Yogakaraka meaning in Vedic astrology: success planet

BPHS (Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra) says a planet ruling both a kona and a kendra is 'specially a Yog Karak', and B.V. Raman glosses yogakaraka as 'the planet producing success'.

The functional-nature table of P.V.R. Narasimha Rao (PVR) names a yogakaraka for six lagnas: Saturn for Taurus and Libra, Mars for Cancer and Leo, Venus for Capricorn and Aquarius, with none for the other six.

Schools differ on the details: Raman calls Jupiter the yogakaraka for Aries, where PVR names none, and Bhavartha Ratnakara says Saturn is not a yogakaraka for Taurus lagna. BPHS also allows Rahu or Ketu to become yogakaraka when placed in a kendra or kona and joined or aspected by a kendra or kona lord.

Related terms

• Functional benefic and malefic →Functional benefic and functional malefic describe whether a planet is read as favourable or unfavourable for a particular chart, based on the houses it rules for a given lagna (Vedic ascendant).
• Kendra →Kendra (also called quadrant or angle) refers to the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses of a chart.
• Trikona →Trikona (also called kona or trine) is the group made up of the 1st, 5th and 9th houses of a birth chart.
• Raja yoga →Raja yoga is a combination formed when the lord of a kendra (angular house) is associated with the lord of a kona (trine house), pointing to power and prosperity.

Lessons that use this term

• Functional benefic and malefic planets for each ascendant →
• 12 ascendants (lagnas) in Vedic astrology →
• Aries ascendant (Mesha lagna) in Vedic astrology: traits and planets →
• Taurus ascendant (Vrishabha lagna) in Vedic astrology: traits and planets →
• Gemini ascendant (Mithuna lagna) in Vedic astrology: traits and planets →
• Cancer ascendant (Karka lagna) in Vedic astrology: traits and planets →
• Leo ascendant (Simha lagna) in Vedic astrology: traits and planets →
• Virgo ascendant (Kanya lagna) in Vedic astrology: traits and planets →
• Libra ascendant (Tula lagna) in Vedic astrology: traits and planets →
• Scorpio ascendant (Vrischika lagna) in Vedic astrology: traits and planets →
• Sagittarius ascendant (Dhanu lagna) in Vedic astrology: traits and planets →
• Capricorn ascendant (Makara lagna) in Vedic astrology: traits and planets →
• Aquarius ascendant (Kumbha lagna) in Vedic astrology: traits and planets →
• Pisces ascendant (Meena lagna) in Vedic astrology: traits and planets →
• Mars (Mangala) in Vedic astrology: meaning and significations →
• Natural benefic and malefic planets in Vedic astrology →
• Kendra, trikona, dusthana and upachaya houses explained →
• What is a yogakaraka planet? Yogakaraka for each ascendant →
• Read a sample Vedic chart: practice 1 (foundations) →

Sources for this entry

1. B.V. Raman, Hindu Predictive Astrology
2. P.V.R. Narasimha Rao, Vedic Astrology: An Integrated Approach
3. Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (R. Santhanam translation)
4. Bhavartha Ratnakara (attributed to Ramanuja), summary on Wikipedia