The Drekkana — D3 — is the divisional chart for siblings and co-borns, courage, initiative and short journeys. Each 30° sign is divided into three parts of 10°, and each part is treated as a full sign — the same magnifying principle as the Navamsa (D9) and the Saptamsa (D7), here with the simplest possible rule.
A direct word on the boundary first: a chart describes themes and emphasis in relationships with siblings — closeness, friction, support, distance — and the courage and effort of the person themselves. It does not tell you how many siblings you have or what will happen to them. Everything below is the classical method, explained with its limits attached.
The 3rd House and Mars — Where the Statement Is Made
As with every divisional chart, the birth chart makes the statement and the divisional chart tests it. Three factors carry this topic in the birth chart:
- The 3rd house — younger siblings, courage, communication, effort and short journeys. Its lord’s dignity and placement count most.
- The 11th house — elder siblings and, more broadly, friends and the circle around you.
- Mars — the natural significator (karaka) of siblings and of courage in every chart, whichever planet rules the 3rd house.
As with Jupiter for children, two layers are checked together: Mars as the universal significator and the 3rd lord as the chart-specific one. When they agree the indication is consistent; when they disagree the honest reading is a mixed one.
How the Drekkana Is Derived
Take a planet’s sidereal longitude, find how far into its sign it sits, and see which 10° part it occupies. The Drekkana sign is then the sign itself, its 5th sign, or its 9th sign — the sign and its two trine partners:
| Part of the sign | Degrees | Drekkana sign |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 0°–10° | The same sign |
| 2nd | 10°–20° | The 5th sign from it |
| 3rd | 20°–30° | The 9th sign from it |
Five worked examples, computed by the same rules Nyovah’s engine uses:
| Sidereal position | Part | Drekkana (D3) sign |
|---|---|---|
| 5° Aries | 1 | Aries |
| 15° Aries | 2 | Leo |
| 25° Aries | 3 | Sagittarius |
| 15° Taurus | 2 | Virgo |
| 25° Gemini | 3 | Aquarius |
Notice the pattern: 5° Aries stays in Aries, 15° Aries moves to Leo (5th from Aries), 25° Aries moves to Sagittarius (9th from Aries). Every planet ends up in its own sign or in one of its two trine signs, so a Drekkana placement is always in the same element as the birth-chart placement.
What the D3 Actually Contributes
The D3 does not show timing. What it contributes is confirmation: whether the 3rd lord and Mars hold their strength when the chart is divided, how the D3 lagna and its lord are placed, and whether the D3 3rd house is supported. A 3rd lord that is strong in the birth chart and still well placed in D3 is a consistent indication of supportive sibling bonds and steady initiative. A strong one in D1 that weakens in D3 is a flag to read more carefully, not a conclusion.
Where the Dates Actually Come From
Like every divisional chart, D3 is static. The dates come from the Vimshottari dasha: the periods of the 3rd lord, the 11th lord and Mars are the ones that bring sibling and initiative themes forward. How dasha periods work is covered in its own guide, and Nyovah gives every boundary to the exact day.
The Honest Limits
It does not count or predict siblings
Older texts attempt to count siblings from the chart. Nyovah does not, because the method does not hold up honestly: the same placements are read differently by different lineages. The defensible use is describing the quality and emphasis of the relationship.
It describes themes, not events
Closeness, friction and support are tendencies the chart emphasises; they do not predict a particular conflict or an estrangement. People are free agents in these relationships.
The birth time sets the ceiling
A Drekkana part is 10° wide, so the D3 lagna changes roughly every forty minutes of birth time (the ascendant moves about one degree every four minutes). A planet near a 10° or 20° boundary can also flip signs on a small error.
Life Timing Intelligence
See Your 3rd House, Your D3 and Your Dates
Nyovah computes your 3rd lord and its dignity, Mars’s condition, your Drekkana chart and your full Vimshottari dasha timeline — so you can see which dated periods are ruled by the planets carrying this part of your chart. Every dasha boundary exact to the day.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Drekkana (D3) chart?
The Drekkana is the divisional chart for siblings, courage, initiative and short journeys. Each 30° sign is divided into three parts of 10°, and each part is mapped to the sign itself or one of its two trine signs. It tests what the 3rd house and Mars promise in the birth chart; it does not read these matters alone.
How is the D3 chart calculated?
Take a planet’s sidereal longitude and find which 10° part of its sign it occupies. The first part (0°–10°) gives the same sign, the second part (10°–20°) gives the 5th sign from it, and the third part (20°–30°) gives the 9th sign from it. The same rule gives the D3 lagna from the ascendant degree.
What does the 3rd house mean in Vedic astrology?
The 3rd house covers younger siblings, courage, communication, effort and short journeys, and Mars is the natural significator of siblings and courage in every chart. The 11th house covers elder siblings and friends. The 3rd lord’s dignity and placement carry the most weight, and D3 is used to confirm whether that strength holds.
Can the D3 chart tell me how many siblings I will have?
No. Some older texts try to count siblings, but different lineages read the same placements differently, so Nyovah does not make that claim. A chart can describe the quality of sibling relationships — closeness, friction, support — as tendencies, not facts or events.
How does D3 show timing?
It does not. Like the birth chart and every other divisional chart, D3 is static and has no time axis. Dates come from the Vimshottari dasha periods of the 3rd lord, the 11th lord and Mars, which bring these themes forward at specific, calculable times.