lord of possession, falling in Saturn’s Panchamsa is entirely consistent with the timing of receiving the prize, because the rulers of the fifth and ninth houses signify rank and recognition. Although the prize was announced in 1921, Einstein received it physically in 1922, and the second house and second lord can clearly signify possession.

DiCaprio's Academy Award

Leonardo DiCaprio received the Academy Award for The Revenant during Saturn–Saturn–Mercury period. The award ceremony took place on 28 February 2016, and Mercury’s third level period began precisely on that day.

Saturn is in the tenth house and rules both the fifth and sixth houses. The fifth house is directly connected with rank and recognition and, in this case, with the themes of theatre, arts and performance. The sixth house is an artha kona, connected with what one does on a daily basis. The placement of the fifth and sixth lord Saturn in the tenth house gives strong professional recognition.

Saturn is at 26°44 of Gemini and therefore lies in the last Panchamsa of Gemini. Gemini is an odd sign and its fifth portion is ruled by Venus. Venus rules the second and ninth houses and is the yoga karaka of this chart. Venus also signifies rank and recognition as the ruler of the ninth house.

The ascendant lord Mercury, which also rules the tenth house of fame and career, is placed in the second house of possessions and grasp, as well as finance and family. Mercury at Libra 7°41 is placed in the second Panchamsa of Libra, an odd sign with the Panchamsa portion ruled by Saturn. Saturn is the fifth lord of theatre, arts, entertainment and recognition and is placed in the tenth house of fame and achievement. The alignment of these factors on the very day Mercury’s subperiod began strongly reflects the timing of DiCaprio’s award.

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Looking Ahead

The purpose of this essay has been to examine the method, structure and intended use of Panchamsa. The evidence is clear that this division was designed to operate as portions and not as separate charts. Their rulers, their internal logic and their textual context all point in the same direction. When we respect this framework, these divisions offer insights into rank, recognition, timing and creative accomplishment. This technique is used for purely predictive purposes in terms of timing of an event rather than understanding fixed matters such as number of children. When we ignore the framework, the divisions become inconsistent and misleading. This approach restores the richness of Jyotisa in my own mind but because it allows me to work with the divisions in the manner the ancients themselves likely intended. My hope is that this perspective encourages a more careful and textually grounded use of the divisions and opens the door for further study and refinement.

© Aswin Subramanyan 2025

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