A Karana is considered to be half of a Tithi and there are 11 Karanas in totality. A Tithi gets formed every time the Moon moves 12 degrees away from the Sun and half of a Tithi is a Karana which is 6 degrees. Hence there are 60 Karanas in total (360°/6) which are however further categorized into 11 as 7 of the karanas are movable and repeat 8 times in a cycle making up 56 and there are remaining 4 fixed karanas all together making up the sum total of 60.
It is said that Knowledge of Karanas leads to success. There is also a popular saying stating 'Karanam Thappinal Maranam' meaning Karanam is so powerful that it can even save you from the clutches of death. It is also said to be the 'Karya Siddhi' that translates as 'granting of success'. A Karana can indicate means of work getting accomplished and providing a direction towards life by putting in the required efforts. Since it is directly dealing with Karma and Saturn is the forebearer planet of the same, Karanas in general are said to be governed mainly under the auspices of Saturn with it also being the natural 10th Lord of the Kalapurusha.
Herewith sharing few snippets about the 11 different Karanas obtained from various Tamil speeches and informatory materials. In general the movable Karanas which are 7 of them that repeat 8 times in the cycle are said to be favorable and the 4 fixed karanas which get formed during the last half of Krishna Chaturdashi Tithi, full Ammavasya and former half of Shukla Paksha Pratipada (or Pratamai) are said to be inauspicious.
1) Bava:
✔Planetary Ruler: Chevvai - Mars
✔Animal: Singham - Lion
✔Deity: Narasimha (The Lakshmi Narasimhar temple located in Namakkal especially is considered auspicious)
✔Flower: Punnai Mara Poo - White flower (Calophyllum Inophyllum)
✔Prasad: Neivedyam, Annam - Food Grains (Offering of food on Bava Karana is really auspicious)
✔Application / Wearing: Kasthuri - Wild Turmeric
✔Ornament / Ring: Manikkam - Ruby
✔Vessel: Ponnu - Gold
✔Cloth: Venmai - Pale White cloth
✔Offering: Pala Pazham - Jackfruit
General Information:
- Natives born in Bava Karana are said to be magnanimous and do not tend to have any greed.
-Since their animal is Lion, they are mostly very brave and tend to be in dominant professions such as police, sports, Government Authorities etc.
- Any work performed in Bava Karanam can last up to 48 years and hence all good things can be performed in this Karana
- Most auspicious marriages that have been long lasting would have taken place only in Bava Karana
- Women born in Bava Karanam keep their husbands with honor and they always get praise from family. They are also equivalent to men in every way and have similar earning potential
- People born in this Karana always win and wherever they go will return victorious. They also tend to be respected people in life
2) Balava:
✔Planetary Ruler: Raghu - Rahu
✔Animal: Puli - Tiger
✔Deity: Ayyappa, Sastha, Gramathu Deivangal (village Gods) (The Ayyappa temple in Sabari Malai especially is considered auspicious)
✔Flower: Shenbaga Malar - Fragrant flowers
✔Prasad: Payasam - Kheer
✔Application / Wearing: Sandhanam - Sandalwood
✔Ornament / Ring: Muthu - Pearl
✔Vessel: Velli - Silver
✔Cloth: Sivappu - Red cloth
✔Offering: Nellika - Gooseberry
General Information:
- One should not upset people born in this Karana. These people will play their cards strategically
- Any task that they get into they will go ahead with plenty of confidence and might
- Said to possess plenty of intelligence (buddhi) and they will be musically inclined and sporty
- Any work done in Balava Karanam lasts for 16 years. All good work can be performed in Rahu Kaalam because Rahu is the planet of this Karana
- 2nd - family, 5th - children, 7th - marriage, 8th - marital bond (mangalyam) - they say if Rahu/Ketu sits in these houses it casues Dosham but if born in Balava Karanam such issues don't normally occur
3) Kaulava:
✔Planetary Ruler: Shani - Saturn
✔Animal: Pandri - Pig
✔Deity: Varaha Murthy (The Bhu Varaha temple in Shri Msuhnam especially is considered auspicious)
✔Flower: Mahilam Malar - Yellow flower (Spanish Cherry)
✔Prasad: Paniyaram or Paddu - Rice lentil dumplings
✔Application / Wearing: Kungumam - Vermilion
✔Ornament / Ring: Velli - Silver
✔Vessel: Sembu - Copper
✔Cloth: Kandangi - Cloth made from cotton or silk threads
✔Offering: Kothamali Sadham - Coriander Rice
General Information:
- Saturn is the karaka for profession. These people are usually research oriented and any studies based on research is good for them
- People born in this karana should not do betrayal to their animal and hence shouldn't consume pork
- Even if Saturn is in 6,8,12 it won't cause problems and planets sitting in upachaya from Saturn tend to do good
- Bore work, all land related things will come under this Karana. In villages any well fitting work is done in this karana
4) Taitula:
✔Planetary Ruler: Sukran - Venus
✔Animal: Kazhudhu - Donkey
✔Deity: Jyeshta Devi, Moodevi (Alakshmi) - Known as the elder sister of Goddess Mahalakshmi (The Jyeshta Devi temple in Brahmapureeshwar, Perunagar especially is considered auspicious)
✔Flower: Malligai Poo - Jasmine
✔Prasad: Appam - Pancake
✔Application / Wearing: Korochanam - Oxbile (Fel Borinum Purifcatum)
✔Ornament / Ring: Vairam - Diamond
✔Vessel: Irumbu - Iron
✔Cloth: Manjal - Yellow cloth
✔Offering: Neer Pushnika, Manga, Keerai - Ash Gourd, Mangoes, Spinach
General Information:
- Most auspicious karana for ladies. For marriage related things it is very good. In those days for seeing girls it used to happen in Taitula Karanam
- They are very concerned about their family and sacrifice themselves for every cause. Also happen to very hard working and slog a lot
- People struggling to get married also can pray to Jyeshta Devi on a Taitula Karanam day
- Sugar, diabetes, lungs related issues all pertain to Venus - Getting treated for these on Taitula Karana helps in getting relief
5) Garaja:
✔Planetary Ruler: Chandran - Moon
✔Animal: Yannai - Elephant
✔Deity: Vinayak or Pillayar (The Vinayaka temple in Pillayar Patti especially is considered auspicious)
✔Flower: Sembaruthi - Hibiscus
✔Prasad: Paal - Milk
✔Application / Wearing: Kaasu Katti - Ayurvedic herb resin
✔Ornament / Ring: Manikkam - Ruby
✔Vessel: Eeyam - Lead
✔Cloth: Karuppu Niram - Black colour cloth
✔Offering: Thengai - Coconut in any form
General Information:
- Because animal is elephant, these people tend to have very good memory. They will tend to keep secrets about themselves
- This Karana is good for agriculture and Government related work. These people tend to know high profile influential personalities
- Wherever they go they will earn. They also tend to leave their family and live alone. The ancestors of these natives will be high personalities and tend to come from a distant land
- They tend to face a lot of humiliation, all these will be lessons and they will succeed later on
- They have extra compassion and affection which leads them to face lots of problems. They are even termed as ''Paasa Muttal'' meaning Affectionate fools
- They never think only for themselves, always look at things from a common cause
- They find it difficult to have a house of their own and always tend to have land, house related issues
- All things come in their life only after significant delays
- Mostly love marriage tends to happen, some issues in family always takes place, also female children are associated. Also these karana natives are known to face marriage issues in general.
6) Vanisai:
✔Planetary Ruler: Suriyan - Sun
✔Animal: Nandhi - Bull
✔Deity: Nandi Keshwar (The Nandeswar temple in Thirumalapadi especially is considered auspicious)
✔Flower: Neela Lochanam - Blooming Blue/Purple Lotus
✔Prasad: Thayir - Curd
✔Application / Wearing: Manjal Podi - Turmeric
✔Ornament / Ring: Pavalam - Coral
✔Vessel: Panchalokam - 5 metal alloy mix
✔Cloth: Kambali - Blanket material
✔Offering: Narathai - Orange
General Information:
- Favorable for Government related job, meeting important personalities and politics
- Bava and Vanija are supposed to be most auspicious and hence any work performed in these 2 karanas are very good especially for house construction activities
- Most temples were constructed on Vanija and that’s why these are spoken till this day.
- These people tend to face marriage related issues. It is preferable if they have late marriage
7) Vishti / Bhadrai:
✔Planetary Ruler: Kethu - Ketu
✔Animal: Kozhi - Cock
✔Deity: Muruga or Karthikeya (The Murugan temple in Tiruchendur especially is considered auspicious)
✔Flower: Gundumani Poo - Arabian Jasmine
✔Prasad: Chitrannam - Lemon based rice
✔Application / Wearing: Karpooram - Camphor
✔Ornament / Ring: Pushparagam - Yellow Sapphire
✔Vessel: Venkalam - Bronze
✔Cloth: Thozh - Skin based material
✔Offering: Murungakka - Drumstick
General Information:
- People born in this karana should not do betrayal to their animal and hence shouldn't consume chicken
- This karana translates to poison, these people have high resistance power to ward off evils.
- This is very convenient for Agriculture related work, also for house painting because Ketu is multi colour
- Wherever they go they will come out victorious and are especially smart in winning their enemies. There will be some mystery about them
- They will be very devoted to family and especially ladies will sacrifice themselves for family
- People born in this karana can be medical practitioners, astrologers, spiritual related persons
8) Shakuni:
✔Planetary Ruler: Shani - Saturn
✔Animal: Kaagam - Crow
✔Deity: Saneeshwara or Shani Bhagwan (The Shani temple in Tirunellar especially is considered auspicious)
✔Flower: Shenbaga Poo - Magnolia Champak
✔Prasad: Vellam - Jaggery
✔Application / Wearing: Seru - Sludge / Mud
✔Ornament / Ring: Karuppu Nool - Blackish ornamentation
✔Vessel: Kal Pathiram or Kal Kattu - Vessel made of stone
✔Cloth: Karuppu Niram - Black cloth material
✔Offering: Kothamalli - Cilantro or coriander based items
General Information:
- Giving food to crow on a daily basis is very good
- They work against usual force of nature and against Dharma and this creates problems for them with others. They know to play tricks well
- They tend to be the leader of the pack, they work with lot of jewelry like Gold, Silver Business etc. These people tend to keep mortgage of jewelry
9) Chatushpada:
✔Planetary Ruler: Guru - Jupiter
✔Animal: Naayi - Dog
✔Deity: Bairavar, Rudran (The Kala Bairavar temple in Kshetrapalam especially is considered auspicious)
✔Flower: Kondrai Malar - Golden flowers (Cassia Fistula)
✔Prasad: Then - Honey
✔Application / Wearing: Thiruneer - Sacred Ash
✔Ornament / Ring: Sphadik Mala - Crystal Quartz
✔Vessel: Mara Pathiram - Brass vessel
✔Cloth: Manja Niram - Yellow color cloth
✔Offering: Aapil - Apple
General Information:
- Chatush indicates 4 types of Veda - Rig, Yajur, Adharva and Sama. Guru indicates leadership position and reputation
- People born in this karana will achieve from a young age and they get money, properties, honour, influence etc
- However Jupiter should not be the 8th lord as it will not be favorable and Jupiter should especially not be in Bharani Nakshatra. Also Guru should not be Tithi Shoonyam
- These people usually get skin/nervous disease like leprosy and they can be ignored even by their own children
10) Nagava:
✔Planetary Ruler: Raghu - Rahu
✔Animal: Paambu - Snake
✔Deity: Nagaraj (The Nagaraja temple in Nagerkoil especially is considered auspicious)
✔Flower: Olai Poo - Coconut leaf flower
✔Prasad: Nei Kalandha Porul - Items made with ghee
✔Application / Wearing: Sambrani - Benzoin
✔Ornament / Ring: Vaidhuryam - Cat's Eye
✔Vessel: Marathodu Pathiram - Tree wood vessel
✔Cloth: Karu Neelam - Dark blue cloth material
✔Offering: Nellikai - Gooseberry
General Information:
- These people are known to settle in far off or foreign places usually
- They will go out of their way to earn for themselves and family. They will earn wherever they go
- Balava Karana is known as Amritha (sweet) Rahu whereas Nagava Karana is Visha (poison) Rahu
- For others they will go and do things out of their way. Also known to do every thing in a major big way
- Nobody can run or hide from them as they have very sharp vision. They also tend to get angry quickly
- Skin problems these people tend to have regularly. They also tend to have lots of desires
- These people can do work in fields such as marketing, medicine, press, media, cameraman, magician
11) Kimstugna:
✔Planetary Ruler: Budhan - Mercury
✔Animal: Pulu - Worm
✔Deity: Dhanvantri (The Dhanvantri temple in Sri Rangam especially is considered auspicious)
✔Flower: Kongu Malar - Decorative flowers
✔Prasad: Sarkarai Kalandhu Porul - Items made with sugar
✔Application / Wearing: Javadhu - Herbal paste made from Sandal
✔Ornament / Ring: Muthu - Pearl
✔Vessel: Moongil - Bamboo
✔Cloth: Ven Pattu - White silk cloth material
✔Offering: Thakkali - Tomato based items
General Information:
- This is a karanam for medicine, herbs (mooligai), doctors and hospitals. These people even tend to grow worms
- These people tend to oscillate and are pretty fickle minded when it comes to making any decision
- 3rd place from Lagnam causes issues - ears, nose, tongues get affected. 7th place if Mercury is placed there can be issues in marriage as Mercury denotes dual tendencies
- Astrology, communication, Documents, multi level marketing, bookshop, lawyer all come under work of this karana
- These people can donate green grams, help transgenders and those having mind related troubles
