What Pitra dosha means
The word pitra (or pitru) means the ancestors, and dosha here means a flaw or affliction in the chart. Pitra dosha is the name modern astrology gives to certain patterns that teachers read as unfinished themes with the father’s line: duty to elders, family patterns that repeat, inheritance, and gratitude. It is a later tradition, built up over time from older ideas about the Sun as the father, the 9th house as the house of the father and dharma, and the nodes Rahu and Ketu as threads of the past.
No single classical text gives one list of what counts. That is why this page says “the common definitions” and does not claim an authority for any of them. If you meet a confident statement that you “have” Pitra dosha, it will almost always rest on one or two of the tests below, chosen by that astrologer.
The seven definitions tested here
The calculator checks each of these against your rashi chart and shows the planets and houses behind the answer.
- The Sun shares a sign with Rahu or Ketu.
- The Sun shares a sign with Saturn.
- Rahu or Ketu stands in the 9th house.
- Saturn stands in the 9th house.
- The lord of the 9th house shares a sign with Rahu or Ketu.
- The lord of the 9th house stands in the 6th, 8th or 12th house, or is debilitated.
- Jupiter shares a sign with Rahu or Ketu.
The positions are sidereal with the Lahiri ayanamsa and the mean node, and the houses are whole signs counted from the rising sign.
Where definitions differ
Teachers do not agree on this list. Some add the 5th house, the house of the previous merit, and some use the 9th house counted from the Sun or from the Moon. Some read the navamsa chart as well, and some require a planet to be strong or weak before they count it. Others use only the first one or two tests above. Because the definitions are broad, a good number of ordinary charts meet at least one, so a match is not a mark against a person.
For that reason the result here is a count of definitions met and the reasons, never a verdict. Zero matches does not mean ancestors are forgotten, and several matches does not mean anything is wrong.
How to read the result
If one or more definitions are met, read the matching line as a theme to reflect on. A Sun and Rahu pairing, for example, is read by some teachers as a question about the father’s example or about authority. A 9th lord in a difficult house is read as a path to fortune and teachers that asks for more effort. These are tendencies drawn from tradition, and they are balanced in a real reading by the strength of the planets, the aspects and the dasha running now.
This page does not offer remedies and does not sell anything. If remembering your ancestors matters to you, many families keep shraddha during Pitru Paksha and on Amavasya, as a matter of custom and faith, and that is open to anyone, whatever a chart shows. If a worry about family or health is weighing on you, speak to someone you trust, and to a doctor for anything medical.
What you need
The houses depend on the rising sign, so the time of birth should be as exact as you know it. A few minutes can change the rising sign in some charts, and that moves the 9th house with it.
Frequently asked questions
↳ Is Pitra dosha mentioned in the classical texts?
The ideas behind it, such as the Sun as the father and the 9th house as the house of the father, are old. The name Pitra dosha and the specific tests used today come from later astrological writing, and the lists vary from one teacher to another.
↳ Should I be worried if some definitions are met?
No. The definitions are broad and many ordinary charts meet at least one. A match is a theme to reflect on, and a full reading weighs many other factors.
↳ Do you recommend a remedy or a ritual?
No. This page offers no remedies and sells none. Honouring ancestors through shraddha or remembrance is a personal matter of custom and faith, open to everyone.
↳ Why does another website give me a different answer?
Because the definitions differ. Another site may test the 5th house, the navamsa, or the Sun's 9th, or use another ayanamsa or the true node. Each is a reasonable choice, and this page names the ones it uses.
↳ Does my birth time matter?
Yes, for the house tests. The rising sign sets the houses, and a time that is a few minutes out can move it. The tests that only compare planets in signs do not depend on it as much.