How to Use the Darakaraka Calculator
- Enter the birth date.
- Enter the exact birth time, since the Moon moves fast.
- Choose the birth city for the time zone.
- Pick the 7 or 8 karaka scheme.
- Read your Darakaraka and the full karaka ranking.
Enter the birth date, the exact birth time and the birth city. The latitude, longitude and UTC offset fill in automatically, including daylight saving time on that date, or you can choose Other place and enter them yourself. Then choose the karaka scheme: 7 planets from the Sun to Saturn, the scheme most astrologers use, or 8 planets including Rahu.
The result names your Darakaraka with its exact sidereal degree, sign, nakshatra and navamsa (D9) sign, gives the traditional description of a partner signified by that planet, shows your Atmakaraka and lists all the chara karakas from the highest degree to the lowest. A note warns you when two planets are so close in degree that the birth time or the ephemeris could swap them.
How the Chara Karakas Are Found
The chara (variable) karaka system comes from the Jaimini Sutras. Each planet's position is reduced to its degree within its sign, ignoring which sign it is in. The planet with the highest degree becomes the Atmakaraka (the soul significator) and the one with the lowest becomes the Darakaraka (the spouse significator). The others fill the roles in between.
Rahu (8 karaka scheme): 30° − degree in sign
sort from highest to lowest: AK, AmK, BK, MK, (PiK), PK, GK, DK
Darakaraka = lowest degree
Positions are sidereal with the Lahiri ayanamsa. The Sun and Moon use Jean Meeus's solar and lunar theories, the planets use Keplerian orbits from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Rahu is the mean lunar node. Rahu moves backward through the zodiac, which is why Jaimini counts its degree from the end of the sign.
Worked Example
For a birth in Delhi on May 15, 1990 at 08:30 IST, the sidereal positions within their signs are: Moon 28°49′ Sagittarius, Mars 24°19′ Aquarius, Venus 18°40′ Pisces, Jupiter 15°47′ Gemini, Mercury 14°20′ Aries, Saturn 1°27′ Capricorn and the Sun 0°18′ Taurus. The Moon is the Atmakaraka and the Sun, with the lowest degree, is the Darakaraka, in Krittika nakshatra and Capricorn navamsa.
In the 8 karaka scheme, Rahu at 17°37′ Capricorn counts as 30 − 17.62 = 12.37°, placing it between Mercury and Saturn. The Sun is still the Darakaraka. We checked these positions against the Swiss Ephemeris in Lahiri mode.
The Chara Karakas
| Rank | Karaka | Signifies |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (highest) | Atmakaraka | The soul, the self and life's main lesson |
| 2 | Amatyakaraka | Career, advisers and helpers |
| 3 | Bhratrikaraka | Siblings and courage |
| 4 | Matrikaraka | Mother and home |
| 5 (8 scheme) | Pitrikaraka | Father |
| Next | Putrakaraka | Children and creativity |
| Next | Gnatikaraka | Rivals, obstacles and illness |
| Last (lowest) | Darakaraka | Spouse and partnerships |
Darakaraka Planets in Tradition
- Sun: Dignified, proud and confident, often with authority or a strong sense of self.
- Moon: Caring, emotional and nurturing, with changeable moods and a strong bond to family.
- Mars: Energetic, passionate and direct, sometimes competitive or quick to argue.
- Mercury: Youthful, witty and talkative, with a quick mind and a love of learning.
- Jupiter: Wise, ethical and generous, often learned or a natural guide.
- Venus: Attractive, artistic and romantic, fond of comfort and beauty.
- Saturn: Serious, mature and dependable, sometimes older or met later in life.
- Rahu: Unconventional and magnetic, often from a different background or culture.
Astrologers also look at the Darakaraka's sign in the navamsa chart and its house from the Atmakaraka. These are traditional interpretations, not predictions about a real person.
Accuracy and Limits
- The Moon moves about half a degree an hour, so an error of an hour in the birth time can change the Darakaraka when the Moon is close to another planet's degree.
- Planet positions here are accurate to about 0.3°. When two planets are within a degree, the calculator flags a close call.
- Some astrologers use the 8 karaka scheme only when two planets share the same degree. Others use it always.
- Astrology is a cultural tradition, not a science.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Darakaraka?
In Jaimini astrology it is the planet with the lowest degree within its sign in your birth chart. It is read as the significator of your spouse and of partnerships in general.
How is the Darakaraka calculated?
Take the sidereal degree of each planet within its sign, from 0 to 30, ignoring the sign itself. Sort them from highest to lowest. The lowest is the Darakaraka and the highest is the Atmakaraka.
Should I use the 7 or 8 karaka scheme?
Most astrologers today use 7 planets, from the Sun to Saturn. The 8 karaka scheme adds Rahu, whose degree is counted backward from 30, and adds Pitrikaraka for the father.
Can Rahu or Ketu be the Darakaraka?
Rahu can be in the 8 karaka scheme, with its degree counted as 30 minus its actual degree. Ketu is never used as a chara karaka.
Why do I need an exact birth time?
The Moon moves about 13 degrees a day, so its degree within the sign changes quickly. If the Moon is close to another planet's degree, a small change in birth time can change the Darakaraka.
What is the Darakaraka in the navamsa chart?
It is the navamsa (D9) sign occupied by the Darakaraka planet. Astrologers often study it for more detail about a future partner, and the calculator shows it next to the birth chart sign.