Same sky. Different zodiac.
Your darakaraka is the planet with the lowest degree within its sign, and tradition links it with partners and close relationships. It's calculated in your browser: no sign-up, and your birth details aren't sent or stored.
Darakaraka · VenusMoon in Dhanishta, pada 4
Your Vedic chart
In the Jaimini branch of Vedic astrology, a karaka is a significator planet chosen by how far it has traveled through its sign. The darakaraka is the planet with the lowest degree within its sign. Tradition links it with partners and close one-to-one relationships.
This placement describes a recurring theme in how you relate one-to-one, not a forecast of a specific event or person. You may notice these qualities in a long-term partner or in the way close agreements take shape in your life. The planet notes on this page cover the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and Rahu, the Moon's north node.
To find your darakaraka, rank the planets solely by their degree, minute, and second within their sign, ignoring which sign each planet occupies. A planet early in Aries ranks lower than a planet late in Pisces because only the position inside the sign counts. Planets are compared to the second of arc, and in the rare case that two tie to the second, they share the role.
Take our example chart for a fictional person born on March 14, 1991, at 4:18 AM in Chicago. In that chart, Venus sits at 0°50′ Aries, the Moon at 6°20′ Aquarius, Mars at 26°15′ Taurus, and the Sun at 29°36′ Aquarius. Venus at 0°50′ Aries has the lowest degree in its sign, so Venus is the darakaraka. The Sun at 29°36′ Aquarius has the highest degree, making it the atmakaraka, the planet of the self.
Classical texts allow both a seven-planet and an eight-planet scheme. Jaimini's Upadesa Sutras (1.1.10) say the karakas are taken "of seven or of eight". Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (chapter 32) also gives both. The seven-planet scheme uses the Sun through Saturn; the eight-planet scheme adds Rahu and leaves out Ketu, the Moon's south node.
Because Rahu moves backward through the zodiac, chapter 32 counts its position from the end of the sign as 30° minus its degree. You get a Rahu darakaraka in the eight-planet scheme when that subtracted figure is lower than every other planet's degree. This calculator uses the seven-planet scheme by default and shows the eight-planet result right next to it. For our March 14, 1991 example chart, both schemes agree that Venus is the darakaraka and the Sun is the atmakaraka.
In our test of 4,000 random moments from 1950 to 2010, the two schemes gave a different darakaraka on 12.0% of charts. They gave a different atmakaraka on 12.8% of charts, and at least one of the two roles differed on 24.9%.
Even within a single calendar date, planetary degrees shift enough to change which planet sits lowest in its sign. The Moon moves about 13° a day, so it regularly passes slower planets in degree from morning to night. A planet sitting near the very end of a sign can also cross into the next sign and drop to 0°. In our March 14, 1991 Chicago example, the Sun crossed from 29°36′ Aquarius into Pisces at 2:04 PM.
For a birth after 2:04 PM that day, the Sun becomes the darakaraka in the seven-planet scheme, and Mars becomes the atmakaraka. In our test of 4,000 random moments from 1950 to 2010, the darakaraka changed during the day on 64.9% of the dates.
The lagna, the rising sign that sets the houses, changes about every two hours. Without a birth time, the calculator shows no lagna and no houses instead of guessing noon. It lists what stays the same all day and what changes, with the time of each switch.
One reason calculators disagree is the karaka scheme: one site shows seven planets, another eight with Rahu. Another is the node. This site uses mean nodes for Rahu and Ketu, and some calculators use the true node. In our check of 5,000 random dates from 1950 to 2010, the true node put Rahu in a different sign on 3.0% of them and in a different nakshatra on 7.4%.
Calculators also differ in the ayanamsa, the gap between the Western and the sidereal zodiac. This site uses the Lahiri ayanamsa, 24°14′ in October 2026. On January 1, 2026, the Krishnamurti (KP) ayanamsa is 5′49″ smaller than Lahiri, Raman is 1°26′47″ smaller, and Fagan–Bradley, the Western sidereal system, is 53′00″ larger. A planet near a sign boundary can change sign, and with it its degree.
Some tools use Western, tropical positions. Both zodiacs are valid systems that measure from different starting points, and on March 14, 1991 they were 23°44′ apart. Finally, check that your birth time wasn't entered in the wrong time zone: the Moon moves fast, and an hour can change the order.
What tradition links with each planet in this role. Rahu can take it only in the eight-planet scheme.
Relating through mutual respect and integrity
In close relationships, tradition links the Sun with a partner who has clear integrity and natural authority. You'll usually relate best when both people keep their dignity and stand by their word. Giving your partner room to make decisions without competing for control keeps the bond warm.
Seeking emotional attunement and daily care
Care and emotional warmth are the main qualities linked with a partner under the Moon. In the way you relate, feelings and mutual nourishment matter more than formal rules or distance. It's helpful to remember that changeable moods in a relationship don't mean trust is gone.
Direct honesty and active shared effort
Tradition links Mars in this role with a partner who is direct and keeps courage under pressure. Your way of relating can be brisk and forthright, thriving on shared projects and plain talk. Tackling a tough task together works well when you don't treat disagreements like a contest.
Connecting through conversation, humor, and curiosity
Mercury in this role points to a partner who values wit, learning, and lively conversation. You relate primarily through talking things out, trading ideas, and staying curious about each other's thinking. When a conversation turns into a debate, checking how you're both feeling brings back ease.
Relating through shared principles and generosity
Jupiter in this placement is linked with a partner who brings counsel, generosity, and steady ethics. You relate by encouraging each other's growth and looking for shared meaning in everyday commitments. It's worth leaving room for ordinary flaws so neither partner feels expected to be a teacher.
Relating with affection, beauty, and ease
Classical texts link Venus here with a partner who appreciates affection, art, beauty, and comfort. Your style of relating leans toward warmth and diplomacy, seeking ease in daily life together. Speaking up gently about small annoyances helps so you don't hide them just to keep peace.
Steady commitment grounded in mutual patience
Reliability, endurance, and a serious view of commitment are qualities tradition links with Saturn here. You often relate with caution at first, valuing a partner who shows loyalty through consistent work. Setting aside time for simple enjoyment ensures the relationship doesn't start feeling only like duty.
Unconventional bond that challenges familiar habits
Rahu can be the darakaraka only in the eight-planet scheme. Tradition links it with a partner who brings unconventional views and an intense desire for new horizons. Keeping clear agreements around daily routines helps ground a relationship that doesn't follow standard expectations.
No, a birth chart cannot show what your partner looks like. Vedic tradition links each darakaraka planet with character qualities, values, and ways of relating in a close partnership. This page describes those interpersonal themes rather than physical appearance.
Yes, in the eight-planet scheme, though not in the seven-planet one. Because Rahu moves backward, its degree is counted as 30° minus its position in the sign. This calculator shows the seven-planet darakaraka first and the eight-planet answer beside it; in our test the two differed on 12.0% of the moments.
You can still calculate your chart. The site leaves out the lagna and houses instead of guessing a time, shows what stays the same all day, and gives the time of any switch. In our test the darakaraka changed during the day on 64.9% of the dates, mostly because the Moon moves about 13° a day.
No, your darakaraka describes relationship tendencies and themes, not a fixed prediction of a specific person. Tradition links this planet with the qualities you're drawn to and the lessons that come up in close one-to-one partnerships. You may notice these themes in how you and a partner communicate, share responsibility, or handle commitment.
Another calculator may use the eight-planet scheme instead of the seven-planet scheme, or it may use the true node rather than the mean node. It might also use a different ayanamsa than Lahiri, such as Raman or Krishnamurti, or calculate positions in the Western tropical zodiac. A planet near a sign border or a birth time in the wrong time zone can also change the lowest degree.