Karaka (significator)
A karaka is a planet that naturally signifies a person or theme in life. Venus is the karaka of marriage, for example, and Jupiter of children and wisdom, so astrologers read them alongside the relevant houses.
Also known as: karak, karaka planet
Natural karakas link each planet with life themes: the Sun with the soul, father and authority; the Moon with the mind and mother; Mars with siblings, courage and land; Mercury with speech and learning; Jupiter with children, wisdom and teachers; Venus with marriage and comforts; and Saturn with longevity, work and endurance. Traditionally Jupiter also signifies the husband in a woman’s chart.
House karakas assign a planet to each house. In Parashara’s list the Sun rules the 1st; Jupiter the 2nd, 5th, 9th and 11th; Mars the 3rd and 6th; the Moon the 4th; Venus the 7th; Saturn the 8th and 12th; and Mercury the 10th. The Jaimini system adds chara (movable) karakas, ranked by their degrees; the highest is the Atmakaraka, the soul’s significator.
A classical saying, karako bhava nashaya, warns that a karaka placed in its own house can harm that house’s matters, such as Jupiter in the 5th for children. Most astrologers treat it as a nuance to weigh, not a rule to fear.