Gandanta is formed when the Moon moves from water signs to fire signs, from one paryaya (a column of nine nakshatras uniting 4 signs) to another, from nakshatras ruled by Mercury to Ketu nakshatras. Gandanta is a gap 6° 40' long, uniting the visha-padas (poisonous quarters) of each of the two pairs of nakshatras: Ashlesha and Magha, Jyeshtha and Mula, Revati and Ashwini, that is, the last quarters of Ashlesha, Jyeshtha, Revati and the first quarters of Ashwini, Magha and Mula.
Ancient texts say that being born in a gandanta causes a lot of harm to living beings. It is said that a person born in the 1st quarter of Mula, Magha or Ashwini will lose his father. Moon in the last quarter of Revati, Jyeshtha or Ashlesha can bring loss of mother, father or child. Nowadays, the loss of a parent can mean parental divorce.