In Hinduism, the Trimurti concept plays an important role in explaining how the three main functions of Creation, Sustenance and Dissolution are implemented by Divinity or Higher Power.
Karaka loosely translates to one who is ‘the reason for’ or ‘the doer’. The one who acts by translates the energy of the Rasi Amsa as Bhava in the chart of the individual is any one of the Grahas. Only they can ‘act’ but when they act out the energy of a Rasi/Bhava, they become the ‘Karaka’ of that attribute. Example: Shani is the Karaka of ‘restriction’.
Karakatva is the agent who carries out a specific activity. Example: Karakatva of Karma Bhava is Shani.
Karakamsa is the Amsa or Rasi of the Karaka. Example: The Karakamsa of Dhan Bhava for Dhanur Lagna native is Makara Rasi.
We bring this all together in shorthand by saying: Shani is Adhipati of Makara and Kumbha Rasi. Shani is the Bhava Karaka of 6H(Ari Sthana), 8H(Randhra Sthana) and 12H(Vyaya Bhava). Shani is the natural karaka of old age, manual labourers, restrictions etc.
Now..if you are wondering how to create your own on-demand template for quick recall of the different karakas of the navagrahas, then understanding the classifications will help. That’s what we are going to do in this Bootcamp.
We will first learn why we classify and then how we classify in the next few lessons. Let’s start!
From an astrological pov, what does this mean?
Grahas ‘seize’ the functions or control attributes of actors or aspects of the objects that perform the actions.
One way to understand this: a television is the functioning object. Electricity is responsible for the functioning of the television. The person who controls the electricity controls the television.
That person is the Karaka of electricity.
A chart example: A artist creates fantastic murals that are dreamy and evocative. She is very creative and imaginative. Chandra is the Karaka of Imagination.
Chandra is the Graha who is in charge of turning on/off imagination in a person’s chart. Chandra decides whether a person will have high or low levels of imagination. We look to see if Chandra has to be in good dignity in a chart to determine if the chart native will have imagination and has the inclination/talent to be an artist.
Chandra is the Karaka of Imagination. Now who is the karaka of mathematics? Who is the karaka of intelligence? Which karaka has to be in good dignity for a person to be a successful lawyer? A famous scientist?
The karakas are assigned and mentioned in the classic astrological tomes like BPHS, Uttara Kalamitra, Jataka Parijata, Phaladeepika, Saravali etc.
It is important for as astrology student to read these texts, but we should also have our notes that we keep updating with our observances. Which graha is in strongest dignity in famous people and their area of fame? In your practice charts and known charts of friends/family, are you able to spot their strengths and weaknesses to determine which graha acting as a karaka is of greatest influence in their lives?
This is the study. Students of Jyotish can never stop learning. Buy a notebook and create 9 different folios, one for each graha. Fill it with the karakas mentioned in classical texts. Every time you notice a karaka in action from your study charts, note it down. Use different coloured pens or doodle or use stickers..make pie charts..whatever works for you! But you must be able to identify the Graha acting as the Karaka of every object, person, action or event.
You have to have a personal running list of karakas that you can consult and add to based on your mental map of how you think the world operates. It should follow the rules and guidance from the texts.
example: Venus is the karaka for Arabic language. There is no reference to ‘Arabic’ in the classical texts. But it is a language that is foreign and the script goes right to left or in the opposite direction of our texts.
Therefore, even though the karaka of ‘foreign’ is Rahu(or Ketu) according to texts, it is also Venus for Arabic language acc to my mental map because Venus revolves in the opposite direction around the sun Vs every other planet.
now, this karaka is valid only in the chart of a non-Middle Eastern person. If I am looking at the chart of a Middle Easterner, obviously Venus is not the karaka for foreigner who is from an Arabian country. It is Rahu who becomes the karaka of foreigners in their chart.
This is why every astrologer should have their own karaka chart and map based on the time and place and person for whom they are doing the chart reading.
Moving on..Classification:
BRAHMA: In Hinduism, Brahma is the Creator Deity. His role is fueled by the predominant Guna of RAJAS. He is given the task of creating the whole entire universe and everything that has existed..is existing..will exist comes under his realm and influence.
He controls NAISARGIKA KARAKAS. These karakas who are all of the Navagrahas control everything that can be seen and unseen. Their kingdom of influence includes everything that has been created. It includes living beings(boss/sun is karaka) and non living things(silver/moon is karaka). It includes feelings(restriction/saturn is karaka) and emotions(anger/mars is karaka). It is also man made ideas(gambling/rahu is karaka), abstract concepts(moksha/Ketu is karaka) and even artificial constructs(logic/mercury is karaka)
The Naisargika Karakas are the Navagrahas: Surya, Chandra, Mangala, Budha, Guru, Shukra, Shani, Rahu and Ketu.
VISHNU: In Hinduism, Vishnu is the deity responsible for Sustainence and Preservation. His role is fueled by the predominant Guna of SAATVA. He protects all living things and is responsible for the well being of the universe created by Brahma. His influence is over all living beings and things beyond restrictions of Time.
He controls CHARA KARAKAS. These karakas are 8 in number and they control everything that is alive/been born that are subject to the laws of karma. Vishnu controls Chara Karakas that rules Karmas and not individual lives or lifetimes.
Our accumulated Karmas are carried forward from birth to rebirth and are distributed amongst the eight Chara Karakas. Chara means movement. Our Karmas are always alive and are in motion even after we die because it will move on to the next incarnation influencing eight sectors of our new life. 8 grahas don the costumes of the 8 Chara Karakas to play their assigned roles.
The Chara Karakas are: Atmakaraka, AmatyaKaraka, Bhratrikaraka, Matrikaraka, Putrakaraka, Pitrikaraka, Gnatikaraka and Darakaraka.
With the exception of Ketu, the remaining 8 grahas that form the Navagrahas can take up the role of any of the above mentioned Chara Karakas. Assignment of Chara Karakas to the various grahas differs from birth chart to birth chart and from person to person depending on their past karmas.
Example: From public known charts, Saturn is Atmakaraka for Indra Gandhi. Moon is Atmakaraka for Bill Clinton. Mars is Atmakaraka for Barack Obama. Sun is Atmakaraka for Donald Trump. Even though they were all elected head of nations and political leaders, their chart’s Atmakaraka or Graha ruling their soul’s desires are each different.
Two things: Surya is the natural Atmakaraka for everyone as Surya Deva is the natural karaka of Soul. Ketu cannot be a Chara Karaka as Ketu has no head and only seeks Moksha.
Jaimini considers only 7 Chara karakas and omits Rahu(and Putrakaraka in the scheme) while Parashara considers both 7 and 8 Chara Karakas depending on calculations. More on this later.
This is similar to the concept of Kala Chakra or natural chart. Example: we say Aries is the natural first house according to Kala Chakra even though an individual’s first house could be ..say..Kanya Rasi due to Lagna placement.
In my understanding and from my mental map: Surya is the Kala Chakra’s Atmakaraka, Saturn/Mercury is KC Amatyakaraka, Mars/Mercury is KC Bhartrikaraka, Moon is KC Matrikaraka, Jupiter/Moon is KC Putrakaraka, Jupiter/Rahu is KC Pitrikaraka, Rahu/Mars is KC Gnatikaraka and Venus is KC Darakaraka.
But we can discuss all this in subsequent lessons. We are only learning the three main classifications here.
SHIVA: In Hinduism, he is the deity responsible for Dissolution and Transformations. His role is fueled by the predominant Guna of TAMAS. He ends the cycle of life so that old things may dissolve and transform to start anew.
It is like a relay. What Brahma begins, Vishnu maintains annd what Vishnu maintains, Shiva ends once decay sets in so that he can hand over to Brahma who will recycle to create something new again. all living things and is responsible for the well being of the universe created by Brahma.
His influence is over all living beings and is restricted by the karmic bookends of life and death. This means that he only controls those which exist in Time and have a limited relevance for one lifespan only.
He controls STHIRA KARAKAS. These karakas are 7 in number and they control those that perish or have an expiry date. This means human relationships.
We understand 7 grahas..that is navagrahas minus the shadow/Chaya grahas of Rahu and Ketu. As Chaya Grahas, they are Mlecchas or outsiders.
In our Puranas, they represent Asuras or creatures that desire immortality but can never attain it. Humans are mortal but their karmas/souls are immortal. Our lives are based on Maya, but our Atmas are all fragments of the Brahman who has no beginning or end. Gods or Devas are immortals and can be resurrected even if they disappear. But Asuras can perish and can never be reborn. They too are part of Brahman, but they are not capable of carrying forth their karmas or reincarnate. That’s why Rahu and Ketu who are depicted as disembodied parts of Asura called Svarbhanu cannot be Sthira Karakas.
In the Chara Karaka scheme, Rahu appears in the form of curses of Pitris or past lives. Ketu cannot be a Chara Karaka.
Who are the Sthira Karakas or the 7 Grahas who represent fixed significations on Bhu Loka or those perishable significations that are Sthira or ‘solid’ or ‘fixed’ only for one lifetimes.
These karakas represent relationships or those that perish or cease to exist after our life on this stable plane called Earth is over. They are fixed significations but only for ONE lifetime.
For example: Venus is the Sthira karaka for Wife. (However, Venus is the Naisargika karaka for relationships and could be any one of the Chara Karakas). A person will get a wife in this lifetime if there is karma between them that needs to be played out in this lifetime only.
For all matters of health and state of a marriage with wife, we will look for Venus position and divinity in a man’s chart.
For a woman, Jupiter becomes the Sthira Karaka for husband. Even though Venus is still the Naisargika karaka for relationship. We use Chara karaka to determine the karma and influence of these worldly relations in a chart.
The Sthira Karakas are as follows
Sun/Venus- Father
Moon/Mars- Mother
Mars- Younger siblings
Mercury- Maternal relatives
Jupiter- Paternal relatives, Husband, Children.
Venus- Wife
Saturn- Elder siblings
There are also Bhava Karakas, both primary and secondary. We will discuss them in relation to the Graha Karakas in subsequent lessons.
The subject matter is dense. So please read each one of the 14 points. Digest it and move on to the next. Try to jot down in your journal the synopsis of what you understand from each of the 14 points in your own language/terminology.
Next: BHAVA KARAKAS