Vimsottari Dasha System

Amazing Math

According to Vimshottari dasha maximum life span of human species is about 120 years or 2 cycles of 60 samvatsara. This is further divided and periods are designated in years as Maha-dasha (md) under each planet as its governing lord as follows.
  1. Ketu - 7 years (2520 days)
  2. Venus - 20 years (7200 days)
  3. Sun - 6 years (2160 days)
  4. Moon - 10 years (3600 days)
  5. Mars - 7 years (2520 days)
  6. Rahu - 18 years (6480 days)
  7. Jupiter - 16 years (5760 days)
  8. Saturn - 19 years (6840 days)
  9. Mercury - 17 years. (6120 days)
  10. Total - 120 lunar years or samvatsara.

Lordship was assigned based on individual birth star. For example, if a person is born on a day when Moon is in constellation Ashwini, Magha or Moola the cycle begins with Ketu Maha-dasha and duration depends upon time lapsed in this constellation before transitioning in to next one Bharani. This is followed by Venus 20 years, Sun 6 years and so on. Similarly if a person is born on Bharani, Hubba, or P.Ashada., his or her Maha dasha would begins with Venus and cycle continues in the above order. Thus it is a cycle of nine constellations and nine Maha-dashas. Each Maha-dasha is further divided in to anthar-dasha (ad) or bhukti and designated by same nine lords starting from its own in the above order. Duration of each bhukti is computed using simple formula. Multiply Maha-dasha lord year (md) and anthar-dasha lord year (ad). The first two digits of the product give you the period in months. The last digit multiplied by 9 gives days.

    For example, Jupiter Maha-dash, Jupiter bhukti is given as:

    16 x 16 = 256 = 25 month 18 days = 768 days.
    Jupiter-Saturn = 16x19 =304 = 30 months 12 days = 912 days
    Jupiter - Mercury = 816 days
    Jupiter - Ketu = 336 days
    Jupiter - Venus = 960 days
    Jupiter - Sun = 288 days
    Jupiter - Moon = 480 days
    Jupiter - Mars = 336 days
    Jupiter - Rahu = 864 days
    Total Jupiter Maha-dasha = 5760 days.
Similarly anthar-dasha is further divided in to pratyantar-dasha and lordship (pd) in the above order. A simple formula can determine number of days covered under each pratyantar dasha is given as : md x ad x pd /40

For example, Venus dasha, Venus bhukti and Venus pratyantar dasha in days is given as: 20x20x20/40 = 200 days.

If one adds up all pratyantar dasha period in each of anthar-dasha that makes up Venus Maha-dasha, the total period for Venus Maha-dasha would be 7200 days. Thus number of days of any maha-dasha is sum of all pratyamtar dasha under each bhukti period.

This is the amazing part of the math involved in Vedic Astrology.

Back