Dussehra 2026: Victory Has Its Own Tithi, and Dashami Is Closely Tied to Your House of Karma

By Richa Pathak, Astrologer & Vastu Expert, Jyotish Dham, Chandivali, Powai, Mumbai

Tuesday, 20 October 2026 · Shukla Dashami, Ashwin · Vijayadashami

Dussehra is often reduced to an effigy and a bonfire. Inside the festival sits a clear principle of Vedic astrology: victory belongs to the tenth.

One day, three victories

The tenth day of the bright fortnight of Ashwin is remembered for three different victories, and each part of India honours the one its own tradition holds dear.

In North India it is the day Shri Rama defeated Ravana. After the exile, the abduction of Sita and the war in Lanka, the ten-headed king is believed to have fallen on this tithi. At dusk, effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad are burnt.

In the East and in the Devi tradition it is the day Goddess Durga defeated Mahishasura. The nine nights of Navratri are that battle, and Dashami is the victory. In Bengal it is also the day of an emotional farewell to the Goddess.

In the Mahabharata tradition it is the day the Pandavas reclaimed their weapons. After twelve years in the forest and a year in disguise, Arjuna took his bow Gandiva down from a Shami tree, worshipped the tree and rode out to defend the kingdom of Virata. This is why the Shami is worshipped on Dussehra.

The stories differ, but they say the same thing: victory does not arrive suddenly. It comes after long preparation, restraint and quietly held strength, and then it arrives on a particular day. In other words, even victory has its panchang.

What Ravana's ten heads tell us

The popular reading of the word Dussehra joins dasha (ten) and hara (to remove or end). Ravana's ten heads are taken to stand for ten failings. Teachers list them a little differently, but the common version includes lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride, envy, ego, selfishness, cruelty and injustice.

It is an incomplete reading to see Ravana only as a villain. He was a scholar of the Vedas, a devoted worshipper of Shiva and a gifted musician, and tradition connects an astrology text, the Ravana Samhita, with his name. He fell not for lack of intelligence but because he had no mastery over those ten tendencies. I notice the same thing when I read charts: clever, hardworking, talented people are often undone by one particular head.

So when you watch the effigy burn, do not carry any bitterness towards a person, a community or a neighbour. The effigy stands for a tendency, not for a human being.

What the panchang says this Tuesday

• The weekday. Tuesday belongs to Mars, the planet of courage, effort and victory in conflict. The day of victory is ruled by the warrior’s planet.
• The tithi. Dashami is traditionally presided over by Dharmaraja (Yama). It belongs to the Purna group of tithis (5th, 10th and 15th), which means full.
• The sequence. Yesterday, Maha Navami, was a Rikta (empty) tithi, suited to completion, rest and gratitude. Today, Dashami, is Purna. The nine days of vows and discipline empty us out, and the tenth day fills us again. First rest, then victory.
• The Sun. The Sun is in Libra, where it is debilitated. Libra is the sign of balance and fairness, so the message of the day is clear: a victory is good only if it was won fairly.

One more point deserves attention. Vijayadashami is counted among the Sade Teen Muhurat, the three and a half days of the year on which new work can begin without searching for a separate muhurat. The others are Gudi Padwa, Akshaya Tritiya and half of Diwali Padwa. That is why so many people open a shop, buy a vehicle, start classes or sign papers on this day.

The best time for the puja is the Aparahna Kaal, the afternoon period, and the Vijaya Muhurat differs from city to city. Please confirm the Mumbai timing on a verified panchang.

Dashami and the tenth house: the most interesting link in this festival

The tithi is the tenth, and the tenth house of a Kundli is the house of karma: profession, business, reputation and your visible place in society. Worldly victory and the festival of victory both belong to the number ten. I do not think that is an accident.

When I read a chart for career, I look at these things:

• The 10th house and the sign on it. It shows the kind of work and recognition that come naturally to you.
• The 10th lord. Its sign, house and strength show where your career energy is flowing.
• Planets placed in the 10th house. The Sun, Mars and Saturn often give good results here. The Sun gains directional strength in the 10th.
• The Dasamsa chart (D10). This divisional chart is made specifically for career. A birth chart that looks ordinary with a strong D10 can still produce good professional results.
• The natural significators of career: the Sun (authority), Mercury (skill and trade), Jupiter (wisdom and growth) and Saturn (discipline and long effort).
• The running dasha. Career changes usually come in the dasha or antardasha of the 10th lord, or of planets connected to the 10th house.

One more detail. Mars is exalted in Capricorn, and Capricorn is the natural tenth sign of the zodiac. The planet of courage reaches its full strength in the sign that stands for work. Courage that is put into work becomes success.

So ask yourself one question today: which victory in my work am I waiting for without preparing for it? Arjuna spent a whole year in disguise, but he never gave up practice.

The gold tree: Apta and Shami

In Maharashtra, and so in Mumbai, people exchange the leaves of the Apta tree (Bauhinia racemosa) on Dussehra and call them sona, gold. They greet each other with the Marathi wish “Sonam ghya, sonyasarkhe raha”, which means: take this gold and stay as precious as gold. Flower markets such as Dadar start selling bundles of the leaves a few days ahead.

The custom goes back to a story in Kalidasa’s Raghuvamsha. Kautsa, a student of the sage Varatantu, finished his studies and insisted on giving his teacher a fee. The teacher refused, but when Kautsa kept insisting he named fourteen crore gold coins, one crore for each of the fourteen branches of learning. Kautsa went to King Raghu, who had already given away all his wealth in a sacrifice. Raghu did not turn him away and began to prepare to march against Kubera, the lord of wealth. Then Kubera rained gold coins on the Shami and Apta trees. Raghu gave all of it to Kautsa. Kautsa took only what he needed and returned the rest, and Raghu shared it among his people.

The three characters in this story teach me something about money. The student took only what was required, the king gave away all that he had, and the god honoured both. The exchange of Apta leaves keeps that generosity alive.

The Shami tree is also traditionally associated with Saturn, and its leaves are offered to Shani and to Ganesha. In 2026 Saturn is in Pisces, and people with Aquarius, Pisces or Aries as their Moon sign are going through Sade Sati. For them Dussehra offers a simple remedy: offer a few Shami leaves with faith, pray for patience and protection, and take a vow of one act of service. Saturn stands by the person who stays patient, and the Shami is the tree of the one who waited.

Aparajita Puja and crossing the boundary

In many places the day begins with Aparajita Puja. Aparajita means the unconquered, one of the names of the Goddess. Her blue flower, the butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea), is also offered. Several texts describe the puja as an afternoon ritual facing the North-East, with an eight-petalled lotus drawn on the ground.

There is also an old Maratha custom attached to the day, Seemollanghan, the crossing of the boundary. Rulers once set out on campaigns on this day by crossing the border of their territory. In today’s terms it means something simple: this is the day to cross your own border. Send the application. Launch the website. Have the conversation you have been postponing for months.

Vastu: what to do on the day of victory

• Remove your own Ravana first. Spend an hour before evening clearing the house of broken things, old papers and dried plants. In Vastu, a heap of unnecessary items is a sign of stalled decisions.
• Worship your tools. Place your laptop, books, instruments, tools and vehicle keys on a clean cloth in the North-East or East and offer a flower.
• Vehicle puja. Many families buy a car on this day. In Vastu the North-West (Vayavya) is the direction of movement and suits parking. Apply a small tilak, offer a garland and do not let the vehicle block the entrance.
• A Shami at the door. Many families keep a Shami plant at the entrance or in the garden. Keep it clean and away from the toilet or any waste area.
• The entrance. Refresh the toran and the rangoli. Whatever enters the house passes the threshold first.
• The Aparajita corner. Place a lamp with a flower in the North-East and keep that corner empty for the day.
• Shop or office. Keep the North and North-East open, and place the safe in the South-West so that its door opens to the North.

Vastu tip: If you are signing a paper today or starting something new, sit at a clean table facing East or North. It is a small thing, but it helps the mind connect with the resolve.

How to observe Vijayadashami at home

1. Bathe in the morning and wear clean clothes. If you installed a kalash during Navratri, perform the visarjan as your family tradition directs.
2. In the afternoon, during Aparahna Kaal, light a lamp facing the North-East, offer a flower to Goddess Aparajita (a blue one if you can find it) and chant Om Aparajitayai Namah 108 times.
3. Offer a few Shami leaves with a prayer for victory over your own weaknesses.
4. Take Apta leaves or sweets to neighbours and relatives, and say one good thing to each person.
5. On a piece of paper write the name of the one head, out of the ten, that troubles you most. Burn it safely or tear it up.
6. Fix and begin one task that has been pending for a long time, this week.
7. If you go to see the Ravana Dahan in the evening, explain to the children that the ten heads are ten faults, and ask which one they would like to burn.

Accounting for your victory: three questions

Take a sheet of paper today and write honest answers to these three questions.

1. What did Navratri ask me to give up? That is your Ravana.
2. What preparation am I doing quietly that should now get a date? That is your Gandiva.
3. Which boundary will I cross this week? That is your Seemollanghan.

Questions I am often asked

Do I need to look for a separate muhurat to start something on Dussehra? Vijayadashami is one of the three and a half auspicious muhurats, so ordinary good beginnings do not need a separate one. For a major decision, such as a marriage or a large investment, it is still wise to check your own dasha and transits.

Is it fine to buy a vehicle today? Many families do, and tradition regards it as auspicious. Just settle the finances beforehand.

I could not finish my Navratri vrat. Will that affect the Dussehra puja? No. Dussehra is a separate observance. Offer thanks for what you could do and move on.

Is anything known about Ravana’s horoscope? There are plenty of folk stories, for example that Ravana ordered the planets to take favourable positions at his son’s birth. These are stories and not verified charts. I read them as a picture of a man who conquered everything except himself.

Is it right to take children to see Ravana Dahan? Yes. It is a good chance to explain the ten heads in simple words.

In closing

The nine nights clean the house, steady the mind and introduce us to the Goddess in many forms. The tenth day asks only one thing: what will you do with all this? In all three stories the victory went to the person who prepared patiently, took back his own strength and acted on the right day. If you have been preparing for a long time, today is that day.

If you want to understand your own 10th house, Dasamsa chart and career dasha, or have the Vastu of your home or workplace reviewed, you are welcome to consult me at Jyotish Dham.

Richa Pathak is a Mumbai-based astrologer and Vastu expert, founder of Jyotish Dham, Chandivali, Powai, with 25+ years of experience and 1,00,000+ clients worldwide. Consultations are available online and in person at astrologerrichapathak.com.