In Vedic astrology, when something happens is read mainly from the dasha system. The most used is Vimshottari, a 120-year cycle of nine planetary periods.
The order and length
| Mahadasha | Years |
|---|---|
| Ketu | 7 |
| Venus | 20 |
| Sun | 6 |
| Moon | 10 |
| Mars | 7 |
| Rahu | 18 |
| Jupiter | 16 |
| Saturn | 19 |
| Mercury | 17 |
The order never changes. What differs between people is where you start.
How your starting dasha is found
Your birth dasha is ruled by the lord of the nakshatra the Moon was in at birth. The nine lords repeat three times across the 27 nakshatras: Ashwini, Magha and Mula are Ketu's; Bharani, Purva Phalguni and Purva Ashadha are Venus's; and so on.
How much of that first dasha is left (the balance) depends on how far the Moon had travelled through the nakshatra. If the Moon was 40% of the way through a Venus nakshatra, 60% of Venus's 20 years - 12 years - remain at birth.
Antardasha and pratyantardasha
Each mahadasha is divided into nine antardashas (bhuktis) in the same order, starting with the mahadasha lord itself, each proportional to the planets' years. Rahu mahadasha (18 years), for example, starts with Rahu-Rahu (2 years 8 months), then Rahu-Jupiter (2 years 4 months 24 days), and so on. Antardashas divide again into pratyantardashas.
Reading a dasha
A dasha gives the results of its planet as it sits in your chart:
- Which houses it rules and occupies. Jupiter ruling your 9th and 12th and sitting in the 10th gives very different results from Jupiter ruling the 6th.
- Its strength: exalted, own sign, debilitated, combust, retrograde.
- The antardasha lord's relationship with the mahadasha lord - friends work well together.
- Transits: Saturn and Jupiter moving over key points trigger the dasha's promise.
Common questions
- "My Saturn dasha starts next year - should I worry?" Saturn's dasha is often the most productive of a life for people with a well-placed Saturn. It depends on your chart.
- "Rahu dasha is bad?" Rahu gives sudden changes, foreign links, technology and ambition; it can be very rewarding for careers.
The free kundli lists your mahadashas with dates and your current antardasha. Ask the astrologer what the current period means for your work, money or marriage.