Atmakaraka

Definition

Atmakaraka means the significator of the self or soul (atma). In the Jaimini chara (movable) karaka scheme that Parasara adopts, you find it by seeing which planet has moved the highest number of degrees within its own sign. That planet is the first and chief of the seven chara karakas; the other six follow in decreasing order of degrees, down to the Darakaraka. In Santhanam's BPHS you deduct Rahu's longitude from 30 degrees, and break any tie by minutes, then seconds, of arc.

In Tradition

These classical and modern sources treat the Atmakaraka as the most important karaka, likening it to a king: just as a king is chief of his country, the Atmakaraka has prime say over the person, and no other karaka can predominate over it. BPHS (Santhanam), Cole, and Larsen agree that its condition governs the chart, so an afflicted Atmakaraka holds the other karakas back from giving their full benefic results.

In Practice

Jyotishis read the Atmakaraka for the soul's chief desire, inner nature, and spiritual direction, above all through where it sits in the Navamsa (the ninth-harmonic divisional chart). The sign it falls in there is the Karakamsa, which Raman and Rao use for profession and prediction; the author of Uttara Kalamrita, though, takes only its Rasi (sign-chart) position. Frawley examines it for the soul's aspirations and weighs it for spiritual initiation. Raman applies it to career (Mercury for dramatics, Rahu for chemicals and drugs); Rao reads it for raja yoga and also for mishaps; Cole and Larsen treat its planet as the central soul-lesson (ego for the Sun, anger for Mars). Rath uses the nakshatra (lunar mansion) of the chara atmakaraka to show the source of suffering.

Historical Origin

The principle is attested in Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra (Ch.32, Santhanam translation) and in Uttara Kalamrita (Ch.IV, Sastri translation), both crediting Jaimini's Sutras. Modern authors elaborate it, including Frawley, Sutton, Behari, Raman, Rao, Larsen, Cole, deFouw and Svoboda, Rath, and Narasimha Rao.

Further Reading

• Santhanam, Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra
• Sastri, Uttara Kalamrita
• Frawley, The Astrology of the Seers
• Sutton, The Essentials of Vedic Astrology
• Behari, Fundamentals of Vedic Astrology
• Raman, How to Judge a Horoscope, Volume Two
• Raman, Concerning the Second House
• Raman, Notable Horoscopes
• Rao, Predicting through Jaimini's Chara Dasha
• Rao, Hindu Astrology Easily
• Rao, Yogis, Destiny and the Wheel of Time
• Rath, Brhat Naksatra
• Larsen, Jyotisha Fundamentals
• Cole, Science of Light, Volume I
• deFouw and Svoboda, Light on Life
• Narasimha Rao, Vedic Astrology: An Integrated Approach