Vimshottari Dasha system to calculate time periods
In the article comparing Vedic vs Western astrology, I made a list of techniques used
to predict life events. As per my research, the planetary time periods calculated using
"Vimshottari" Dasha system is the most accurate method of predicting life events. All
the classics written on Vedic astrology has written extensively about this method and
I've personally found this method to be very accurate.
So, what’s the science behind it?
It’s based on the position of the Moon. Moon travels 13 degrees 20 minutes in a day,
and the path it covers is called a Lunar Mansion or a Nakshatra. It takes Moon ~27
days to travel across the entire zodiac (360 degrees) so there are 27 Nakshatras (click
to read more), which play a pivotal role in Vedic astrology.
Each Nakshtra is ruled by a planet for a specific number of years (time period) based
on the Vimshottari Dasha system. So depending on the degree of Moon in your birth
chart, you go through the time period of the ruler of the Nakshatra - and that ruler
(planet) affects your life the most. Take a look at this table.
Sequence Nakshatra Degree (longitude) of the Moon Ruler Number of years
1 Ashwini 0 - 13 degrees 20 minutes Ketu 7 years
13 degrees 20 minutes – 26
2 Bharani Venus 20 years
degrees 40 minutes
26 degrees 40 minutes – 40
3 Krittika Sun 6 years
degrees
40 degrees – 53 degrees 20
4 Rohini Moon 10 years
minutes
53 degrees 20 minutes – 66
5 Mrigashira Mars 7 years
degrees 40 minutes
66 degrees 40 minutes – 80
6 Ardra Rahu 18 years
degrees
80 degrees – 93 degrees 20
7 Punarvasu Jupiter 16 years
minutes
93 degrees 20 minutes – 106
8 Pushya Saturn 19 years
degrees 40 minutes
106 degrees 40 minutes – 120
9 Ashlesha Mercury 17 years
degrees
120 degrees – 133 degrees 20
10 Magha Ketu 7 years
minutes
11 Purva 133 degrees 20 minutes – 146 Venus 20 years
1
Phalguni degrees 40 minutes
Uttara 146 degrees 40 minutes – 160
12 Sun 6 years
Phalguni degrees
160 degrees – 173 degrees 20
13 Hasta Moon 10 years
minutes
173 degrees 20 minutes – 186
14 Chitra Mars 7 years
degrees 40 minutes
186 degrees 40 minutes – 200
15 Swati Rahu 18 years
degrees
200 degrees – 213 degrees 20
16 Vishaka Jupiter 16 years
minutes
213 degrees 20 minutes – 226
17 Anurada Saturn 19 years
degrees 40 minutes
226 degrees 40 minutes – 240
18 Jyeshta Mercury 17 years
degrees
240 degrees – 253 degrees 20
19 Mula Ketu 7 years
minutes
Purva 253 degrees 20 minutes – 266
20 Venus 20 years
Ashadha degrees 40 minutes
Uttara 266 degrees 40 minutes – 280
21 Sun 6 years
Ashadha degrees
280 degrees – 293 degrees 20
22 Shravana Moon 10 years
minutes
293 degrees 20 minutes – 306
23 Dhanishta Mars 7 years
degrees 40 minutes
Shatabhisha 306 degrees 40 minutes – 320
24 Rahu 18 years
k degrees
Purva 320 degrees – 333 degrees 20
25 Jupiter 16 years
Bhadrapada minutes
Uttara 333 degrees 20 minutes – 346
26 Saturn 19 years
Bhadrapada degrees 40 minutes
346 degrees 40 minutes – 360
27 Revati Mercury 17 years
degrees
Let's use an example to study this table
Let's say you were born 11th April 1990 at 18 30 in London, then as per your birth
chart your Moon’s degree is 15 degrees Libra, so what that means is that Moon has
travelled 6 signs (Aries to Virgo) of 30 degrees each, and another 15 degrees of Libra
taking the Longitude of Moon, in your birth chart, to 195 degrees (6x30 + 15).
2
So look at the table shown above, you could see you were born in the Nakshatra of
Swati that is ruled by Rahu. But Moon has already traveled 8 degrees and 20 minutes
(195 - 186.33) of the 13 degrees 20 minutes of the Nakshatra so you’ll go through the
remaining years as per this formula.
Time period of Rahu left = (13.33 - 8.33)/ 13.33 * 18 years = 6 years and 9 months
After you have finished the remaining time period of Rahu, you'll enter the time
period of the next ruling planet in the sequence (refer table above), which in this case
is Jupiter for 16 years, followed by Saturn for 19 years and so on.
MORE CALCULATIONS*
*you could move on to the next section if you are more interested in the
application of this method.
The main time period is further broken down to a sub-time period and a sub-sub time
period. For the sake of simplicity, I call them time period#1, #2, and #3. So how are
they broken down? if you are starting a time period#1 of a new planet, then time
period#2, and #3 are also of the same planet. Now time period#3 (ruling planet) first
changes as per the sequence in the table above, and once it completes the cycle, only
then does time period#2 changes, and after its cycle is over that is when time
period#1 changes. Let's say you starting a time period of Sun, so time period#1,#2,
and #3 are all Sun. The next time period will be Sun-Sun-Moon, followed by Sun-
Sun-Mars....all the way till Sun-Sun-Venus, and then it becomes Sun-Moon-Moon,
and the same cycle follows, until time period #1 changes. Another interesting
question is how to calculate the duration of these time periods. Let's take Sun-Sun-
Sun as an example, as per the table the duration of Sun's time period is 6 years, and as
per vimshottari dasha system the life of a person is 120 years, for the purpose of
calculations. So, the duration of Sun-Sun will be = 6 x 6/120 = 109 days, and Sun-
Sun-Sun = 109* 6/120 = 5 days.
You don't need to worry about the calculations they've already been done on this
website.
Here's how to use it
The life of every human being is taken as 120 years and it is divided into different
phases controlled by different planets. You could find the planets controlling your life
right now by navigating to the table on farfaraway that says "planetary time periods"
(as shown above). In this table, you'll find 4 columns: 1. Time period #1, which is the
main time period. 2. Time period #2, which is the sub time period. 3. Time period #3,
which is the sub-sub time period. 4. The end date i.e. that the date till which this
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phase will last. Now, the planets in time periods #1 & #2 are responsible for creating
the circumstances for a life event to take place whereas the planet in time period #3 is
responsible for executing that life event at that time.
Let's take an example. If the planet in time period #1 is Jupiter, the planet in time
phase #2 is the lord of the 7th house, and the planet in time phase #3 is sitting in the
11th house then this time period would create a very high possibility of marriage.
Since Jupiter (blessings) is joining the planet controlling (lord) the 7th house
(marriage) and the planet sitting in the 11th house (desires). I hope you are able to see
this connection. Similarly, if at a certain time the planets controlling your life are
having a strong connection with the career related houses (the 10th & the 6th) then a
career-related event is likely to happen at that time.
final words
Check how planets are linked in your birth chart e.g. if you are trying to predict your
time of marriage then see which planets are ruling the 7th house in your birth chart,
which planets are sitting in it, and which planets are aspecting it. Now do the same
for the 11th house. Now check when in the future are you going to go through a
combination of planets which influence the marriage house (7th) and the house of
desires (11th). The phase of those planets would be your time of marriage :)
