Chara Karaka Calculator
Frequently asked questions about Chara Karaka
How are the Chara Karakas assigned?
By degrees inside the sign, nothing else. Rank the seven planets from the Sun to Saturn by how far each has travelled in its rasi. The highest is the Atmakaraka, then Amatya, Bhratri, Matri, Putra, Gnati, and the lowest is the Darakaraka. Strength, exaltation and house do not enter the ranking, which is why a debilitated planet can still hold the top office.
How is this different from the Atmakaraka calculator?
The Atmakaraka calculator is the soul-planet reading: who the AK is and what that planet's lesson is. This page is the full cast, with a card for every office, the house each karaka occupies from Lagna, a warning when two planets sit close in degree, and the eight-karaka list as a comparison. Use both; they answer different questions.
Why is there no Pitrikaraka on the main list?
Because this site's primary scheme is seven-karaka (Parashari): Rahu and Ketu are omitted, and the father is read from Matrikaraka with the mother. The eight-karaka Jaimini scheme counts Rahu in reverse and keeps a separate Pitrikaraka. That ranking is the comparison table on this page, not the list used by Atmakaraka, Darakaraka and Gnatikaraka.
Does a malefic as Atmakaraka or Darakaraka mean a doomed life or marriage?
No. A Saturn or Mars office describes the flavour of that role - duty, delay, heat, effort - not a verdict. Jaimini treats a difficult Atmakaraka as a lesson the soul took on, and a Saturn Darakaraka as a serious or later marriage, not as misfortune. Read the planet with its house and dasha, and with the full natal chart.
How much does birth time affect the ranking?
More than for a Moon sign, less than for Navamsha. The Moon moves about half a degree an hour, so it can overtake or fall behind another planet within a morning. This page flags pairs less than a degree apart. Confirm the recorded time before treating a close swap as final.
Should I read these instead of the houses?
No. Chara Karakas are a second cast, not a replacement. The 7th house and Venus still describe marriage; the Darakaraka adds a Jaimini view of the partner. The 10th house still describes career; the Amatyakaraka is the counsel-and-work significator. Where karaka and house agree, the indication is stronger. Where they differ, the picture is mixed.
What are Chara Karakas?
Chara Karakas are the seven movable significators of Jaimini astrology. Rank the planets from Sun to Saturn by how far each has travelled inside its own sign. The highest degree is the Atmakaraka (soul), then Amatyakaraka (career and counsel), Bhratrikaraka (siblings and gurus), Matrikaraka (parents and home), Putrakaraka (children and intellect), Gnatikaraka (rivals and sadhana), and Darakaraka (spouse) at the lowest degree. The ranking ignores dignity and house; a debilitated planet can still hold the highest office.
This page is the full cast. The Atmakaraka calculator is the soul-planet reading. Darakaraka and Gnatikaraka go deeper on those two offices. Swamsha is the Navamsha sign of the Atmakaraka, not another karaka. Some schools add Rahu (counted backwards) and keep a separate Pitrikaraka; that eight-karaka list is shown here only as a comparison. This site's other karaka tools use the seven-planet scheme.
Enter the exact birth time and pick the city from the dropdown. The Moon can change office in under an hour, and two planets within a degree of each other can swap roles with a small time error. Results are free to share or save as a PDF. Editorial pages are reviewed by Astro Arpita Nath.
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