Drekkana D3 Chart Explained
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The rasi chart shows the whole of life. Divisional charts (vargas) zoom in on one area at a time. The Drekkana, or D3, is one of the simplest of them: each sign is cut into just three parts. Sage Parashara assigns it to co-borns, that is, brothers and sisters, and by extension to the 3rd-house matters of courage and self-effort.
How the Drekkana is calculated
Each sign of 30 degrees is divided into three drekkanas of 10 degrees.
| Part of the sign | Degrees | D3 sign |
|---|---|---|
| 1st drekkana | 0° to 10° | The same sign |
| 2nd drekkana | 10° to 20° | The 5th sign from it |
| 3rd drekkana | 20° to 30° | The 9th sign from it |
The 1st, 5th and 9th signs from any sign are its trines and share its element. So a planet in a fire sign always stays in a fire sign in D3, earth stays earth, air stays air and water stays water.
The full table
| Rasi sign | 0° to 10° | 10° to 20° | 20° to 30° |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | Aries | Leo | Sagittarius |
| Taurus | Taurus | Virgo | Capricorn |
| Gemini | Gemini | Libra | Aquarius |
| Cancer | Cancer | Scorpio | Pisces |
| Leo | Leo | Sagittarius | Aries |
| Virgo | Virgo | Capricorn | Taurus |
| Libra | Libra | Aquarius | Gemini |
| Scorpio | Scorpio | Pisces | Cancer |
| Sagittarius | Sagittarius | Aries | Leo |
| Capricorn | Capricorn | Taurus | Virgo |
| Aquarius | Aquarius | Gemini | Libra |
| Pisces | Pisces | Cancer | Scorpio |
Worked examples
- Mars at 14° Leo. 14° is in the second drekkana. The 5th sign from Leo is Sagittarius. Mars is in Sagittarius in D3.
- Lagna at 25° Gemini. Third drekkana. The 9th sign from Gemini is Aquarius. The D3 Lagna is Aquarius.
- Sun at 3° Scorpio. First drekkana. The Sun stays in Scorpio.
Do this for the Lagna and all nine planets and you have the D3 chart. This is the standard Parashari drekkana. A few other versions exist (for example the Jagannatha and Somanatha drekkanas) for specialised uses, so check which one your software shows.
What the D3 chart shows
- Siblings. The number of brothers and sisters is not something to predict from a chart in the modern world, but the D3 describes the relationship: closeness, support, distance or rivalry.
- Courage and initiative. The 3rd house is the house of one's own effort. D3 shows how much drive a person brings and how they act under pressure.
- Skills and communication. Work with the hands, writing, performing, selling, short journeys.
- Effort in career. Because effort feeds achievement, D3 is a useful supporting chart for work matters alongside the D10 Dasamsa.
How to read it, step by step
1. Start with the rasi chart. Look at the 3rd house, its lord, and planets in or aspecting it. Mars is the natural karaka for younger siblings and courage; Jupiter, with the 11th house, is read for elder siblings. A divisional chart refines the rasi chart; it never overrules it.
2. Find the 3rd lord in D3. If the 3rd lord of the rasi chart is in its own sign, its exalted sign, or a kendra or trikona of the D3, the 3rd-house matters are well supported. If it is weaker, they need more conscious effort.
3. Look at the D3 Lagna and its lord. A strong D3 Lagna lord shows steady energy and self-reliance.
4. Check the 3rd and 11th from the D3 Lagna for younger and elder siblings, with Mars and Jupiter.
5. Note planets that keep their sign. A planet in the first 10 degrees of its sign sits in the same sign in the rasi and D3 charts. This consistency is read as a small strength.
A short illustration
Suppose the Lagna is 8° Leo and Venus, the 3rd lord (Libra is the 3rd house), is at 22° Taurus.
- The Lagna is in the first drekkana: the D3 Lagna is Leo.
- Venus is in the third drekkana of Taurus: the 9th from Taurus is Capricorn. In D3, Venus sits in Capricorn, a friendly sign, in the 6th house from the D3 Lagna.
In the rasi chart Venus is strong, in its own sign in the 10th house: effort brings visible results in career. The D3 adds a detail: the 6th house is a house of work, service and competition, so this person's initiative shows best through hard, competitive work, and sibling relationships may involve some friendly rivalry or practical help rather than easy closeness. This is a description of a pattern, not a fixed outcome.
The three drekkana lords
Parashara names three sages as the presiding lords of the three parts: Narada for the first, Agastya for the second and Durvasa for the third. Some astrologers use them to describe the flavour of a placement: Narada for movement and communication, Agastya for steadiness and Durvasa for intensity.
Birth time and D3
The Lagna takes about two hours to cross a sign, so each drekkana rises for roughly 40 minutes. The D3 Lagna is therefore far less sensitive to birth-time errors than the Navamsa Lagna, which changes about every 13 minutes. Only when the rasi Lagna is close to 0°, 10° or 20° does a small error matter.
In Sithars Astrology
The Business and Career report includes the D3 Drekkana among its divisional charts, where it is read for effort and competitive energy.
Summary
The Drekkana divides each sign into three parts of 10 degrees: the first stays in the same sign, the second goes to the 5th sign and the third to the 9th. Read the resulting D3 chart for siblings, courage and self-effort, always beginning with the 3rd house and its lord in the rasi chart, and use it as a refinement, never as a verdict.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the Drekkana chart?
The Drekkana or D3 chart is a divisional chart made by splitting each sign into three parts of 10 degrees. It is read mainly for siblings, courage, effort and initiative.
How is the D3 chart calculated?
A planet in the first 10 degrees of a sign stays in the same sign in D3. In the second 10 degrees it goes to the 5th sign from it, and in the last 10 degrees to the 9th sign from it.
What does the D3 chart show?
It refines the matters of the 3rd house: brothers and sisters, courage, self-effort, skills of the hands and short journeys. It is always read together with the rasi chart.
Do I need an exact birth time for D3?
The D3 Lagna changes about every 40 minutes, so an approximate birth time is often enough, unless the Lagna is near 0, 10 or 20 degrees of a sign.
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