Putrakaraka

The putrakaraka is the sixth planet by degree in Jaimini’s scheme of eight chara karakas. It points to children, students and creative ideas, and also to the way a person uses their intellect and what they pass on to the next generation.

Its place in the sequence of karakas

The chara karakas are distributed afresh in each chart: the planets are lined up in descending order of their degree within the sign, and the sixth in line receives the role of putrakaraka. For Rahu the degree is counted backwards from the end of the sign. Jupiter remains the natural indicator of children in Jyotish, and the 5th is the house of children, so the putrakaraka is always compared with them: the personal indicator refines the picture but does not replace it.

The themes it brings together

• children, one’s relationship with them and the role the person plays as a parent;
• students, followers, everyone to whom experience is passed on;
• creativity, ideas and the ability to bring them to realisation;
• cast of mind, the ability to learn and to apply knowledge;
• what tradition links with the 5th house: past merit, inspiration, practice.

Sign, house, navamsha

The sign of the putrakaraka shows the character of the creative and parental energy: movable signs give many beginnings, fixed signs constancy in a few things, dual signs flexibility and a variety of interests. The planet’s dignity tells how easily this theme is realised: its own sign and exaltation support it, while debilitation calls for more patience and conscious effort.

The house from the lagna shows where the person’s creative power shows itself and through which area students arrive: in the 10th through the profession, in the 9th through teaching and tradition, in the 11th through a circle of like-minded people. A link of the putrakaraka with the 5th house or its lord strengthens its significance. Many followers of Jaimini also pay attention to the link between the putrakaraka and the atmakaraka: a conjunction or mutual angular position of these planets is considered supportive for status and for realising one’s plans.

In the navamsha the putrakaraka shows the inner quality of relations with children and students, and in the seventh divisional chart (D7), traditionally used for the theme of children, its position supplements the conclusion. The periods of this planet often coincide with creative projects, study or events in the children’s lives.

The putrakaraka and the planets

How the different planets colour this role: the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu. On the system as a whole, see the overview of chara karakas.

A karaka table with your putrakaraka will appear after the birth chart calculation.