Parasara's Teachings on Chara Karakas An Independent Interpretation P.V.R. Narasimha Rao (http://www.VedicAstrologer.org) Original version: 2008 October 23 Current version: 2008 October 24 Warning: All copyrights are reserved with author. This article cannot be reproduced in any form in part or in full without express permission from the author. A word from the author: This is an independent interpretation of Parasara's teachings on chara karakas. I have no pretensions that I got it correct. But this is based on an honest attempt to purge all preconceived notions from the mind and approach Parasara's verses with a fresh and unbiased mind. I am trying to share whatever I was able to understand by reading Parasara's exposition on chara karakas with an open mind and then experimenting. If you think my interpretation has some worth in it, please use it, experiment, benefit and spread the knowledge. If not, just leave it. The first two verses of the chapter on karakas in "Brihat Parasara Hora Shastram" go as: Awah< s<àvúyaim ¢hanaTmaidkarkan!, sÝrVyaidzNyNtan! raþNtan! vaòs<Oykan!. 1. A<zE> smaE ¢haE ÖaE cet! raþNtan! icNtyet! tda, sÝEv karkanev< keicdòaE àc]te. 2. athähaà sampravakñyämi grahänätmädikärakän | saptaravyädiçanyantän rähvantän väñöasaìkhyakän || 1|| aàçaiù samau grahau dvau cet rähvantän cintayet tadä | saptaiva kärakänevaà kecidañöau pracakñate || 2|| This can be translated literally as: "Now I am speaking about seven planets from Sun to Saturn or eight planets upto Rahu, acting as the significators of self etc. If two planets are equal by degrees, then planets upto Rahu should be thought of. Thus, only seven significators [in some] and eight in some are considered." This is clearly saying that seven karakas are used in some charts and eight karakas in some charts. This is also giving the criterion to choose 7 vs 8. In charts containing two planets in the same degree, we include Rahu and consider 8 portfolios. Otherwise (i.e. if all planets are in different degrees), we exclude Rahu and consider 7 portfolios only. Jaimini also said "saptaanaam aShTaanaam vaa" and indicated using "seven or eight" significators. According to one interpretation of these verses, Parasara acknowledged two different schools of thought, one of them suggesting 7 karakas and the other suggesting 8 karakas, and both are correct. Chara karakas should have a clear role in charts and to say that planet X acting as a specific karaka and planet Y also acting as the same karaka can be justified at the same time is illogical. It means we do not understand how karakas are to be used. If our understanding of how karakas should be used is incomplete, it is no wonder we can justify any planet as any karaka. There must be clear (even if complex) rules to decide which planet is the karaka for what. A maharshi like Parasara will not say "there are different views. Do as you please. You are on your own. Make an arbitrary choice". A maharshi like Parasara gets knowledge by direct experience and not limited by the confusions of others. The line of thought that Parasara merely mentioned two contradictory views can be palatable to those who imagine a rishi as merely a great intellectual. A rishi is much much more than that. To me, this line of thought is simply absurd. Pt Sanjay Rath has a different take. According to him, 8 karakas are used in the charts of humans and other beings, while 7 karakas are used in mundane charts. There are two problems with this line of thinking: (1) Parasara never talked about mundane charts vs charts of beings. (2) Parasara was clear that Rahu is included only when two planets are in the same degree and 7 karakas are used otherwise. In the case of human beings, Pt Rath always uses 8 karakas, irrespective of whether two planets are in the same degree or not. This is inconsistent with Parasara’s teaching. Thus, I reject the line taken by Pt Sanjay Rath and I also reject the view that Parasara acknowledged two different schools and that both schools are correct. There is only one correct way to find karakas and Parasara taught it. * * * The verses of Parasara on the calculation of chara karakas go as: Awah< s<àvúyaim ¢hanaTmaidkarkan!, sÝrVyaidzNyNtan! raþNtan! vaòs<Oykan!. 1. A<zE> smaE ¢haE ÖaE cet! raþNtan! icNtyet! tda, sÝEv karkanev< keicdòaE àc]te. 2. ATma sUyaRidoeqana< mXye ý<zaixkae ¢h>, A<zsaMye klaixKyat! tTsaMye ivklaixk>. 3. buxE> raizklaixKyat! ¢aýae nEvaTmkark>, A<zaixk> kark> SyadLpÉagae=NTykark>. 4. mXya<zae mXyoeq> SyaÊpoeq> s @v ih, ivlaemgmnaÔahaer<za> zaeXya> oviût>. 5. A<z³madxae=x>Swa> craOya> karka #it, AaTmaOykarkSte;u àxan< kWyte iÖj. 6. s @v jatkaxIzae iv}eyae iÖjsÄm, ywa ÉUmaE àisÏae=iSt nra[a< i]itpalk>. 7. svRvataRixkarI c bNxk«Nmae]k«t! twa. 8. ywa raja}ya ivàa puÇamaTyadyae jna>, smwaR laekkayeR;u twEvaNye=ip karka>. 9. AaTmanukªlmevaÇ ÉviNt )ldayka>, àitkªle ywa ÉUpe sveR=maTyadyae iÖj. 10. ky¡ ktu¡ mnu:yana< n smwaR ÉviNt ih, twaTmkarke ³ªre naNye SvzuÉdayka>. 11. Anukªle n&pe yÖt! sveR=maTyadyae iÖj, nazuÉ< k…vRte tÖnaNye SvazuÉdayka>. 12. AaTmakarkÉage_yae NyUna<zae=maTykark>, tSmaÛyUna<zkae æata tÛyUnae mat&s<}k>. 13. tÛyUna<z> ipta tSmadLpa<z> puÇkark>, puÇaÛyUna<zkae }it> }ateNyURna<zkae ih y>. 14. s darkarkae }eyae inivRz<ke iÖjaeÄm, craOykarka @te äaü[a kiwta> pura. 15. mat&karkmevaNye vdiNt sutkarkm!, ÖaE ¢haE ÉagtuLyaE ce¾ayeta< ySy jNmin. 16. td¢karkSyEv< laepae }eyae iÖjaeÄm, iSwrkarkvzaÄSy )l< }ey< zuÉa=zuÉm!. 17. athähaà sampravakñyämi grahänätmädikärakän | saptaravyädiçanyantän rähvantän väñöasaìkhyakän || 1|| aàçaiù samau grahau dvau cet rähvantän cintayet tadä | saptaiva kärakänevaà kecidañöau pracakñate || 2|| atmä süryädikheöänäà madhye hyaàçädhiko grahaù | aàçasämye kalädhikyät tatsämye vikalädhikaù || 3|| budhaiù räçikalädhikyät grähyo naivätmakärakaù | aàçädhikaù kärakaù syädalpabhägo'ntyakärakaù || 4|| madhyäàço madhyakheöaù syädupakheöaù sa eva hi | vilomagamanädrähoraàçäù çodhyäù khavahnitaù || 5|| aàçakramädadho'dhaùsthäù caräkhyäù kärakä iti | ätmäkhyakärakasteñu pradhänaà kathyate dvija || 6|| sa eva jätakädhéço vijïeyo dvijasattama | yathä bhümau prasiddho'sti naräëäà kñitipälakaù || 7|| sarvavärtädhikäré ca bandhakånmokñakåt tathä || 8|| yathä räjäjïayä viprä puträmätyädayo janäù | samarthä lokakäryeñu tathaivänye'pi kärakäù || 9|| ätmänukülamevätra bhavanti phaladäyakäù | pratiküle yathä bhüpe sarve'mätyädayo dvija || 10|| karyaà kartuà manuñyänäà na samarthä bhavanti hi | tathätmakärake krüre nänye svaçubhadäyakäù || 11|| anuküle nåpe yadvat sarve'mätyädayo dvija | näçubhaà kurvate tadvanänye sväçubhadäyakäù || 12|| ätmäkärakabhägebhyo nyünäàço'mätyakärakaù | tasmännyünäàçako bhrätä tannyüno mätåsaïjïakaù || 13|| tannyünäàçaù pitä tasmädalpäàçaù putrakärakaù | putrännyünäàçako jïatiù jïäternyünäàçako hi yaù || 14|| sa därakärako jïeyo nirviçaìke dvijottama | caräkhyakärakä ete brähmaëä kathitäù purä || 15|| mätåkärakamevänye vadanti sutakärakam | dvau grahau bhägatulyau cejjäyetäà yasya janmani || 16|| tadagrakärakasyaivaà lopo jïeyo dvijottama | sthirakärakavaçättasya phalaà jïeyaà çubhä'çubham || 17|| My literal translation of these verses of Parasara that define chara karakas is as follows: "Now I am speaking about seven planets from Sun to Saturn or eight planets upto Rahu, acting as the significators of self etc. If two planets are equal by degrees, then upto Rahu should be thought of. Thus, only seven significators [in some] and eight in some are considered. Self is the planet among Sun and other planets with the highest degrees. If degrees are same, by minutes. If that too is the same, by seconds. Learned men should not take self from only degrees [and use upto seconds]. One with higher degrees becomes higher karaka, one with less degrees becomes lower karaka and one in the middle becomes middle karaka. By arranging in the decreasing and decreasing order of degrees, chara karakas are to be found. [Like that we distribute the seven/eight portfolios to seven/eight planets.] Due to reverse motion, degrees of Rahu are subtracted from 30. O brahmin, significator of self is to be said to be important among them. O great brahmin, he should be understood to be the supreme one of the horoscope, just as king is the famous of all people on earth and controls all matters and causes bondage and liberation. Just as princes, ministers etc take care of worldy matters of the country under the king's command, like that also all other significators become givers of results due to the favorability of the significator of self. O brahmin, just as all ministers etc become incapable of doing the jobs of people of the country if king is not conducive, other significators cannot do good when the significator of self is cruel. Just as ministers etc cannot do harm under a favorable king, other unfavorable significators cannot do harm if the significator of self is favorable. One with lower degrees than the significator of self (AK) signifies counsel (AmK). One with lower degrees than him signifies brother (BK). One with lower degrees than him signifies mother (MK). One with lower degrees than him signifies father (PiK). One with lower degrees than him signifies children (PK). One with lower degrees than him signifies rivals (GK). O excellent brahmin, one with lower degrees than him should definitely be known as the significator or spouse (DK). These are the chara karakas mentioned by the Creator before. In the other case [i.e. charts where only seven portfolios are to be considered instead of eight], the significator of mother is said to be the significaror of child also. If two planets are equal in degrees in one's birth chart, O excellent brahmin, the absence of higher significator only is to be learnt. The auspicious and inauspicious results of that [portfolio] should be learnt from the fixed significator." * * * The above is a literal translation. Parsing it and understanding it will require purging of some preconceived notions. First, this has nothing to do with mundane charts vs charts of humans/other beings. Let us stick to the charts of human beings. Both 7 and 8 portfolio schemes are applicable in human being charts.