ATMA

KARAKA
Presented by AC ASTRO
 In Vedic astrology, "Atmakaraka" refers to the planet that holds the
highest degree in an individual's birth chart. The term "Atmakaraka"
translates to "the soul indicator" or "the significator of the self." It is
believed to represent the essence of the soul and carries significant
insights into one's spiritual path and life purpose.
The Atmakaraka planet is determined based on the degrees of the planets
in the birth chart. The planet with the highest degree becomes the
Atmakaraka planet. If two or more planets share the same highest degree,
additional calculations and considerations are made to determine the
Atmakaraka.
Once the Atmakaraka is identified, it provides valuable information about
the individual's personality, desires, strengths, and challenges. It signifies
the qualities and traits that are deeply ingrained in a person's nature,
reflecting their core essence and spiritual journey in this lifetime.
The Atmakaraka planet plays a vital role in determining the influence of
past life experiences, karmic patterns, and the overall evolution of the
soul. Its placement in different houses and signs of the birth chart can
reveal specific areas of life where the individual is likely to experience
growth, challenges, and lessons.
Understanding the Atmakaraka planet can offer profound insights into an
individual's spiritual path, self-realization, and the pursuit of higher
consciousness. It helps astrologers provide guidance on aligning with
one's true purpose, working through karmic patterns, and embracing
personal growth and transformation.

 KARAKA
=
INDICATOR
1. Sun (Surya): The Sun represents the soul, vitality, self-expression, leadership, authority, and creative energy. As
Atmakaraka, it signifies a strong sense of individuality, purpose, and self-identity.
2. Moon (Chandra): The Moon represents emotions, nurturing, intuition, and the mind. As Atmakaraka, it indicates a
highly sensitive and empathetic soul with deep emotional intelligence and a strong connection to their inner world.
3. Mars (Mangala): Mars represents energy, action, courage, passion, and assertion. As Atmakaraka, it suggests a
dynamic and competitive spirit, a drive for achievement, and the potential for transformative experiences and
spiritual growth.
4. Mercury (Budha): Mercury represents communication, intellect, logic, adaptability, and learning. As Atmakaraka, it
indicates a highly intellectual and communicative soul, with a strong desire for knowledge, learning, and expression.
5. Jupiter (Guru): Jupiter represents wisdom, expansion, growth, spirituality, and benevolence. As Atmakaraka, it
suggests a soul with a natural inclination towards higher knowledge, spirituality, and a strong sense of ethics and
morality.
6. Venus (Shukra): Venus represents love, beauty, harmony, creativity, and relationships. As Atmakaraka, it signifies a
soul with a deep appreciation for beauty, art, and aesthetics, and a desire for harmonious and balanced
relationships.
7. Saturn (Shani): Saturn represents discipline, responsibility, hard work, karma, and life lessons. As Atmakaraka, it
suggests a soul on a transformative and karmic journey, seeking spiritual growth, self-discipline, and self-realization.

8. Rahu (North Node of the Moon): Rahu represents ambition, desires, materialism, and the shadow self. As
Atmakaraka, it indicates a soul with intense desires, seeking worldly experiences and growth through challenges and
unconventional paths.
 SUN
Your Atma Karaka is Sun, or Surya in Sanskrit.
The Sun is responsible for giving light energy so
that all things can grow and prosper, however,
too much light and the Sun burns and scorches.
Sun represents resources and the things we
need to survive as well as the soul. It is the light
within us that guides our lives. The soul is what
insures there is life- if the soul is not happy, the
body grows sick and dies.

In Jyotish, the Sun represents father, king, rank

and position, power and authority, respect and
rulership.
 MOON
Having an AK Moon (Chandra in
Sanskrit) indicates that an individual is
connected deeply to the emotional
body and must learn to surf these inner
tides in this life. The primary work is to
learn the emotions and work with them,
not against them, to use them, not fight
them.

Moon AK also indicates a person who is

very much connected to the things that
moon represents: mother, intuition,
land, home, heart, nurturing and
compassion.
 MARS
Mars Atma Karaka individuals need to manage their
temper, aggression and anger. They are here to learn more
about ahimsa (non-harming) and need to create a life for
themselves free of killing and competition. Learning to be
playful and spontaneous is helpful. Keeping life light and
carefree is essential, a lifestyle that smooths out the harsh
rigidity of the Mars tendencies.His job is to protect and
thus he is naturally related to people like soldiers,
policeman and guards. Brother is also represented by
Mars in Vedic Astrology ( Raksha Bandhan ) concept
Brother is Protector
 Mercury
Your Atma Karaka planet is Mercury or Budha in
Sanskrit. When one's Atma Karaka is Mercury,
there is a great connection to communications
of all sorts. Mercury represents the mind, the
mental functions. It also has to do with
computers, communicating through computers
(email, websites, social media etc.) and is also
an indicator of cell phones, lecturing and
talking. Mercury is known as Saumyagraha, the
friendly planet. These people are helpful and
like to connect, need to connect and create a
life based on their connections.The planet
Mercury represents small children and sisters
 Jupiter
Your Atma Karaka is Jupiter, or Guru in Sanskrit.
Jupiter is just that, a guru, a teacher, the planet that
gives us expansion and knowledge, assistance and
support. He is kapha in nature (somagenic), but relates
to akasha (space) because of his all pervasiveness.
Jupiter, like the sanskrit meaning of guru, is the glue
that holds the universe together, creating harmony,
health, wisdom and understanding. He is a nonviolent
force and rather than fighting a battle, he will win the
opposition over to his side. Since he rules the devas
(gods), he likes to transform the asuras (demons)
within us. (We can think of this metpahor as good
thoughts over bad thoughts, our shadow self vs. our
enlightened self).
 Venus
Your Atma Karaka planet is Venus or Shukra in
Sanskrit. Venus is the planet of beauty, romance,
love, passion, creativity, pro-creation, creative life
force, relationships, femininity, art and artistry,
music. Physically, Venus relates to the
reproductive tissues of the body (semen and
ovaries) hence the correlation to procreation as
well as the hormones that regulate sexuality.
Venus also correlates to the immune system and it
is well known that love boost immunity and gives a
new propensity for life. Art and creativity are just
another expression of the act of creation. Venus is
also water, which has a life-giving quality to it.
Water literally gives life- to all expressions of
Nature. Venus can give rejuvenation and health as
a result and is responsible for the life-giving
qualities that sustain us.
 SATURN
Your Atma Karaka planet is Saturn or
Sani in Sanskrit. This is the planet that
your soul, inner nature and karmas are
connected to and represented by.
Saturn is the planet of grief, suffering,
sadness, hard work, cycles, rhythms
and slow progress. When one's AK is
Saturn, it indicates that the person will
experience sorrow and sadness in life
and will be connected to that sadness
and the sadness of others. Old age is
represented by Saturn.
 Note - Take Rahu’s degrees and
subtract them from 30 (there are 30
degrees in each sign) so you can see
how far backwards he has moved
through the sign. Then see Rahu has
the highest degree in your chart to
determine him as your AK
Rahu
Your AK planet is Rahu. Rahu is a shadow planet
(the North Node) and brings us strong desires
and cravings. He wants and creates desires for
us on this material plane of existence. He has a
strong drive and can be obsessive about his
desires. He can take us off the spiritual path and
keeps us from the true meaning of life- which is
why the moksha planet, Ketu, always sits seven
houses away from him. (Ketu snips the ties that
bind us to the material realm). Rahu as AK
indicates that the person is under the influence
of the shadow and has to work hard at unveiling
him/herself. You may be cheated by others, feel
cheated, or cheat. Ultimately you are cheating
your Self if you use deception so be aware of
your actions and where they come from.
IS AK BENEFIC OR MALEFIC?

You need to check the following

House where AK is placed and the sign in birth chart and all divisional charts.
Benefic and malefic aspects to AK
Aspects and conjunction of AK with other planets.
Reading the chart with AK as ascendant will give you a lot of clues
The dasha and bhukti’s of the AK will be very significant
Connection between AK and lagna lord in your birth chart and D9 chart.
Is your AK retrograde?
The Nakshatra of your AK and it’s characteristics and qualities