Bhratrikaraka

The bhratrikaraka is the planet with the third-highest degree in its sign. It describes brothers and sisters, the close circle of comrades, a person’s courage and own efforts, and in some schools also the mentor who helps along the way.

What the bhratrikaraka shows

“Bhratri” means “brother”. Among the Jaimini chara karakas it is third in seniority. The karaka’s direct theme is brothers and sisters: their character, one’s relations with them, help or rivalry. More broadly it describes people “on the same level” — friends, colleagues, partners in a shared undertaking — and the way a person takes things on: whether they dare to act and whether they see what they start through to the end.

In this sense the bhratrikaraka echoes the 3rd house, the house of effort, bravery and younger siblings, and through the 11th house it is linked with older ones. The natural karaka of brothers is Mars, and when Mars also becomes the bhratrikaraka, the theme of siblings and one’s own initiative sounds especially loud in the chart.

Some modern schools of Jaimini astrology link the bhratrikaraka with the guru — the person who guides and supports. This interpretation is not the only one, and it is easy to test against life: who among the people around actually played the role of mentor.

How to read it

Sign and dignity. A strong bhratrikaraka usually gives reliable brothers and sisters, the support of friends and confidence in one’s own strength. A weakened one does not speak of bad relatives so much as of the need to build one’s support oneself.

House from the lagna. It shows where the bonds with siblings and comrades show up and where courage is directed: in the 10th in a shared undertaking, in the 4th in family matters, in the 12th often at a distance or abroad.

Navamsha and links. The position in the navamsha clarifies the quality of these bonds, and conjunctions with the atmakaraka or the amatyakaraka show whether siblings and friends take part in the main affairs of life.

The dasha of the bhratrikaraka often brings events around brothers and sisters, new alliances and bold decisions.

The bhratrikaraka and the eight planets

• Sun — proud and strong relatives.
• Moon — emotional closeness and care.
• Mars — energy, rivalry, bravery.
• Mercury — communication, correspondence, joint projects.
• Jupiter — mentors and wise advisors.
• Venus — friendship, warmth and shared taste.
• Saturn — responsibility and support that comes late.
• Rahu — unusual bonds and kindred spirits.

To find your bhratrikaraka and see its house and navamsha, calculate your birth chart on the site.