Marana Karaka Sthana (MKS): The House That Challenges Planetary Contribution
Marana Karaka Sthana (MKS) refers to the “death-inflicting house” for a planet in a horoscope. It is a house in the birth chart where a planet cannot function effectively because it is incompatible with the activities of that house. There is a significant mismatch between the intrinsic nature of the planet and the role it is required to play in that house. As a result, the planet feels uncomfortable and is unwilling to fulfill the responsibilities associated with that house. Or he feels like dying rather than contributing to the duties of the MKS house.
In astrology, each house represents specific activities. Planets with particular personality traits, abilities, and attitudes are required to carry them out effectively.
For instance, soldiers working in war zones must possess qualities such as courage, fearlessness, skill in warfare, physical strength and fitness, and discipline to make meaningful contributions to the war effort.
If a person lacking the warrior personality and skills is compelled to contribute in a war zone like a soldier, then that person is great difficulty. Further, he will also spoil the atmosphere for the fellow team members. This is exactly what happens to a planet when it is present in its Maran Karak Sthan.
Shri Vaidyanatha Dikshita in Jataka Parijata has taught the concept in Chapter 17 of Kalachakra Dasa.
He has listed the Marana Sthana of 8 planets, from the Sun to Rahu. If the natural malefic planets are weak and either conjoin or aspect a planet in Marana Sthana, there will be greater suffering. Weakness means they should be in debility, in the enemy’s sign, etc.
Marana Karaka Sthana, or Death Signifying House for different planets, given in Jataka Parijata, is as follows:
For Sun: Marana Karaka Sthana is in the 12th house
The Sun is the king, leader, and administrator. He likes wealth, glory, power, and authority. When he is present in the 12th house of compromise, sacrifices, and losses, he feels like dying. Because a king is very uncomfortable giving up all his power and belongings, he likes his kingdom, wealth, and riches. Further, a king hates to compromise like a common man. The 12th is the house of foreign places as well. Which king would like to leave his kingdom & power and live in a faraway country forever? Therefore, the 12th house is the MKS for Sun.
For Moon: Marana Karaka Sthana is in the 8th house
The Moon is the mind and likes to dwell, enjoy, and socialise in the material world. When he comes to the 8th house of longevity/death, he becomes very uncomfortable. The mind experiences intense fear to see, feel, and experience deaths & destruction. These very thoughts make the Moon feel like dying. Further, the Moon is a social planet and likes to dwell and stay in society with others. The 8th house shows hidden and isolated places like caves, etc. The Moon finds it unpleasant and frightening to be alone in a secluded place for long.
For Mars: Maran Karak Sthan is in the 7th house
Mars is the planet of war, dominance, and aggression. When he contributes to romance, love, sensuality, and relationships in the 7th house, he becomes very uncomfortable. For good relationships, we need pleasant interactions with others. The anger and dominating nature of Mars do not allow him to contribute positively to the relationships in the 7th house. He brings heated discussions and fights in between and spoils the harmony and partnership.
For Mercury: Marana Karaka Sthana is in the 7th house
Mercury, being an eunuch planet, when contributing to marriage, honest partnership, and procreation, becomes very uncomfortable with the situation in the 7th house. He likes to experiment, have fun, and enjoy. Maintaining long-term meaningful partnerships is not the cup of tea for Mercury. Further marriage and relationships require commitment; Mercury does not prefer it.
For Jupiter: Marana Karaka Sthana is in the 3rd house
Jupiter is the planet of righteousness, world peace, and wisdom. When Jupiter is required to do aggression and take weapons in hand in the 3rd house, he becomes very uncomfortable. He likes to establish order in the world through law, mutual respect, and cooperation. Doing aggression on others is not acceptable to Jeeva or Jupiter.
For Venus: Maran Karak Sthan is in the 6th house
Venus is the planet of love, sensuality, and passion. The planet is at great unease in the 6th house of celibacy, separation, and fights. Venus dislikes the very idea of staying away from their lover or indulging in disputes. Therefore, he feels like dying in the 6th house. Venus is the Jala Tatwa planet and rules Tithi, or relationships, in Panchanga, hence, his focus is on having relationships, love, romance, and marriage in life. The 6th house is the 12th from the 7th house. It shows the loss of marriage and partnerships.
For Saturn: Marana Karaka Sthana is in the 1st house
Saturn is the signifier of disease, suffering, and sin. When he is compelled to give good health and character to a person, he becomes very uncomfortable in the first house. Hence, the contribution required from him does not match his fundamental nature. The 1st house represents our body, health, and character. The 1st house shows the beginning, and Saturn represents the end or old age as well. Therefore, Saturn is unable to function correctly in the 1st house. The significator of health beginning and character is Sun. The Saturn and Sun are natural enemies in Vedic astrology.
For Rahu: Marana Karaka Sthana is in the 9th house
Rahu is the planet of cheating, deceit, irreligiousness, conspiracy, etc. It likes to create lawlessness and disorder in society. In the 9th house, working for righteousness, dharma, law, duty, and the temple (a religious place) is extremely tough for Rahu. It becomes very uncomfortable with the work of the 9th house and feels like dying there. Therefore, he does bad to the 9th house and spoils the dharma and luck of a person.
What happens when a planet is in Maran Karak Sthan?
Just as we must perform our karma regardless of the situation, so must all planets in a astrology chart. Consequently, several important things occur when a planet is in Marana Karaka Sthana:
1. The houses owned by the planet suffer terribly:
This is because the lord (owner) is not able to care for and contribute to his own house(s). The planet drains all its energy and is too occupied with the work he hates in Marana Karaka Sthana (MKS).
Read about all the 12 houses in astrology and their meaning and significance
2. The Naisargik Karak Tatwa (natural significator) of the planet suffers, and it becomes negative or problematic for the natives:
The native suffers at Naisargik Karak level, at one point in life.
For example, Mars is Naisargik Karaka (Natural Significator) for younger brother, home, land, property, aggression, fire, initiative, engineering/engineers in general, police, security, army, logic, simple machines, etc. If Mars is in Marana Karaka Sthana (MKS), then the native suffers in one/some of the areas at some point in life.
Read about the description and characteristics of the 9 planets in astrology.
3. The planet behaves negatively for the Marana Karaka Sthana house, it is placed in:
When a planet is trapped in a house it hates and is forced to do something repeatedly it abhors, it becomes very disturbed and uneasy. Consequently, at its very core, the planet behaves adversely for the house it is placed in, i.e., MKS.
So every planet, depending on its inherent nature, reacts differently. The natural malefic planets (kroora grahas) like Mars, Saturn, Rahu, and the Sun retaliate in a harsh way. Therefore, marriage/relationships (7th H), health/character/ideas (1st H), dharma/luck (9th H), attitude to compromises/give up/bed pleasures, etc. (12th) suffer severely.
Natural benefics like Venus, Jupiter, the Moon, and Mercury behave in a somewhat kind way. But, unfortunately, they all do something bad to the house where they are placed in MKS.
Astrology combinations that reduce the negative effects of the Marana Karaka Sthana (MKS) planets:
1. If the MKS planet is placed in its exaltation, mooltrikona, or its own sign.For example, if Jupiter is in the 3rd house, then it should be in Cancer, Sagittarius, or Pisces.
2. The natural significator of the house should be strong. For example, if Saturn is in the 1st house and the Sun is in exaltation, then the negative effects of Saturn are considerably reduced.
3. The planet in the maran karak sthan should have a high Bhinna Ashtakavarga score. A score of 5 or more is better. For example, if Sun is in the 12th house, then it should have 5 or more Bhinna Ashtakavarga scores in the 12th house.
4. The lord of the MKS house should be strong, such as being in exaltation, mooltrikona, or its own sign.
5. There should be a placement or aspect of natural benefic planets on the Marana Karaka Sthana planet.
Note: Exaltation and debilitation takes places in a sign whereas MKS is a house in the horoscope.
Example 1: Adolf Hitler: Four Planets in Marana Karaka Sthana
Four planets are in MKS in the chart of Adolf Hitler: Mercury, Rahu, Jupiter, and Mars.
1. The combined contributions of Mercury, Rahu, and Jupiter completely degraded his righteousness (dharma), law-abidance, and duty-mindedness.
They turned him into a power-mongering dictator who wanted to rule the world with force. During the war as well, he canceled treaties and international accords at his convenience and advantage. He manipulated the masses with propaganda and executed politics of hatred in Germany.
Let us see how these three planets work together to transform him into a monster with no dharma.
Mercury is the 9th lord of righteousness, fair play, and law abidance. The planet is in MKS, in an enemy’s sign.
Further, this weak Mercury is combust. The Sun is the 11th lord of gain, who shall promote personal benefits instead of following law & duty. Such a placement of Mercury will have negative results for the 9th, 12th, and 7th houses. He was unwilling to compromise (12th H) and follow any law or duty (9th H).
Rahu is in the maran karak sthan in the 9th house. Rahu in the 9th house degrades the law-abidance and dharma of the person. The person can manipulate the law for personal gain.
Lastly, Jupiter, the natural significator of justice and fair play, is also in MKS. In addition to this, there is Guru Chandal ( Jupiter and Rahu) Yoga on the 3rd and 9th house axes.
Considering all these factors, the 9th house is greatly spoiled. Hence, such results.
2. The combined effect of Mars and Mercury’s placement in MKS in the 7th house brought no marriage to him in life until the end.
Furthermore, he was in a romantic and sexual relationship with his half-niece, an act of incest. Finally, On 29 April 1945, they got married and took their live to avoid capture by the Soviet Red Army.
Example 2: Moon present in Marana Karaka Sthana for Aries Ascendant:
Negative results related to the mother:
Adverse results for comfort and overall happiness:
Undesirable results pertaining to property and real estate when Mars is also weak:
Astrologers must check for the cancellation of debility of such a weak planet. So that, after some time, the native may have some peace and comfort in life.
Note: Retrograde Mars, present in the exaltation sign, is akin to Mars in debility.
Conclusion:
The concept of Maran Karak Sthan explains to us why certain planets struggle to fulfill their responsibilities in specific houses. They are so uncomfortable in these houses that feel like dying instead of fulfilling their responsibilities in these houses.
When there is some positive influence on the MKS planet, the final results are not devastating. We have included the combinations that reduce the negative effects of the MKS planet above. Vedic remedies can be prescribed, and planets can be propitiated based on these criteria.
However, planets in Marana Karaka Sthana having other negative combinations, can show severe suffering. The negative combinations include MKS planets in debility, with weak natural malefic, combust by the Sun, in mrityu bhaga, in gandanta, and so forth. All these astrology combinations further deteriorate the results.
Note: We have explained this concept in great detail in our Jyotish course videos. Further, the video lesson (How to see Vedic Charts? Part 1 of 6) also has this content in detail.
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