Kark lagna (Cancer ascendant, also spelt Karka) means Cancer was rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth. Its lord is the Moon, so the lagna is bound up with feeling, warmth and a deep attachment to family. Mars is its yogakaraka; the Sun and Saturn are its marakas, and Venus is the badhakesh.
Kark lagna at a glance
- Lord (lagnesh)
- Chandra (Moon)
- Element
- Water (jal)
- Quality
- Movable (chara)
- Nakshatras
- Punarvasu (1 pada), Pushya (all 4 padas), Ashlesha (all 4 padas)
- Yogakaraka
- Mangal (Mars)
- Badhaka house
- 11th house · Shukra
Note: the daily rashifal is read from the Moon sign, not the lagna. Lagna vs Rashi →
Planet roles for Kark lagna
Which houses each planet rules, and whether it is benefic or malefic for this lagna.
| Planet | Rules | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surya (Sun) | 2nd house | Neutral | Maraka |
| Chandra (Moon) | 1st house | Benefic | Lagnesh |
| Mangal (Mars) | 5th house and 10th house | Benefic | Yogakaraka |
| Budh (Mercury) | 3rd house and 12th house | Malefic | |
| Guru (Jupiter) | 6th house and 9th house | Benefic | |
| Shukra (Venus) | 4th house and 11th house | Malefic | Badhakesh |
| Shani (Saturn) | 7th house and 8th house | Malefic | Maraka |
| Rahu (Rahu) | Rules no sign | Malefic | |
| Ketu (Ketu) | Rules no sign | Malefic |
For Kark lagna, Mars rules the 5th (Vrishchik) and the 10th (Mesh), one trikona and one kendra, which makes it the yogakaraka. Bear in mind that Mars placed in the lagna itself, in Cancer, is debilitated, so judge its results by its actual placement and strength. Jupiter, lord of the 6th and 9th, is benefic on account of the 9th. The real puzzle in this table is Venus: it rules a kendra, the 4th, yet lordship of the 11th makes it a malefic, and as the 11th is the badhaka house for a movable lagna, it is the badhakesh too. There are two marakas: the Sun as 2nd lord, itself neutral, and Saturn as 7th lord, a malefic because it also rules the 8th.
For these planets in your own chart: Functional benefics and malefics · Yogakaraka · Maraka planets
Nature and body
Kark lagna natives are usually emotional, sensitive and able to sense what others need without being told. The Moon as lagnesh governs the mind, so their mood shifts with their surroundings and the people around them. Home, family and old memories hold them closely; those they bond with, they protect with full loyalty.
This is a movable, water lagna. The movable quality keeps them active and ready to take the first step in new situations, while water gives deep feeling and imagination. When hurt, they withdraw inward, much as a crab draws into its shell. Tradition pictures Kark lagna with a round face, soft skin and eyes that show changing moods; planets in the lagna, the Moon's waxing or waning strength and its placement can change that portrait considerably.
Career and work
Kark lagna's 10th house is Mesh, ruled by Mars, the yogakaraka. So a lagna thought of as gentle and emotional can show courage, initiative and a competitive edge at work. Mars's placement may point towards engineering, the armed forces or police, medicine and surgery, land and construction, or a venture of one's own.
With the Moon as lagnesh, public-facing work, care and service, hospitality, the food trade, nursing or water-related fields also appeal. Mars rules the 5th too, so education, planning and the ability to advise feed straight into the career. When the career rises can only be said by reading the 10th house, Mars's strength and the running dasha together, not by a fixed age.
Marriage and relationships
The 7th house is Makar, ruled by Saturn. Kark lagna wants to show affection openly, while Makar's nature is restraint, duty and practicality. So the partner is usually described as serious, hardworking, responsible and sparing with words about feelings; their love shows in deeds more than talk.
Saturn also rules the 8th, the house of shared money, in-laws and deep life changes, so for this lagna marriage often marks a major turning point. As 7th lord Saturn is a maraka too, so its periods are a time to look after your own health. Trust here takes time to ripen, and once ripe it lasts. Read the timing of marriage from the 7th house, Saturn and its dasha.
Health indications
In the Kalapurusha, Cancer stands for the chest, the breasts and the stomach. Astrological tradition therefore mentions sensitivity in digestion, the stomach and the chest region for this lagna, especially when the Moon is weak or afflicted. The lagnesh also signifies the mind, so stress is said to show quickly in appetite and sleep. What is written here is an astrological indication, not a substitute for medical diagnosis; if something troubles you, get checked by a doctor.
How long Kark lagna takes to rise
At Delhi's latitude, Cancer stays rising the longest of all twelve signs, and the span shortens further south; at Chennai, Kark lagna lasts about 11 minutes less.
| City | Rising time |
|---|---|
| New Delhi | 2 h 20 min |
| Lucknow | 2 h 19 min |
| Kolkata | 2 h 16 min |
| Mumbai | 2 h 13 min |
| Chennai | 2 h 9 min |
| Bengaluru | 2 h 9 min |
Astronomically computed, Lahiri ayanamsa. The length stays nearly the same all year; only its start moves about four minutes earlier each day. Today's lagna table →
Nakshatras and padas of Kark lagna
The pada the lagna degree falls in gives the Navamsa lagna.
| Degrees | Nakshatra | Pada | Navamsa sign |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0°00′–3°20′ | Punarvasu | 4 | Karkavargottama |
| 3°20′–6°40′ | Pushya | 1 | Simha |
| 6°40′–10°00′ | Pushya | 2 | Kanya |
| 10°00′–13°20′ | Pushya | 3 | Tula |
| 13°20′–16°40′ | Pushya | 4 | Vrishchika |
| 16°40′–20°00′ | Ashlesha | 1 | Dhanu |
| 20°00′–23°20′ | Ashlesha | 2 | Makara |
| 23°20′–26°40′ | Ashlesha | 3 | Kumbha |
| 26°40′–30°00′ | Ashlesha | 4 | Meena |
When the lagna and the Navamsa lagna are the same sign, the lagna is called vargottama and counts as strong. See your Navamsa lagna →
Well-known people with Kark lagna
Only people whose birth time is backed by research.
Which house holds Chandra, the lagnesh?
The full reading of Kark lagna opens through the house its lagnesh, Chandra, occupies. Wherever the lagnesh sits, life's attention leans that way. The lagnesh in all twelve houses →
Is your lagna Kark? Where Chandra, your lagnesh, sits in your chart decides the rest of the story.
The full Janam Kundali report reads all twelve house lords, Vimshottari Dasha, yogas and doshas together, from your own chart.
All twelve lagnas
Find your lagna
Your lagna, lagnesh, Navamsa lagna and Chandra lagna together, from your birth date, time and place.
Lagna calculatorFrequently asked questions
Who is the lord of Kark lagna?
The Moon. It rules this one sign only, so the Kark lagnesh carries no other house. But the Moon moves fast and waxes and wanes, so in this lagna its paksha strength, whether it is in the bright or the dark fortnight, and its placement get special weight.
Which planet is the yogakaraka for Kark lagna?
Mars, because it rules the 5th (Vrishchik) and the 10th (Mesh). The 5th is a trikona and the 10th the strongest kendra, so the pairing joins intellect with action. If Mars sits in the lagna itself, in Kark, it is debilitated; then weigh its results against the rest of the chart.
Which are the maraka planets for Kark lagna?
The Sun, lord of the 2nd (Singh), and Saturn, lord of the 7th (Makar). The Sun is neutral in itself, while Saturn, which also rules the 8th, is a malefic. The word maraka does not predict death; it flags periods when it is sensible to put health first.
Why is Venus a malefic for Kark lagna?
Venus rules the 4th (Tula) and the 11th (Vrishabh) here. Lordship of the 11th makes it a functional malefic, and for a movable lagna the 11th is the badhaka house, so Venus is the badhakesh as well. Still, as 4th lord it keeps charge of home, vehicles and comforts, and as 11th lord of income; a strong Venus can do well in these areas.
When does fortune rise for Kark lagna?
The 9th house is Meen, ruled by Jupiter; Jupiter also rules the 6th but stays benefic for its 9th, and if it sits in the lagna, in Kark, it is exalted. There is no fixed age for fortune: Jupiter's placement, strength and the timing of its Mahadasha or Antardasha together point to it.
If my lagna is Kark but my Moon sign differs, which one counts?
Each has its own job. The lagna is the sign rising on the eastern horizon at birth, and every house of the chart is counted from it; the Moon sign is where the Moon was at that moment. The daily rashifal is read from the Moon sign, while temperament and the houses are analysed from the lagna.