Atmakaraka Planet - Understanding the Soul’s Desire

Dharma (righteousness), Artha (prosperity), Kama (love and pleasure), and Moksha (liberation) emphasize the four goals of human life. These goals fuel our actions and emphasize the four principal needs we must achieve to arrive at our ‘final abode.’ We can say that desire is the root cause of our existence.

Desire is identified or rather 'reflected' by the Soul. Imagine the soul to be the center or axis and your fleshy body enveloping all around this axis. This axis is the 'operating principle' with our flesh being a mere puppet. This axis propels our body into motion, emotion, and all kinds of stuff we do daily.

Thus, we all are propelled by some 'Soul desire' that not only keeps us active and gives us a profound sense of self-identification.

A specific planet in Vedic astrology represents the Soul's desire. This planet is called the Atmakaraka.

Though Planet could be a frozen mound of energy, it significantly determines our course of action. Because we are all unique, the Atmakaraka planet is unique to each of us. But at the core- this planet motivates each of us into fulfilling our unfinished desires that we've been carrying since our births.

'Atma' means the 'Soul,' and ‘karaka' means the 'significator.’ The soul significator or the Atmakaraka, thus, helps us to etch out our material and spiritual goals, and we tend to 'act' in coherence with these goals.

For each of us, Atmakaraka comes in two varieties: Sthira (Fixed) and Chara (movable). The Sun is the Solar System's center and represents the Soul. So, for all of us, the Sthira Atmakaraka is the Sun, whereas the Chara or movable Atmakaraka varies.

In the bundle of the following planets - Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and Rahu- anyone could be your Soul Planet. Ketu, the significator of Moksha, represents the final destination and, thus, is not included in the list of chara (movable) Atmakaraka planets.

As a Soul Significator, these eight planets will strongly influence your personality and bring into play the various qualities that you have -some you show, and some you may keep a secret.

Every planet, as the Soul Significator, represents a specific deity and will project certain qualities that shade your personality, define your bunch of habits and set you apart from others.

Sun as Soul Planet A

Affirmation - I enlighten, bring clarity, and regulate personal power.

Qualities - Sun is masculine, life-giving, and represents vitality. If you have Sun as your Soul Planet, you have great strength and willpower. You'll have a radiant personality and are endowed with natural leadership qualities.

You are a pure warrior and execute your ideas with power. However, you must learn to control your arrogance.

Deity of Reverence - Shri Rama

Moon as Soul Planet B

Affirmation - I am sensitive, have a fertile imagination, and possess a love for home.

Qualities - Moon is sensitive, emotional, and feminine. So if the Moon is your Soul Planet, you'll think from your heart, can feel the pain of others, and will have great powers of intuition.

You are also deeply creative and spiritual, but must learn to keep your emotions in check.

Deity of Reverence - Shri Krishna

Mars as Soul Planet E

Affirmation - I am a born leader. I am good until you mess with me.

Qualities - Mars is the Red Planet. So you can imagine that if Mars is your Soul Planet, you'd be no less than a raging bull all charged up to hit the target. Laced with strength and vigor, you are passionate, energetic, and ambitious.

You are also inventive, courageous, and spiritually inclined. However, on the negative side, you must channel your force and learn to keep away from stimulating beverages.

Deity of Reverence - Bhagwan Narsimha

Mercury as Soul Planet C

Affirmation - I am intelligent, inquisitive, and fond of knowledge.

Qualities - Mercury signifies intellect and communication. As a Soul Planet, Mercury will thus give you keen perception and a 'golden tongue.' You'll outwit others with your creative flair, dexterity, and imagination.

On the negative side, you must cultivate concentration, and patience and prevent excessive rationalization.

Deity of Reverence - Bhagwan Buddha

Jupiter as Soul Planet F

Affirmation - I am jovial, sociable and inspire confidence.

Qualities - Jupiter is signified as a benevolent, spiritual and compassionate planet. Thus as your Soul Planet, Jupiter makes you optimistic, charitable, and a seeker of the Higher Truth.

However, on the negative side, you'll have to chop down your over-confidence, control your laziness and learn the art of mental relaxation.

Deity of Reverence - Bhagwan Vamana

Venus as Soul Planet D

Affirmation - I am a peacemaker and inclined to harmony

Qualities - Venus- the Planet of Love, makes you warm, tender, and passionate. As your Soul Planet, Venus endows you with great looks and graceful manners. You have natural peacemaking abilities but must learn to control your greed and over-indulgence.

Deity of Reverence - Bhagwan Parshurama

Saturn as Soul Planet G

Affirmation - I am profound, have practical nature, and balance your karma

Qualities - If you're born with Saturn as your Soul Planet, then you are practical and prudent. You are spiritual, have great skill of concentration, and are a brilliant organizer. All are great with this Saturn planet, but you must learn to be flexible and express yourself without inhibitions.

Deity of Reverence - Bhagwan Kurma

Rahu as Soul Planet L

Affirmation - I am innovative and strive toward making the world a better place.

Qualities - Rahu as your Soul Planet makes you inventive, brave, and confident. You love exploring all that is hidden and mysterious. If Rahu's energies are truly intense- it will make you an influential personality.

On the negative side, you must learn to overcome your greed, accept disappointments, face your fears and learn to trust your instincts.

Deity of Reverence - Bhagwan Varah

The above eight deities are the eight incarnations of Bhagwan Vishnu. Bhagwan Vishnu, also known as Narayana or Hari, is believed to be the sustainer of the three worlds and represents the unchanging, absolute Atman.

In coherence with the eight planets, these eight incarnations bring about their own effect on our actions and pattern of thought. These Ashta-avatars (or the Soul Planets) not only complement our energy but also determine our overall constitution.

Every Soul Planet has its peculiar positive and negative expressions. Your positive traits are subject to cultivation, while the negative traits are the ones where you need correction and must learn your lessons.

Atmakaraka planet does not only reveal your innermost desires or areas where your Soul longs to advance, but also squarely chops off the rudiments of the past lives that you've been carrying with every incarnation. It's these rudiments that prevent you from realizing the Highest Truth.

With every lesson that you learn, the Soul Planet brings about your purgation- the subtle cleansing that will elevate you to the higher degrees of piousness.

Atmakaraka planet is determined in your Lagna (ascendant) and Navamsa - D9 charts. In the D9 or the Navamsa chart, Atmakaraka is called the Karakamsha.

The evaluation of Atmakaraka in both the ascendant and D9 charts can help us decode the blueprint of your personality and what the future could hold for you.

For instance, the 9th house from your Karakamsha could tell us how spiritual you are and what could be your course of advancement in the lines of spirituality.

In your birth charts, the Atmakaraka planet does not traverse alone and becomes the subject of various influences. For instance, the quality of the house in which the Atmakaraka is placed will determine the source of your pain, happiness, and fulfillment. So here, it's not only the individual qualities of the Atmakaraka that will affect you, but it's also the qualities of the house that will dictate your psyche.

Other planets in your chart and their aspects with the Soul Planet also play a pivotal role in shaping your overall persona.

Determining the Atmakaraka planet is like having a roadmap. This ground plan will help us determine the areas where we need to improve, help us accept our (and others) negative qualities, and what we can do to bring about self-improvement.

Our Soul is reborn for a purpose, and the Atmakaraka planet propels us to fulfill that purpose. Swami Radhanath says, 'If a spiritual person has love, peace, self-control, and compassion, we can understand that he or she is actually connected properly to his or her roots.' Thus, the Atmakaraka Planet enables your Soul to fulfill its worldly mission and become enlightened so that it can complete its journey to return to its root.