Last Updated on December 2, 2021 by astrologerbydefault

This is one statement which is bandied about much without understanding what it really means. ‘Karako bhavo nashto’. The general understanding is that if the karak/agent of a house gets placed in that same house, it utterly destroys the results of that house. (Karak = agent bhavo = of the house, nasto = destruction).

Karak is a word with several meanings.

First is the Bhava-karak. The agent of the house. These planets have a say over the matters of these houses in subtle ways.

• Sun is the karak of the 1st, 9th and 10th.
• Moon is the karaka of the 4th
• Mercury is the karaka of the 4th and 10th
• Venus is the karaka of the 7th house
• Mars is the karak of the 3rd and 6th
• Jupiter is the karak of the 2nd, 5th, 10th and 11th
• Saturn is the karaka of the 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th

The next way of understanding karak is the owner of that house. eg in a horoscope with Aries as the 1st house. Mars will be a karak of the 1st house. Venus will be the karak of the 2nd house and so on. I will focus on this meaning in this post as the first meaning is popularly known and analysed in depth by several people. The concept however remains the same for both meanings.

So what happens if a planet is placed in the same house for which it is a karak?

It will emphasise the things connected with that house.

Eg suppose that the ascendant lord is placed in the ascendant sign/ 1^st house or the Sun is placed in the 1st house. This will make you more focussed on the things related to the individual personality and the environment around you. You are perfectly suited to your environment. The major life experiences will revolve around you. The life experiences related to this house will be more intense and significant. A major portion of the consciousness is linked to this house/sign/planet’s results.

This can get over-whelming sometimes,

Eg suppose this is happening for your 7^th house. This will make your partnerships your life’s most happening focus, too much perhaps! Your wife/ husband/ business partners can take too much time/ energy. You might ignore the other aspects of your personality/ life because of this focus. Other aspects of life will seem comparatively duller and uninteresting, so you might ignore them. This can land you in trouble. But the possible negatives can be easy to manage if you are aware of what can happen.

If this house is linked to a living person, this person can try to dominate you.

Eg if this is happening in the 4^th house, your mother will have a major influence in your life. The relationship can get quite much, ‘too much of a good thing’. If you are sensible enough to understand how much is enough, this can be a good thing. The person signified by this house is over-confident, over-involved, over-assertive and over-linked to your life experiences.

This placement will give also more of the non-living things connected to that house.

eg So if its the 4th house, you may have a good house, cars, properties and a nice connect with your home culture. This can be a good thing. The attributes of the house are not destroyed, they are quite present, sometimes in double-dose. But they are in some way ‘diminished’. Too much can become a burden if not managed properly.

There is a possibility for some imbalance. Suppose that the planet is occupying his own sign. Now he and his sign both are together for better or worse.

Let’s take an example, Libra ascendant, so 4^th house is Capricorn ruled by Saturn. 4th house is also subtly influenced by its Bhava-karak Moon.

• Situation 1 – If Saturn is placed in the 9^th house/Gemini sign. The item ‘mother’ will be defined by 4^th house, Capricorn, Saturn, 9^th house, Gemini, Mercury, 6/8 axis operating between 4^th-9^th house, Moon’s position, other planets present/ aspecting all these etc. This will give a more faceted personality, diverse interactions and a more balanced situation. There are so many planets/ signs/ houses contributing in some way or the other. The item ‘mother’ is a composite of all these. If something is going negative there will be something going positive to balance the item ‘mother’. Now if Capricorn has malefic planets placed but if Saturn has a nice house exchange with Mercury the item ’mother’ does not suffer much. Something compensates. Next, if in transit, Capricorn get Ketu placed in it, he can cause separation/ death of the mother, but if Gemini+birth Saturn gets a transit Jupiter placed in it, he will add positivity to the situation. There will be separation for something nice, eg might leave home and go to a hostel for education. There is scope for some other planet to compensate.
• Situation 2 – Now if the 4^th house Capricorn has Saturn placed in it. The item ‘mother’, will be influenced by only by the 4^th house, Capricorn, Saturn and subtly by Moon. The karak Saturn is in his own house. If in this case there are malefic influences on Capricorn sign they will be on its owner Saturn too. There is limited scope for compensation and the item ‘mother’ will suffer from imbalance. Now in transit, if Capricorn gets Ketu placed in it, it will affect both the sign and its lord and will cause death or sharp separation of the mother. There is no other compensating influence.
• Situation 3 – Suppose Moon is in Capricorn. This line of reasoning will be the same as situation 2 above, just replace ‘Saturn’ by ‘Moon’.

So a planet placed in his own house will become strong and beneficial. But becomes vulnerable because any afflictions affect both him and his sign/ house. There is lesser possibility for compensation. If the afflictions are in the birth chart then you should take due care. If these are temporary ie occurring in transit then you should be careful for the duration of this transit.

In very brief, the karak planet’s behaviour when placed in their own signs /houses,

• Sun in own sign/ house gives over confidence, determination, enjoys professional authority, is dominating, self-centered, has an over-bearing father/ religious teachers. This Sun does not allow the person to ‘see’ the problems of people dependant on him. This is not good for a happy married life but can give quite good social status and creativity.
• Moon in own sign/ house can make one more emotional, the watery characteristics are exaggerated, the astral self is over-sensitive. The mother has a disproportionate influence over one’s life. Dreams, intuition and the other dimensions are more accessible.
• Mercury in own sign/ house can give an argumentative behaviour, annoying, juvenile at times, too much self-promotion, writes a lot, a highly visible journalist, irritating, his siblings, co-workers are also high visible and analytical people.
• Venus in own sign/ house can either degenerate into a pleasure seeking mindset or a very deep spiritual inclination. A desire for physical pleasure exists which cannot be satisfied. There are always luxuries, social interactions and material assets. There is a internal desire for perfect balance and beauty.
• Mars in own sign/ house gives enhanced aggression. Over-confidence, often misplaced confidence, wants to compete and tries to do things on his own, dislikes partnership and will refuse help. Diseases related to heat are common.
• Jupiter in own sign/ house can give a dogmatic theoretical mindset, inability to accept other’s life-philosophy, over-expansion, rituals of religion can attract, can be a wonderful teacher but a a parent it will be difficult for the children.
• Saturn in own sign/ house can give a bitter mindset, a sense of resentment, regret, always compares himself with others from more socially privileged circumstances, feels socially isolated, is very hard working, helps others and is hyper aware of professional and social situations. The father also has his own mental problems of fitting into society and career concerns. The early childhood is often traumatic but things ease out after Saturn matures.

This statement ‘Karako bhavo nashto’, is to be seen only in context of the 1^st divisional chart or birth chart not the further divisional charts. And the situation will improve after the planet matures.

Now one placement does not make a reading. (I consider that at least 3 combinations indicating the same thing should be present to give a tangible result.) If you have such a placement in your chart,

• Check if there are aspects of other planets on this house/ sign/ planet. If you have benefics aspecting or malefics. If there are benefics aspecting this position can give very favourable results in life.
• Look at the navamsha position of the planet concerned. Is there a pattern where the inner potential supports outer manifestation. If so expect very solid and satisfying results from this planet.
• Be careful during his Mahadasha and antardasha in other planet’s mahadasha (Vimshottari system). And during his significant transits. There could be unexpected events. If you can use the energy of these events in the right spirit then you can gain significant benefits from this situation.
• However you must be careful if there are malefic influences on this planet in birth or in transit. As during this time you will be more vulnerable in these aspects of life.

‘Karako bhavo nashto’, is not so damaging as it is made out to be. If you have this combination, know that you have a lot of potential but it requires intelligent use. Once you are aware of how it works, you can use it more effectively.