Rajayoga Karaka: The Planet Of Royal Fortune To Be Rich

In Vedic astrology, the concept of Yoga karaka planets holds significant importance in determining the auspiciousness and strength of a horoscope. Yoga karaka planets are specific planets that can greatly influence an individual's life by bringing prosperity, success, and balance. Their unique role is derived from the placement and ownership of specific houses in a person's birth chart. By understanding the dynamics of these potent celestial bodies, we can gain deeper insights into our own potential and the karmic patterns that shape our destiny. In this blog, we will explore the nature of Yoga karaka planets, their identification, and their profound impact on various aspects of life.

If we go by the literal meaning, any planet capable of giving auspicious results is a Yoga karaka planet. However, there are certain specific rules and laws revealed by ancient sages, which a planet must meet to be considered a Yoga karaka planet. These planets can bestow auspicious results during their dashas/period and antar-dashas/sub-periods. While evaluating the results, the strength of the planets should be considered to check the potency of the Yoga karaka planet. My purpose today is to discuss selected aphorisms from the ancient classics and examine them. So, let's get started.

As per Chapter 36 of Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (BPHS):

From Sloka 19 to Sloka 44, the great sage Parashara lists the auspicious and inauspicious planets for each ascendant based on their lordships of different houses.

A planet is said to be auspicious when it obtains lordship of both trine and angle houses, therefore below are the auspicious planets for each ascendant:

- Aries: Sun and Moon together

- Taurus: Saturn

- Gemini: Mercury

- Cancer: Moon and Mars

- Leo: Sun and Mars

- Virgo: Mercury

- Libra: Saturn

- Scorpio: Sun and Moon together

- Sagittarius: Jupiter

- Capricorn: Venus

- Aquarius: Venus

- Pisces: Jupiter

The above planets, by their lordship, become Yoga karaka for the respective ascendant, but their potency will depend on their placements in different houses and in different states. This is where Sloka 13 of the said chapter comes into play. Sloka 13 says, "If one and the same planet becomes the lord of a trine and also the lord of an angle and occupies an angle or a trine, it will prove to be a Yoga karaka."

In this Sloka, the great sage emphasizes the importance of the planet's placement in the horoscope. But if we take the above Sloka too literally, then for Aries ascendant, the Sun in the 7th house will to be Yoga karaka. However, the Sun is debilitated in the 7th house (Libra) and hence not auspicious. Similarly, for Gemini or Virgo, Mercury in Pisces cannot be considered a Yoga karaka. Being an angle and trine lord, the planets might be less inauspicious, but in the above situation in debilitation, they are not capable of giving auspicious results unless they get neechabhanga by some other planet.

So, let's drill a little deeper into this concept of Yoga karaka and Raja yoga karaka. Let's take Aries ascendant first, where the Sun and Moon are Yoga karaka. 1/12 of the population will have Aries ascendant, and out of these, 2 out of 12 times the Sun will be in Leo or Aries, causing strong Rajayogas. Mathematically, the probability of this combination is 1/12 × 2/12 = 1.38%. Similarly, for the Moon, the probability comes out to be 1/12 × 1/12 = 0.7%, as the Moon in Taurus, though exalted, is not in trine or angle and hence not taken as Rajayogakaraka here. Therefore, there is a probability that 2% of the world's population will have this combination of Raja Yoga. This does not seem too appealing for a person looking at his horoscope and feeling happy that he has a rare or strong Rajayoga.

Hence, a planet can be a Yoga karaka, but to understand whether it is a Rajayogakaraka or not is of utmost importance and to be judged cautiously. For example, a person with Aries ascendant with both Sun in Leo and Moon in Cancer becomes an eligible candidate for Rajayogakaraka because the probability of this happening is only 0.0011 or 0.11%. To understand the math: 60 out of 360 days will the Sun be in Leo or Aries. Out of those 60 days, only 5 days will the Moon be in Cancer, and out of these 5 days, only 10 hours will be Aries rising in the ascendant. So the probability is 0.41 days divided by 360 days, i.e., 0.0011 or 0.11%. A child born during those 10 hours during the span of one year will have this Rajayogas. But as per prevailing statistics, approximately 385,000 babies are born daily, so in 10 hours approximately 160,400 babies will be born with this Rajayogas. Given the number of babies, this Raja yoga now also does not seem that potent because 1,60,000 babies are born annually with this so thought rare combination but is no longer rare. This is the beauty of mathematics. This is why we need to understand that astrology is not a magical science or subject but a mathematical subject, and due regard must be given to mathematics for any prediction.

So then, what is a Raja yoga? Is the above combination a Raja yoga or not? I would say it is, but then more filters must be applied to understand its potency. If we see Navamsa, we will be able to filter the probability further by 1/9. For example, those born with Aries in the first 3 degrees 20 minutes of Aries will have Vargottama Sun and very high quality of Rajayoga.

But all these theories are meaningless if we do not have a practical example. So let's take an example.

Image Source: https://ascloud.astrosage.com/cloud/planetposition.asp

In Jeff Bezos' horoscope, his ascendant is Pisces, and Jupiter is Yogakaraka sitting in the ascendant. If we check the Navamsha chart, Jupiter is in its own Navamsha with Sun in Sagittarius, which makes Jupiter highly Rajayogakaraka. Jeff Bezos started Amazon in July 1994 when he was running Sun's Mahadasha/Period. One may argue that why is Jupiter not in Vargottama. In Pieces, Jupiter is Vargottama in it's last navamsa I.e. 26 degree 40 minutes to 30 degree where the planet is in Vridha avastha i.e. old age and not that powerful. But to be in Sagittarius navamsha it has to be between 16-40 to 20 degree in it's youth making it highly potent. 

In conclusion, understanding Yogakaraka and Rajayoga planets involves more than just identifying auspicious planets based on their house lordships. It requires a detailed analysis of planetary positions, strengths, and conjunctions, alongside mathematical probability to assess their true potency. While the ancient texts provide foundational rules, practical examples, such as Jeff Bezos' horoscope, illustrate the complexity and depth of astrological interpretations. By integrating traditional wisdom with mathematical precision, we can achieve more accurate and meaningful astrological predictions.