Module 1 of 6 · Jaimini-mārga

सप्तदश-कारकाः

Saptadaśa-kārakāḥ

Jaimini's Karaka Theory — 7 vs 8 Schools

~80 min · 1 prerequisite(s)

Jaimini's Adhy. 1 · Pāda 1 — the chara-kāraka system, where the graha with the highest degree in any rāśi becomes the Ātma-kāraka, the next the Amātya-kāraka, and so on.

Viṣaya-sūcī · Topics
  • Chara-kāraka (movable kāraka) — assigned by degree-within-sign, NOT by natural rule
  • Ātma-kāraka (AK) — graha with highest degree in any rāśi
  • Amātya-kāraka (AmK), Bhrātṛ-kāraka (BK), Mātṛ-kāraka (MK), Putra-kāraka (PK), Jñāti-kāraka (JK), Dāra-kāraka (DK) — descending degree-order
  • 7-kāraka vs 8-kāraka schools — whether Rāhu is included
  • Kārakāṃśa-lagna — the navāṃśa-lagna of the Ātma-kāraka, a focal interpretive point

1. Saṃkṣepa

साराशं · विषय-विस्तारःSāra-aṃśa · Viṣaya-vistāraSummary — the topic unfolded

Jaimini's first innovation over Pārāśara is the chara-kāraka system. Where Pārāśara's natural-kārakas are fixed (Jupiter is always putra-kāraka, Venus always kalatra-kāraka), Jaimini's chara-kārakas are CHART-SPECIFIC — they are assigned based on which graha has the highest, second-highest, third-highest etc. degree within its rāśi. The Ātma-kāraka (AK) is whichever graha has the highest degree in its sign; the Amātya-kāraka (AmK) is the next highest; and so on.

The opening sūtra of Adhy. 1 · Pāda 1 — ātma-kārakaṃ sarva-uccatamaṃ graham — is one of the most quoted sūtras in jyotiṣa. It establishes that the chara-kāraka system is degree-based, not nature-based.

There are two schools on the count: 7-kāraka (where Rāhu is excluded — Saturn typically becomes a kāraka) vs 8-kāraka (Rāhu included as the 8th, with degrees measured 'reverse-from-30' due to Rāhu's retrograde nature). Both schools have classical and modern adherents. Our engine surfaces both — /jaimini-karakas shows the side-by-side.

Kārakāṃśa-lagna is the navāṃśa-sign occupied by the Ātma-kāraka. Adhy. 1 · Pāda 4 declares this the focal interpretive lagna for analyses of dharma and personal evolution — ātma-kārakāt navāṃśe lagnaṃ kārakāṃśam.

2. Śāstra-Pramāṇa

शास्त्र-प्रमाण · ग्रन्थ-निर्देशाःŚāstra-pramāṇa · Grantha-nirdeśāḥClassical anchors — textual references
Jaimini-sūtrasAdhy. 1 · Pāda 1
verses · approx. 50 sūtras

Opening pāda — saptadaśa-kāraka definition, special lagnas, cāra-rāśi-daśā.

Jaimini-sūtrasAdhy. 1 · Pāda 4

Special significations — kārakāṃśa-lagna (navāṃśa of the Ātma-kāraka).

All anchor references map to chapter structures in our annotated library at /library. We point to topics — the Jyotiṣī interprets, the substrate computes; we do not predict from these texts on your behalf.

3. Abhyāsa

अभ्यासः · प्रयोग-मार्गःAbhyāsa · Prayoga-mārgaPraxis — the path of application

Engine surfaces (substrate compute)

/jaimini-karakas

Exercises

  1. Computation

    Open /jaimini-karakas for any chart. Note your Ātma-kāraka. The classical tradition says: study the AK's house-placement (in D1) and sign-placement (in D9) closely — they encode your dharma-trajectory in the chara-kāraka framework.

  2. Reflection

    Compare the 7-kāraka and 8-kāraka assignments for any chart. When Rāhu is included or excluded, which other graha 'shifts roles'? Reflect on why two schools persist in the tradition.

4. Agrima

अग्रिमम् · पथः निरन्तरःAgrima · Pathaḥ nirantaraNext — the continuing path
Path beginning

This is the first module of Jaimini Path — The Parallel Tradition. Return to the path index to see all modules.

← Path index
Next · Module 2 →
आरूढ-पद-व्यवस्था
Ārūḍha-pada-vyavasthā

Each bhāva has an ārūḍha-pada — a 'projected image' rāśi that represents how the bhāva manifests outwardly. The ārūḍha-lagna (AL) is the projected-self.

ॐ सरस्वत्यै नमः · ॐ हयग्रीवाय नमः
KAAL Truth #5 · structured study · sources cited · the Jyotiṣī interprets