Pitra Dosha

What is Pitra Dosha?

In astrology, Pitra Dosha is considered to be one of the most serious or harmful doshas because it is linked to the karma of our ancestors passed down to us. As you can read Pitra Dosha meaning, "Pitra" refers to ancestors, and "Dosha" means imbalance or flaw, which directly indicates that you're going to suffer in this life, and all the unsettled karma of your ancestors is to be blamed!

Apart from the karmic relation, Pitra Dosha is identified through specific planetary combinations in a birth chart. The condition of the Sun plays a key role, as it represents lineage and ancestors. Planets like Rahu, Ketu, Saturn, Mars, Moon, and their placements or aspects may further indicate the presence and intensity of this dosha. Understanding these combinations helps determine how strongly Pitra Dosha may influence a person’s life.

Main Pitra Dosha Causes

Despite the mention of ancestors' sins as the root cause of pitra dosha, there can be other reasons behind its existence in your Kundli. Take a look:

Unresolved Ancestral Actions

If the wishes of your ancestors were not fulfilled, or they left this world or even faced an unintentional or untimely death, there would be adverse effects in your family pointing towards Pitra Dosha.

Planetary Misarrangements

A person can still suffer from Pitra Dosha due to some planetary misarrangements in the kundli. These misarrangements are:

• Rahu in the ninth house or placed with the Sun.

• The Sun or the ninth house lord placed with Pathagathipathi.

• The Sun placed in Mandhi, or the ninth house lord placed in Mandhi.

• The Sun or the ninth house lord placed with Saturn.

• Saturn in the ninth house, along with Mandhi or Pathagathipathi.

Bad Karmic Deeds in the Past Life

Pitra Dosha can also affect your life if you’ve done any bad karmic deeds in your past life. These karmic misdeeds include:

• Cruelty towards animals or humans

• Stealing or seizing something in someone’s possession for yourself by force or illegally

• Accumulating money unethically or via forcibly abusing someone’s capability

• Abusing someone physically, sexually, or emotionally

• Making false claims to tarnish someone’s reputation or speaking badly about someone with a wrong or selfish intention

Not only bad karmic deeds, but Pitra Dosha can also affect you if:

• Someone may have cursed your family before they passed away.

• You or your family is cursed by someone who was badly hurt or treated unfairly by the departed person.

• You didn’t take care of your elders and left them on their own.

Pitra Dosha Effects

When Pitra Dosha is present in a kundli, it is believed to bring repeated obstacles and unexpected struggles in different areas of life. The intensity of these effects depends on planetary placements and the overall strength of the horoscope. Some of the commonly observed effects are:

1. Delays in Marriage: Marriage may get postponed without a clear reason, or proposals may repeatedly fail.

2. Unhappy or Unstable Married Life: There may be misunderstandings, a lack of harmony, or separation in some cases.

3. Difficulty in Having Children: Couples may face delays in conception, miscarriages, or complications related to childbirth.

4. Health Concerns: Family members may experience recurring health issues, both physical and mental.

5. Financial Struggles: Despite hard work, money may not stay, savings may reduce, or debts may increase.

6. Career Obstacles: Professional growth may feel blocked, with frequent setbacks or instability in a job or business.

7. Family Conflicts: There may be constant arguments, lack of peace, or emotional distance among family members.

8. Unnatural or Untimely Incidents: In some cases, families may experience sudden accidents, unexpected losses, or tragic events.

9. Loss of Reputation: False allegations, misunderstandings, or damage to family name may occur.

As per our expert astrologers, due to certain placements, especially when connected with favorable houses like the 12th house, Pitra Dosha can turn into Pitra Yoga, bringing blessings, protection, and unseen support from ancestors. The final impact always depends on the overall strength and balance of the birth chart.

Pitra Dosha Remedies

If Pitra Dosha is present in your kundli, there are certain remedies that are believed to help reduce its negative effects and bring peace to ancestral energies. These remedies for pitra dosha are generally divided into planetary corrections and traditional spiritual practices that aim to restore balance and harmony in life.

Planetary Remedies for Pitru Dosha

Planetary remedies focus on correcting the misarranged planetary combinations in the birth chart that are responsible for Pitra Dosha, as mentioned above in the causes.

• If Ketu is in Pitra Dosha: If Ketu is in Pitra Dosha, you must try to balance its effects through acts of compassion and charity. Collect a small amount of money from family members and use it to feed street dogs near your home. Dogs are associated with Ketu, and this remedy is believed to bring ancestral blessings and reduce karmic disturbances.

• If Rahu is in Pitra Dosha: If Rahu is causing Pitra Dosha, one simple remedy is to collect one coconut from each family member and immerse them in flowing water such as a river or pond. Feeding crows and cows regularly is also recommended, as it is believed to calm Rahu’s influence and bring peace to ancestral souls.

• If Saturn is in Pitra Dosha: When Saturn is linked to Pitra Dosha, serving the needy and laborers becomes important. You may collect contributions from blood relatives and use them to feed fish or donate essentials to poor people. Donating black clothes, sesame oil, or iron items on Saturdays is also considered helpful in reducing the dosha.

• If Sun is in Pitra Dosha: If the Sun is responsible for Pitra Dosha, offering water to the rising Sun daily is highly beneficial. You may also offer food to the setting Sun and recite the Surya mantra regularly. In some cases, wearing a Ruby gemstone after proper guidance is suggested to strengthen the Sun and reduce negative effects.

• If Moon is in Pitra Dosha: If the Moon is involved in Pitra Dosha, take a few silver coins and immerse them in flowing water while remembering your ancestors and seeking forgiveness. Wearing silver or maintaining emotional balance through prayer and fasting on Amavasya can also help calm the Moon’s energy.

General Remedies for Pitru Dosha

Apart from planetary corrections, there are traditional and spiritual remedies that help bring peace to ancestral souls and reduce the effects of Pitra Dosha. These remedies focus on remembrance, charity, rituals, and strengthening positive planetary energies.

• Perform Shraddha and Tarpan During Pitru Paksha: Carry out Shraddha, Tarpan, and Pind Daan during Pitru Paksha to seek blessings and peace for ancestors.

• Offer Food on Amavasya: Donate food, clothes, and money to the needy or Brahmins on New Moon (Amavasya) days in the name of your ancestors.

• Feed Animals and Birds: Regularly feed cows, dogs, and especially crows, as they are believed to be connected with ancestral energies.

• Perform Narayan Bali or Tripindi Shraddha: In cases of serious ancestral imbalance or unnatural deaths in the family, these rituals may be performed under proper guidance.

• Offer Water to the Rising Sun: Daily offering water to the Sun helps strengthen ancestral blessings and reduce karmic burdens.

• Plant and Water a Banyan Tree: Planting and regularly watering a banyan tree is considered auspicious for ancestral peace.

• Worship Lord Vishnu or Lord Shiva: Regular prayers offered to Lord Shiva or Lord Vishnu and mantra chanting help create positive vibrations and calm ancestral disturbances.

• Wear Ruby: Wearing a Ruby gemstone may help strengthen the Sun, which represents father and lineage in astrology. Before wearing it, cleanse the Ruby with Ganga Jal, recite the Surya mantra “Om Hraam Hreem Hroum Saha Suryaya Namaha” 108 times, and wear it in a gold or copper ring on the ring finger after proper astrological consultation.

If you’re unsure whether Pitra Dosha is affecting your life or want the right remedies based on your birth chart, talk to an astrologer on Astroyogi today. Get personalized guidance, clear answers, and practical solutions to restore balance and invite ancestral blessings.