Shubha and Papa Kartari Yoga
Classical yoga
Updated
Kartari Yoga describes a house hemmed in by planets on both sides: Shubha Kartari when benefics flank it, Papa Kartari when malefics do. Tradition reads the first as protection for that house and the second as pressure on it.
| Name | Shubha and Papa Kartari Yoga शुभ-पाप कर्तरी योग |
|---|---|
| Type | Classical yoga |
| Planets involved | Any planet, through the houses it rules for the Lagna |
How Shubha and Papa Kartari Yoga forms
Kartari means scissors. A house, or a planet, is hemmed in when planets occupy both the house before it (the 12th from it) and the house after it (the 2nd from it). In Shubha Kartari the planets on both sides are natural benefics (Jupiter, Venus, Mercury and a waxing Moon); in Papa Kartari they are natural malefics (Saturn, Mars, the Sun, Rahu and Ketu). The yoga is most often checked for the Lagna and for the Moon, but it can be applied to any house. If one side holds a benefic and the other a malefic, neither form applies. Some teachers also count hemming formed by aspects, but placement is the standard form.
Effects of Shubha and Papa Kartari Yoga
Shubha Kartari on the Lagna is read as protection for the body and self: good health, confidence and help arriving when needed. On the Moon it is read as a calm, supported mind. On any other house it eases that area of life. Papa Kartari is the opposite image: the house is squeezed, so its matters need more effort, and on the Lagna the person may feel pressed by circumstances. Any planet inside the hemmed house shares the same effect.
Kartari is a modifying factor, not a standalone verdict. A natural malefic that is a yogakaraka or a good house lord for the Lagna is less harmful as a hemming planet, and a strong planet inside the hemmed house, or Jupiter's aspect on it, can counter Papa Kartari. Teachers also differ on whether Rahu and Ketu, or the Sun, should count.
What strengthens it
- Flanking planets in strong dignity give a stronger Kartari of either kind.
- For Papa Kartari, a flanking malefic that rules good houses for the Lagna softens the effect.
- A strong planet inside the hemmed house, or Jupiter's aspect on it, counters Papa Kartari.
- Kartari on the Lagna or the Moon is given the most weight.
- Activation in the dashas of the flanking planets and of the hemmed house's lord.
How common is Shubha and Papa Kartari Yoga?
Some hemming of one house or another appears in most charts, so it is read house by house. Kartari on the Lagna specifically, of either kind, is much less common.
Examples
Jupiter in the 12th house and Venus in the 2nd house flank the Lagna, giving Shubha Kartari on the Lagna. Saturn in the 3rd house and Mars in the 5th hem the 4th house in Papa Kartari, read as pressure on home and inner peace.
When Shubha and Papa Kartari Yoga gives results
It tends to show in the dashas of the flanking planets and of the lord of the hemmed house, and in transits that repeat the hemming.
A yoga is read together with the whole chart: the dignity of the planets, the houses they rule for your Lagna, and the dasha running. Houses here are whole-sign houses counted from the Lagna, as in the Navagraha app. Make your free Kundli to see where these planets sit in your own chart.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kartari Yoga?
It is the hemming of a house or planet by planets on both sides. Benefics on both sides give Shubha Kartari, read as protection; malefics on both sides give Papa Kartari, read as pressure on that house.
Is Papa Kartari Yoga serious?
It is a modifying factor rather than a verdict. Its effect depends on the dignity and lordship of the hemming planets, on any planet inside the house and on aspects such as Jupiter's. Many charts with it show only a modest effect.
Do Rahu and Ketu count in Papa Kartari?
Most teachers count them as malefics for this purpose, but some leave them out, and some also leave out the Sun. It is worth stating which convention is being used.
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