Ishta Devata & the Path to Moksha

Charakarakas: The Atmakaraka

Finding the AK

• Forget the signs. Look only at the degrees and minutes each planet has advanced in its sign.
• For Rahu, subtract his longitude from 30°. Rahu at 11°39′ counts as 18°21′.
• The planet with the highest advancement is the Atmakaraka (the software marks it AK). Ketu is not taken as AK.

Why: Sun is the Paramatma, the Vishvatma — the Atma of the entire universe, the complete potential. In each of the 12 signs he is a different Aditya. A planet entering a sign begins a friendship with the Aditya of that sign and draws more and more energy from him as it advances. In the next sign it starts anew. The planet most senior in its sign becomes the AK — your Jivatma, this particular soul with its particular shortcomings. Rahu starts from the end of a sign, so his advancement is counted from the other end.

In the example chart of Part 4 the AK is Sun.

Several Planets in the Same Degree

That chart is a bad example for a beginner: four planets are in the 25th degree — Sun 24°54′, Jupiter 24°43′, Saturn 24°04′, Mars 24°02′.

• Two planets are "in the same degree" if they are in the same physical degree: 24°01′ and 24°59′ are (both in the 25th degree); 24°59′ and 25°01′ are not.
• If AK and Amatyakaraka (the second charakaraka) are in the same degree, the higher one is AK at birth. At some point in life he is removed, and the one below becomes AK.
• The slot left empty is filled by the corresponding Sthira Karaka. (Sthira karakas are fixed for every human being and are not the naisargika karakas — next class.)
• That area of life sees an upheaval; at the level of the soul, a huge transformation.
• If the Sthira Karaka who fills the slot is weak, it can even show a death. Example: Matrukaraka and Pitrukaraka in the same degree. The Matrukaraka leaves, the Pitrukaraka becomes Matrukaraka, and the Sthira Pitrukaraka who fills in is weak → the father may pass away and the mother takes the role of both.
• Death or not, there is definitely a big change in life.
• With four planets in one degree there is a queue of four: one goes and everybody is pushed up, again and again.
• When the shift happens is very difficult to time. There are dashas for it; even they do not work perfectly. Left for later.

AK = The Weakness of the Soul

"Why is that Jivatma separate from the Paramatma? Why is it not able to merge back? Because it has some weaknesses… it has an identity crisis. It doesn't know who it is. If it realizes who it is, it will be part of the Paramatma."

These are one-line summaries. In a chart, the planets influencing the AK matter even more than the AK's own nature.

Why Compassion Is a Weakness

To us compassion is a strength. From the Paramatma's point of view, being sad because somebody is in trouble is a weakness: every Atma reaps what it sowed. Being very kind and taking this maya to be the truth — that is Moon.

"Sun is Shiva and Moon is Parvati. Sun is the satya and Parvati is the maya surrounding the satya. When I say maya, don't think of it as bad. Because of her this whole world exists."

AK as Conscience

"What is soul? It is your conscience. Sometimes your mind tells you to do something, but your conscience says 'No, maybe that's not the right thing.'"

• The Atma guides the conscience, helped by the intellect (Jupiter).
• The Atma is the king. But the king is not in charge in any country — the minister, the bureaucracy, does everything. The mind does what it wants; the king keeps reminding: maybe that is not right. The ultimate boss, but a helpless boss.

Two cases PVNR gives:

• Moon AK with malefics in the 3rd and 6th from AL: he will go and fight whoever opposes him — and feel terrible about it inside. A student with Moon AK and Rahu in the 3rd from AL confirmed it:

"If anybody has done any wrong with me, I would want to fight. But whatever the result is, at the end of it I would feel, oh no, I should not have done that."

PVNR: in some people the conscience is a fleeting thought. When the AK is strong it is a tormenting feeling. (The student added that Moon is also his lagna lord; PVNR agreed that strengthens it.)

• Mars AK with a gentle image (by the planets in and from AL he looks like a sadhu): asked what he feels when somebody is in trouble, the man said, "I don't care, doesn't matter to me."

So the AK shows the inner nature. Whether the person is outwardly compassionate depends on other things.

For the astrologer: see the AK and the influences on it in Navamsa, and guide the person along that path. It is what his conscience already says; he probably knows it but does not see that it matters. People who leave that path live in inner turmoil. Inner peace comes from following the AK.

Ramana Maharshi: Navamsa and Moksha

• Moon (AK) is in Gemini in Navamsa. The 12th from it is Taurus — Ketu is there.
• Rasi Drishti on Taurus comes from Cancer, Libra and Capricorn:
  • Venus in Cancer → benefic
  • Mercury in Capricorn → alone, and with no association Mercury is a benefic by default. (For Mercury's nature only conjunction is seen, not aspects.)
  • Mars in Libra → malefic
• Two benefics and one malefic aspect Ketu.

"The perfect combination for moksha is not there, but it is 90% there… out of the charts that I have seen, this is as close as I get to the definition that Parasara gave."

→ He either got moksha or something very similar to it — there are grades in moksha.

Mercury changes from chart to chart: in Ramana Maharshi's Siddhamsa (D24) Mercury is with Mars → a malefic there. In Navamsa he is a benefic.

What Moksha Is

• The individual soul is a small spark of fire — not physical fire; the world we perceive is only one-eighth of the whole — sitting in the heart.
• When it gives up its identity and realises it is not different from the Paramatma, it merges back. No more life.
• Advaita and Vishishtadvaita differ on the details (merging, or living just below the Paramatma). Not important here.
• A student asked if that is nirvana. Nirvana, kaivalya — some scholars treat the words as identical, some do not. Take them as the same for now.
• Splitting from the Paramatma is easy; merging back is very difficult. Unless Ketu influences that 12th house the soul cannot give up its identity.

Rahu as AK

A student's observation, which PVNR confirmed — it was the question he was about to ask:

"A person with Rahu as Atmakaraka will never get moksha, because Ketu would always be in the 7th house."

Ketu is always in the 7th from Rahu, so he can never be in the 12th from a Rahu AK.

12th from Navamsa Lagna Is a Different Thing

A student objected that Ketu is in the 10th in Navamsa, not the 12th. He is — from the Navamsa lagna (Leo). The dictum counts from the AK.

• 12th from Navamsa lagna = what you give up in your dharmic life and how. In Ramana Maharshi's Navamsa Venus is there (Cancer) → whatever he gives up, he gives up passionately; and he can give up passion.
• 12th from AK = the soul giving up its identity.

His Ishta Devata

The planet in the 12th from his AK is Ketu → Ganesha.

"If he wasn't Ramana Maharshi, if he was a small boy and he came to you for guidance, just give him a small Ganesh mantra, tell him to do it."

• He was not known as a devotee of Ganesha. That does not matter: "It does not show who you are a devotee of. It shows who will take you towards moksha."
• He was already on the way; it may have made no difference to him. For anybody not already advanced, prescribing the Ishta Devata is the best thing an astrologer can do.

Student Charts

Three charts from the class, worked the same way. (Birth data omitted here.)

Chart 1 — A Student's Daughter (born 1997): Ketu with Another Planet

• AK = Venus, debilitated in Virgo in Navamsa

"Debilitation, don't consider it a bad thing. As far as Atmakaraka is concerned, debilitation is a good thing. In Navamsa, debilitation is not a bad thing."

• 12th from Venus = Leo: Ketu and Mercury
• When Ketu is there, take the other planets and choose the strongest of them → Mercury → Vishnu
• The sign is the Sun's → Rama is a good avatara. Rama, or simply Vishnu.
• Ketu there gives the soul some thought of detachment already — "but it is not fully convinced. That is why it is born."

What Parasara actually taught: if Ketu is in the 12th from AK in Navamsa with the Sun, pray to Shiva; with such-and-such planet, pray to such-and-such deity; then you get moksha. Prescribing the same deities when Ketu is not there is a generalisation.

Chart 2 — A Student (born 1969): Empty 12th

• AK = Jupiter, at 29°. Will the AK change? Check only the Amatyakaraka, who comes next — he is not in the same degree. One AK for life.
• Jupiter in Navamsa: Virgo. 12th from it: Leo, empty
• Lord = Sun (exalted in Navamsa) → Shiva; or Rama among Vishnu's avataras
• The student said Shiva is already his favourite god.

"In some cases the god that will actually take somebody towards moksha may not be the favourite god. If you already have a relationship with that god for several lives and you are already in the path towards moksha, then it may so happen."

If it is not so, that is not bad either: for one man everything can happen in one life, for another it takes a thousand. "Don't be judgmental."

Chart 3 — A Student (born 1965): One Planet in the 12th

• AK = Mercury; the Amatyakaraka is not in the same degree → one AK for life
• Mercury in Navamsa: Aquarius. 12th from it: Capricorn, with Mars alone
• Deity of Mars: Kartikeya / Subrahmanya, Hanuman; Narasimha among Vishnu's avataras; Bagalamukhi among the forms of the Mother (Chamundi is a good approximation); the Rudras

"Any divine form which has that energy, if you worship that divine form, then it will take you there. Because that energy is needed to kill the identity of your atma."

• Other gods are not incapable. Their path will take longer for this person.

Vishnu or Shiva?

Some say only Vishnu can give moksha, so the Ishta Devata must be a Vishnu avatara. PVNR: these are subjective opinions and there is no point fighting over who is superior. Whichever deity you take for a planet, the forms have something in common — every Martian form has the Martian energy this soul needs to overcome its attachment to its identity.

Mantra and Devotion

Assignment: make your own chart, find the AK, go to Navamsa, see the 12th from it, find the deity, and make a habit of some mantra of that deity. If two planets are there and you cannot tell which is stronger, bring accurate birth data to the next class.

A student asked whether the mantra can be simple. Yes.

"The idea is not just saying those particular letters, but thinking of that particular god in your mind… Sound is one aspect and thought is the other aspect. When there is a unison between the two, then the mantra will work."

• With Bagalamukhi or Narasimha, hold that ugra rupa in the mind.
• The number of letters and words of a mantra (taught in earlier classes) matters, and can be chosen from your chart. That is half of it. The other half is devotion.
• Saying "Om Namah Shivaya" while the mind wanders over other things gives no result. The mind has to stay on the deity.
• Start with something very simple.

"The beauty about Ishta Devata is he is the only one who is interested in breaking your identity attachment. Once you start praying to your Ishta Devata, he or she will make sure that you progress in that path… if that is not the right mantra, somebody will come and give you the right mantra."

That may be in this life or the next. The direction is given by itself.

Key Rules — Atmakaraka and Ishta Devata