राशि(zodiac sign) of Krishna and Rama

Question

In Hinduism, there is considerable importance to राशि or Zodiac sign. In earlier times, it was common to check the zodiac sign of marrying girl and boy to see if the marriage can be decided.

It was believed that a person's nature (habits,likes and dislikes etc.) is influenced by his/her zodiac sign.

I would like to know what is the राशि or Zodiac sign of Lord Krishna when he took his incarnation. Same question can be extended to Lord Rama too.

So, are there any scriptures which has this information about the zodiac sign of Lord's incarnation(Rama and Krishna )who are from different era?

Answer 1

Zodaic specially refers to position of moon in constellation at the birth time. Although Sun-zodiac is also calculated, but the term राशि mainly refers with respect to Moon.

For Lord Krishna

1-5. Thereafter, at the auspicious time for the appearance of the Lord, the entire universe was surcharged with all the qualities of goodness, beauty and peace. The constellation Rohini appeared, as did stars like Asvini. The sun, the moon and the other stars and planets were very peaceful. [10.3 Srimad Bhagvat]

Also in Padma Puran

Padma Purana 4.13.27
Having rested in (Devaki's) womb for nine months and nine days, the lord of the world, the enemy of Karhsa and the son of Vasudeva, was born (on) the night when Rohini was in conjunction (with the Moon), when clouds were thundering, of the day called Astami, (falling) in the dark fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada. Yasoda, the daughter of Virata and the wife of Nanda, gave birth to a daughter. Anakadundubhi (i.e. Vasudeva)

Hence from above informations Lord Krishna was born in Rohini nakshtra Rohini nakshtra falls in 'वृष' / 'vrish' / Taurus constellation.

Hence राशि of Lord Krishna is वृष/vrish/Taurus ।

For Lord Rama

Valmiki Ramayan Bal Kanda

ततो यज्ञे समाप्ते तु ऋतूनाम् षट् समत्ययुः | ततः च द्वादशे मासे चैत्रे नावमिके तिथौ || १८-८ नक्क्षत्रे अदिति दैवत्ये स्व उच्छ संस्थेषु पंचसु | ग्रहेषु कर्कटे लग्ने वाक्पता इंदुना सह || १८-९ प्रोद्यमाने जगन्नाथम् सर्व लोक नमस्कृतम् | कौसल्या अजनयत् रामम् सर्व लक्षण संयुतम् || १८-१० विष्णोः अर्धम् महाभागम् पुत्रम् ऐक्ष्वाकु नंदनम् | लोहिताक्षम् महाबाहुम् रक्त ओष्टम् दुंदुभि स्वनम् ||१८-११

Twice six months had rolled a way since the great sacrifice was over and, in the first month of the New Year, on the ninth day of the bright fortnight, the Lord of the worlds chose to take human form and sent down half of His essence as the son of Kausalya (thenceforth to be known as Rama), the world-honored One, the crowning glory ot the grand line of Ikshwku, and the sum of all perfections. The constellation Punarvasu, of which Aditi was the regent, was chosen to preside at his birth. The Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn were in ascension in their respective houses. Aries, Capricornus, Cancer, Pisces and the Libra, Jupiter and the Moon were in conjunction ; the rising sign was Cancer. And KausalyA, shone with unparalleled effulgence, even as Aditi when she gave birth to Indra, the lord of the Shining Ones, the Vajra-wielder.

From above Lord Rama was born in Punarvasu constellation. Punarvasu constellation falls in two zodiac, the first third quarter falls in 'Mithun' and last one quarter falls in 'karkat'.

But the verse also says Jupiter was in Karkat ie. Cancer. Also it says Moon and Jupiter were in conjunction. It means moon was also in Karkat.

Hence राशि of Lord Rama is कर्कट/karkat/Cancer ।

Answer 2

Śrī Kṛṣṇa:

From Jīva Goswāmī's commentary on the Bhāgavata (10.3.1):

atra viśeṣaś coktaḥ kha-māṇikya-nāmni jyotir-granthe—

uccasthāḥ śaśi-bhauma-cāndri-śanayo lagnaṁ vṛṣo lābhago jīvaḥ siṁha-tulādiṣu krama-vaśāt pūṣośanor āhavaḥ | naiśīthaḥ samayo’ṣṭamī-budha-dinaṁ brahmarkṣam atra kṣaṇe śrī-kṛṣṇābhidham ambujekṣaṇaṁ babhūd āviḥ paraṁ brahma tat ||

In the Kha-maṇikya astrological text it is said “The Moon, Mars, Mercury and Saturn were exalted. The ascendant was Taurus. Jupiter was in Pisces. The sun was in Leo, Venus was in Libra, and Rāhu was in Scorpio. It was the eighth tithi of the waning phase of the moon, on Wednesday, with the moon in Rohiṇī constellation. Kṛṣṇa was born at midnight with these auspicious arrangements.”

kiṁ cānyatra— vṛṣakanyā-tulā-mīna-rājeṣu sphuṭam uccagāḥ | soma-saumya-śāni-kṣoṇī-sutās taj-janmani sthitāḥ || yasmād viśvāvasau varṣe janma śrī-nanda-janmanaḥ | viśvam eva vasu-śrīmad babhūvāmuṣya tuṣyataḥ ||

Elsewhere it is said: “The Moon, Mercury, Saturn, and Mars were situated in Taurus, Virgo, Libra and Capricorn respectively. The birth of Kṛṣṇa in the year of Viśvavasu (Jupiter’s 39th year), satisfying the universe, was endowed with excellent beauty."

So the rāśi is Taurus (Vṛṣa)

Srī Rāma:

Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla-kāṇḍa 18.9 (http://www.valmikiramayan.net/utf8/baala/sarga18/balasans18.htm#Verse9) says that Lord Rāma's rāśi is Cancer (कर्कटे लग्ने वाक्पता इंदुना सह) (courtesy of Keshav Srinivasan)

Also "Rāmārcana-candrikā" as quoted and explained in Rūpa Gosvāmī's Laghu-bhāgavatamṛta (1.5.28):

uccasthe graha-pañcake sura-gurau sendau navamyāṁ tithau lagne karkaṭake punarvasu yute meṣaṁ gate pūṣaṇi | nirdagdhuṁ nikhilāḥ palāśa-samidho medhyādayodhyāraṇer āvirbhūtam abhūd apūrva-vibhavaṁ yat kiñcid ekaṁ mahaḥ ||

"Rāma appeared with indescribable glory, possessing unprecedented powers, qualities and form, like the fire from the pure kindling stick of Ayodhyā for burning the demons, on the ninth lunar day, when five planets were exalted and the moon was conjoined with Jupiter in the ascendant of Cancer in the constellation Punarvasu. The sun was in Aries."

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa's commentary on this verse: "He was born on the ninth tithi of the waxing moon during the Caitra month. The sun, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn were exalted respectively in Ares, Capricorn, Cancer, Pisces and Libra. Jupiter was in the ascendant with the moon. Sun was in the tenth degree of Aries, Mars was in the third degree of Capricorn, Jupiter was in the twenty-eighth degree of Cancer, Venus was in the twenty-seventh degree of Pisces, and Saturn was in the twentieth degree of Libra."

Answer 3

This set of video series, consisting of 5 videos, talks about both the Kundalis of Shri Rama and Shri Krishna. The video series is by K.N. Rao, one of the most eminent Jyotish in India. He discusses the two most famous (but different) Kundalis out there. He then describes in great length why one of them has to be correct.

The Rashi and Lagna for Shri Rama are Karkata or Cancer.

The Rashi and Lagna for Shri Krishna are Vrishabha or Taurus.

The references he uses are Valkimi Ramayana and the charts he received from the lineage of his Jyotisha gurus.