D6 Chart: Shashthamsa Calculation and Boundaries
Calculate a D6 Shashthamsa sign using 5° parts and odd/even starting signs. Learn why its traditional health topic cannot diagnose illness.
Overview
D6 Shashthamsa splits each natal sign into six 5° parts. Under Rao’s stated rule, odd signs count forward from Aries and even signs from Libra. Its traditional association with health difficulties does not make it a diagnostic or screening tool.
At a glance
- Part count
- Six per natal sign
- Part width
- 5°
- Starting signs
- Odd → Aries; even → Libra
- Interpretive limit
- No diagnosis, prognosis or treatment choice
How do the six parts map to signs?
Locate the degree within the natal sign, not the total zodiac longitude. Assign part one to 0°–5°, part two to 5°–10°, and so on through part six. Each lower boundary begins its new part; 30° starts another natal sign.
Select Aries for an odd natal sign or Libra for an even one, and count the part number inclusively forward. Do not start from the planet’s own natal sign as in one branch of the D10 rule. Similar division labels can hide different algorithms.
A five-degree boundary test
For Taurus 4°59′, an even natal sign, part one maps to Libra. Taurus 5°00′ enters part two and maps to Scorpio. With Leo 5°00′, the same second part starts from Aries instead and maps to Taurus.
These three test inputs distinguish the degree boundary from the parity rule. They say nothing about whether anyone is ill. If a rounded screen displays 5° while its internal longitude remains below 5°, request the underlying precision before declaring the software inconsistent.
How should the health association be handled?
Rao Table 11 assigns D6 a traditional health-related domain; the source does not establish clinical validity. Symptoms, medical history and professional assessment remain independent evidence. Never infer a disease, lifespan or safe treatment from a divisional placement.
An uncertain birth time can also leave the D6 ascendant and houses unresolved. State which inputs are reliable, and stop at the calculation explanation when they are not. The D1 guide helps separate a verified natal position from a speculative house narrative.
Sources and editorial basis
- P. V. R. Narasimha Rao: Vedic Astrology — An Integrated ApproachRao, Vedic Astrology: An Integrated Approach. §6.2.6, p. 54: six 5° parts, odd-sign Aries start and even-sign Libra start; §6.3 / Table 11, pp. 60–61: traditional health domain, not clinical validity. These passages document named traditional methods, not scientific validity. Examples are synthetic, not verified birth observations.A named practitioner’s introduction to Jyotish. Used for terminology and a stated method, not universal school agreement or scientific validation. The added March 18, 2010 note describes changed views; it does not establish a fully revised 2010 edition.
- OpenFate Editorial MethodologyOpenFate Editorial Methodology, stable sections #editorial-principles, #editorial-workflow, #editorial-ai, and #editorial-context. Used for the calculation/interpretation and evidence-boundary policy.OpenFate separates deterministic chart calculation, traditional interpretation, and modern editorial explanation.
- OpenFate Vedic implementation: local source review, 2026-09-08Read-only source review on 2026-09-08: openfate/app/modules/vedic/logic/policy.ts, VEDIC_ENGINE_POLICY (vedic-policy-1.1.0): Vimshottari only and 365.25-day years; math.ts, horaSign and computeVargaSigns: named D2 Sun/Leo and Moon/Cancer mapping plus D6/D9/D10/D24. This verifies the local declared implementation, not current production or alternate-method UI support.An editorial review of local policy and calculation source files, not an independently accessible publication or proof of the deployed version. Implementation limitations and discrepancies remain separate from traditional arithmetic.