Dasha System in Vedic Astrology

Dashas in vedic astrology are planetary time periods used for timing events. Everyone on earth is going through a dasha (whether you are aware of it or not). A positive dasha can change your life for the best and help you realize your wildest dreams; money, marriage, birth of children, career rise, travel, and purchase of property can all be predicted using dashas. There are various dasha systems however, the most widely used dasha system is the Vimshottari.

Vimshottari Dasha – Time Cycle

The Vimshottari dasha (often called Udu Dasha) has a 120-year cycle. The word Vimshottari means ‘120’ and Dasha means ‘cycles’ (stages in life). Each graha (planet) has its own time cycle, If you added the time cycle of each of the seven grahas the total comes to 120 years. The time cycle of each graha is listed below along with their chronological order. Each graha take a specific number of years to complete its time cycle: for instance, the Sun time cycle is 6 years. Regardless of what Dasha you were born in, the chronological order is never changes. If you begin a Mars Dasha (which has a 7-year time cycle) after 7 years you will go through a Rahu Dasha for 18 years followed by a 16-year Jupiter Dasha. Everyone is born somewhere within this sequence. To know what Vimshottari dasha you are born in, you have to know what nakshatra the moon is positioned in your birth chart and the planetary ruler of that nakshatra. If you moon is in Jyeshtha nakshatra, Mercy is rules this nakshatra. Moon in Jyeshtha (which is rule by Mercury) mean you were born in a Mercury Vimshottari Dasha.

Vimshottari Dasha	Time Cycle
Sun 6 years	6
Moon 10 years	10
Mars 7 years	7
Rahu 18 years	18
Jupiter 16 years	16
Saturn 19 years	19
Mercury 17 years	17
Ketu 7 years	7
Venus 20 years	20
Total =	120 Years

Dasha Levels – Bhuktis

Each Maha Dasha (main period) is broken into four sub (levels or Bhuktis) . The sub 1^st period is called Antar Dasha, then the Pratyantar Dasha, next is the Sookshma Dasha and the final one Prana Dasha. The term Maha Dasha (Main Period) and Dasha (A specific system like the Vimshottari) are often used interchangeably which often confuse beginners; however, keep in mind Dasha is the system and Maha Dasha is the main period of a specific system. It does not matter what dasha system you are using they all are broken into four sub periods. The Bhuktis (sub periods) follow the same nine planetary sequence as the Maha Dasha (Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus); however, their time span is shorter than the Maha Dasha; for instance; a Venus Maha Dasha is 20 years long, however, the Antra Dasha (2^nd Level – Bhukti) is 1 – 3 years long.

Dasha Main and Sub Periods

Maha Dasha	1st Level (Main Period)
Antar Dasha	2nd Level (Sub Period – Bhukti)
Pratyantar Dasha	3rd Level (Sub Period – Bhukti)
Sookshma Dasha	4th Level (Sub Period – Bhukti)
Prana Dasha	5th Level (Sub Period – Bhukti )

Conditional Dasha

As referenced earlier, the most commonly used dasha system is the Vimshottari. This system can be used on anyone chart and is not constrained by rules; there are other dasha systems that are used; however, they are only utilized when relevant to a chart. These dashas are termed Conditional Dashas because you have to have certain planetary alignments for them to be utilized in your chart. To know what Dasha are relevant to your chart, you can get your astrology report. All the listed conditional dasha are based on the grahas (planets) as opposed to the Vimshottari dasha which is Rashi (sign ) based. These dashas are listed below.

Conditional Dasha	Applicable
Ashtottari Dasha	Applicable if: Rahu is not in the Lagna (1st house), but Rahu must be in a Kendra (1st, 4th, 7th, 10th ) or a Trikona (1st , 5th, 9th ) from the LL (Lagna Lord). You must also be born during the daytime in a In Krishna Paksha (waning moon) or born in the nighttime in a Shukla Paksha (waxing moon)
Chaturashiti Sama Dasha	Applicable if: The lord of the 10th house is positioned in the 10th house.
Dwisapti Sama Dasha	Applicable if: Your lagna lord in position in the 1st or 7th house.
Dwadashottari Dasha	Applicable if: Your Lagna Lord in your Navamsha (D9) Chart is in the sign of Venus
Panchottari Dasha,	Applicable if: Your Lagna lord is in the sign of Caner or in Cancer in the Dwadasamsa (D12 Chart)
Shastihayani Dasha	Applicable if: The planet Sun is positioned in the Lagna (Ascendant)
Shat-Trimshat Sama Dasha	Applicable if: You were born during the day and the LL (Lagna Lord) is in the Hora (D2 Chart) of the Sun, or If you were born during the nighttime and the LL is in the Moon Hora (D2 Chart).
Shatabdika Dasha,	Applicable if: Your Lagna Lord is in Vargottama (planet is in same sign birth chart and Navamsha chart.
Shodsottari Dasha	Applicable if: Your Moon is waning and your lagna is in the Hora (D2 chart) of the Moon, or If your Moon is waxing, and your lagan is in the Hora (D2 chart) of the Sun.
Tara Dasha.	Applicable if: You have grahas (planets) in Kendra houses

Making Prediction Using Dashas

There are numerous technique vedic astrologers use to make prediction using one of the dasha systems; however, the most popular dasha system employed to make accurate predictions is the Vimshottari Dasha system. Entire books have been written on timing of marriage, children, career rise, and wealth using the Vimshottari dasha system. I will only provide a brief summary of things to look for in your own birth chart to judge the effects of a dasha. I will refer to the Dasha as the MahaDasha Lord (MDL)

Steps To Evaluation A Dasha

1. Promise: You must have a promise (or potential) in your chart before and event can be activated. A promise in your birth chart could be marriage, children, wealth, career rise, status, fame, purchase of property, foreign travel)
2. Dasha Lagna: When you make the MDL your lagna (1^st house) this become your Dasha Lagna. You can rotate your chart and make the MDL your 1^st house and see what promises in your chart you have from the dasha lagna, the promises will manifest during the dasha of that planet.
3. Navamsha: The navamsha chart show the strength of the planets in your birth chart. The birth chart is like a fruit tree and the navamsha chart is how much fruit the tree will bear. A MDL strong in the navamsha will give fruitful results during that planetary time period.
4. Position: The dasha will give results based on its position (the house it sits in). If you have a promise for marriage, and your Dasha lord is positioned in the 7^th house and you have little to no afflictions to your 7^th house or 7^th lord, this can promises a marriage and you could marry during the Dasha of a planet positioned in the 7^th house.
5. Signification: You need to consider the signification of each MDL. Each planet will give the result based on their signification. Sun (Career ) Moon (Mother, Home).
6. Transits: The MDL in transits can show what event can take place relevant to the planetary dasha. If you are going through a Sun (Career) dasha and it transit the 8^th house, you may have sudden ups and downs in career.
7. Yogas: You must consider all yogas (planetary combinations). If you have a powerful dhana yoga in your birth chart, this can promise wealth during the dasha of the planet involved in the dhana yoga
8. Conjunctions: Conjunctions can influence the MDL. If the MDL is conduct the 5^th house lord a person could have children during that dasha or acquire education.
9. Nakshatra Lord: Wherever the nakshatra lord is positioned you will have experiences related to that house.
10. Division Charts: You need to look at planetary positions, yogas, and dignities (strength) in all division charts. A raj yoga in the D10 (career )chart can show you will have a rise in your career during that planetary dasha.
11. Conditional Dasha: You must look at any conditional dasha that is relevant to your chart.