Pitra dosh and having a child: see a doctor first, then talk to an astrologer about your 5th house
Children are the one subject the classical father's curse is about, and it is read from the 5th house, never instead of a fertility check.
On an iPhone, log in on kismo.app in your browser.
- 18,000+ verified astrologers
- From ₹15 a minute
- 5 free minutes on your first session
- Chat or call, in 16+ languages
- Updated
Your astrologer
Online · chat
We have been trying for a baby for two years. My mother-in-law says pitra dosh is the reason. Can you see this in my chart?
I am sorry it has been hard. Please keep following your doctor. Share both your birth details and I will read the 5th house, its lord and Jupiter in each chart, and say plainly what I find.
Short answer
See a doctor first: infertility affects about 1 in 6 people of reproductive age and has medical causes in men and women 4. In astrology, the classical father's curse in Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra chapter 83 is read from the 5th house of children, its lord and the Sun 1. On Kismo, verified Vedic astrologers read your 5th house by chat or call, online from anywhere.
What are the key facts about pitra dosh?
| Answer | |
|---|---|
| First step | A doctor's check for both partners after 12 months of trying 4 |
| Where astrology looks | The 5th house, its lord, Jupiter and the Moon 23 |
| Classical root | BPHS 83 lists the father's curse as one of eight causes of loss of progeny 1 |
| How common the 5th house signs are | 5th lord in the 6th, 8th or 12th in 25.1% of charts; the Sun in the 5th in 8.3% (calculated) 5 |
| Remedy the text names | Gaya shraddha and feeding people (BPHS 83.31); a family can do shraddha itself 1 |
| Session on Kismo | From ₹15 a minute, 5 free minutes in the first session, online from anywhere in India and abroad |
What changes the reading of pitra dosh when you are waiting for a child?
- Where the 5th lord sits. BPHS 16.2 reads it in a kendra or trikona as happiness through children, and in the 6th, 8th or 12th as the opposite 2.
- Whether the Sun is tied to the 5th house. Most father's curse verses run through the Sun or the 5th lord joined with it 1.
- Both partners' charts. Phaladeepika also reads the 5th house counted from the Moon, and an astrologer reads each partner 3.
- Medical advice already given. A reading sits alongside treatment, and the treatment plan stays with your doctor 4.
How common are the 5th house placements linked to the father's curse?
Each single placement the father's curse verses start from appears in about 1 chart in 12 to 1 in 4, before any affliction is counted. These shares were calculated from public astronomical data with the open-source astronomia library, over 20,000 random births in Delhi, 1960 to 2005 5.
| Placement | Linked verse | Share of charts |
|---|---|---|
| The Sun in the 5th house | BPHS 83.20 1 | 8.3% |
| The 5th lord in the same sign as the Sun | BPHS 83.22-23 1 | 18.1% |
| The 9th lord in the 5th house | BPHS 83.24 1 | 7.9% |
| The 5th lord in the 10th house | BPHS 83.24 1 | 8.4% |
| Rahu in the 5th house | BPHS 83.9, the serpent's curse 1 | 7.9% |
| The 5th lord in the 6th, 8th or 12th | BPHS 16.2 2 | 25.1% |
These placements are common, and most people who have them have children. The verses add conditions such as an afflicted ascendant, which is why a single line in a report proves little 1.
What does Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra say about the father's curse and children?
Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra chapter 83 opens with a question about childlessness and answers with eight curses, the father's among them 1. Verse 7 first names weak Jupiter and weak lords of the ascendant, 5th and 7th as signs of childlessness, before any curse is mentioned 1.
The text pairs each curse with a remedy. For the father's curse, verse 31 names Gaya shraddha and feeding Brahmins, and verse 32 the gift of a daughter in marriage and a cow 1. Verse 110 adds that a fault from the Sun is eased by singing the names of Hari 1.
Phaladeepika reads the same subject more widely. Sloka 1 of chapter 12 judges children from Jupiter, the Moon, the ascendant lord and the 5th house with its lord, and slokas 3 and 4 speak of a child coming late, after effort 3.
| Text | What it reads | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| BPHS 83.7 1 | Weak Jupiter and weak lords of the 1st, 5th and 7th | Childlessness, before any curse |
| BPHS 83.20-30 1 | The Sun, the 9th and 5th lords | The father's curse |
| BPHS 83.31-32, 110 1 | Remedies | Gaya shraddha, feeding, gifts, singing Hari's names |
| BPHS 16.2-3 2 | The 5th lord's house and strength | Happiness through children, or its lack |
| Phaladeepika 12.1, 3-4 3 | Jupiter, the Moon, the 5th house | Children after a long interval or effort |
What should a couple do first when pitra dosh is blamed for a delay in pregnancy?
- See a doctor together. The WHO defines infertility as no pregnancy after 12 months of regular unprotected sex, and causes can be male, female or unexplained 4.
- Keep every treatment your doctor advises. A chart reading is not a medical test.
- If you want a reading, bring both birth charts and ask about the 5th house, its lord and Jupiter in each.
- Do the family rites if they comfort you. Shraddha and tarpan cost little and need no temple 1.
- Say no to any ritual sold as a cure. Nobody can promise a pregnancy, and a second opinion costs far less than a large puja.
Waiting for a child can weigh heavily. Tele-MANAS, the government's free mental health line, answers on 14416 at any hour, in 20 languages 6.
What do people get wrong about this?
Before you pay anyone
How do you know an astrologer is genuine?
- Every Kismo astrologer passes four steps: qualification review, panel interview, live audits of real sessions, 30-day probation.
- Nobody can guarantee an outcome. Treat any promise of a fixed result as a red flag.
- Never pay for an expensive puja or ritual under pressure. Get a second opinion first.
- On Kismo you only pay for the minutes you use; misconduct, pressure or a request for money outside the app is handled by a person.
Which astrologers can I talk to about pitra dosh?
How does a consultation on Kismo work?
- Log in on kismo.app or get the app from Google Play.
- Pick an astrologer who speaks your language and works with your question.
- Share your date, time and place of birth.
- Ask by chat or call. The first session carries 5 free minutes, then each minute is billed from your wallet.
Questions worth asking in the session
- Where is the 5th lord in my chart, and in my partner's?
- Is the Sun connected to our 5th houses, as the father's curse verses need?
- What does Jupiter show in each chart?
- Which dasha are we each running now?
- Which simple family rites would you suggest, if any?
What should I know before booking a session about pitra dosh?
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What does a session cost? | Each astrologer sets one rate for chat and call, from ₹15 a minute. A 10-minute session at ₹15 a minute costs ₹150 (October 2026). |
| Is the first session free? | 5 free minutes on the first session, no card. |
| Chat or call? | Both. You choose when you start the session. |
| Do I need an exact birth time? | It helps. Without one an astrologer can still read your Moon sign and planets by sign, or work out the time with you. |
| Is my chat private? | Your chat is not shown to other clients. How Kismo handles your data is set out in its privacy policy at kismo.app/privacy. |
| What if I am not happy? | There is no refund for a reading you did not like. Misconduct, pressure or a request for money outside Kismo is handled by a person. |
| Where does it work? | Online, from anywhere in India and abroad. People use Kismo from 80+ countries. |
What else do people ask an astrologer about?
How does Kismo compare with other apps?
Questions people ask
Can pitra dosh stop me from having a baby?
No astrologer can say a placement stops a pregnancy, and medicine is where to start: about 1 in 6 people face infertility, from male, female or unexplained causes. In astrology, the father's curse of chapter 83 is a reading about children made from the 5th house, and it comes with a remedy, not a final verdict.
Which house shows pitra dosh affecting children?
The 5th house shows it, the house of children in Vedic astrology. Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra builds the father's curse from the Sun, the 5th lord and the 9th lord linked to the 5th, usually with the 5th house and ascendant afflicted. Astrologers also look at Jupiter as the significator of children.
Should we see a doctor or an astrologer first for delay in pregnancy?
See a doctor first, both partners together. The WHO counts 12 months of trying without pregnancy as infertility, and many causes can be treated. An astrology reading can sit alongside, never in place of medical care. The delay in having a child page covers the chart side in more depth.
What are the pitra dosh remedies for pregnancy?
The remedy the classical text names for the father's curse is Gaya shraddha and feeding people, and families often do shraddha and tarpan at home. These are rites of respect for ancestors, not treatments, and none can promise a pregnancy. Keep following your doctor alongside any rite.
Does pitra dosh affect a second child too?
Astrologers read a second child from the same 5th house, its lord and Jupiter, so the same placements are checked again. A first child already born is part of what they weigh. A doctor remains the first stop for trouble conceiving again, which has its own medical causes and is often treatable.
We are doing IVF. Should we also do a pitra dosh puja?
There is no need to add a costly puja to IVF; keep to your doctor's plan. If rites for ancestors bring you peace, home shraddha and tarpan cost almost nothing. Avoid anyone who links your treatment's success to a paid ritual, and get a second opinion before paying anything.
How much does a reading of both our charts for children cost on Kismo?
A reading on Kismo costs the astrologer's per-minute rate, from ₹15 a minute, billed per started minute from your wallet. Kismo is an app where you talk to verified Vedic astrologers by chat or call, in 16 languages. The first session includes 5 free minutes, and the minimum top-up is ₹100.
An astrologer promised a baby within a year if we pay for narayan bali. Is that a scam?
A promise of a baby in return for a payment is a red flag, whatever the ritual. No text or astrologer can promise conception. On Kismo, pressure or a request for money outside the app is misconduct that a person handles. After any session you are suggested up to three other astrologers.
Talk to an astrologer about pitra dosh
Kismo is an app where you talk to verified Vedic astrologers by chat or call, in 16 languages.
On an iPhone, log in on kismo.app in your browser.
Where do these facts come from?
- Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, chapter 83 (curses and loss of progeny), verses 7-9, 20-32 and 109-110, Enjoy Learning Sanskrit. Accessed .
- Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, chapter 16 (the 5th house), verses 1-4, Enjoy Learning Sanskrit. Accessed .
- Phaladeepika by Mantreswara, chapter 12: issues of children, slokas 1, 3 and 4 (tr. V. Subrahmanya Sastri, 1950), Wisdom Library. Accessed .
- Infertility: fact sheet, World Health Organization. Accessed .
- Calculated from public astronomical data with the open-source astronomia library (20,000 random charts; script seo-kit/calc/pitra-dosh.mts), astronomia (open-source library). Accessed .
- Tele MANAS: Revolutionizing Mental Health Care in India (backgrounder, 13 October 2024), Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Accessed .
