What is Vimshottari Dasha?

Vimśottarī Daśā is the most widely used Vedic planetary time-cycle system, codified in BPHS Ch. 46. Nine planetary lords share a 120-year cycle in fixed proportion. The cycle is seeded from the Moon's nakṣatra at birth — specifically the fraction of that nakṣatra already traversed at the moment of birth.

How do I calculate my current Mahadasha and Antardasha?

To find your current mahā-daśā: cast your birth chart (available free at /chart), note the Moon's janma nakṣatra, and identify which planetary lord governs that nakṣatra. The fraction of the nakṣatra traversed at birth determines how much of that lord's period has elapsed. Our engine shows the running daśā balance automatically.

What are Mahadasha and Antardasha?

Mahā-daśā is the major planetary period (lasting 6–20 years). Within each mahā-daśā, nine sequential antar-daśā (sub-periods) subdivide the time — each lasting from a few months to a few years. Further levels are pratyantar-daśā, sūkṣma-daśā, and prāṇa-daśā. All five levels are computable from the birth chart.

Which dasha is considered good for marriage in Vedic astrology?

Classical Jyotiṣa identifies Venus (Śukra) mahā-daśā and Moon (Candra) mahā-daśā as often favorable for marriage-related developments, since both govern relationships and emotional life. However, the actual assessment requires reading the 7th house, its lord, Navāṃśa, and the running antar-daśā — not the mahā-daśā alone.

विंशोत्तरी १२० वर्षBPHS Ch. 46–51 · 12 daśā prāṇālayaḥ · pañca-stara decomposition

दशा-कालः Daśā-Kālaḥ

The full 120-year Vimśottarī tree from the Moon’s nakṣatra at birth. Open any mahā-daśā for its antara-daśās. Periods are computed, not interpreted.

TIER-S (iii) COMPUTED BOUNDARIES · TIER-W (vii) INTERPRETIVE LABELS

विंशोत्तरी-वृक्षः · The 120-year tree

computed · not interpreted

Computed entirely in your browser — never in a URL · processed in memory · never logged.

Why 120 years is a period, not a guess

substrate provenance

P32 · TIER-S (iv) · पिसानो-स्थैर्यम्

Pisano-tower lock: π(3ᵏ) = 4·ord_R(g) = 8·3^(k-1) — the 120-year Vimśottarī cycle inherits its periodicity from this lock.

companions P33 · P34 · P202 — 6/6 PASS k=1..6

P77 · TIER-S (v) · मुक्ति-वर्धनम्

Liberation-tower exponent ord_R(−g) = 3^(k-1) — daśā transitions triple per tower-level (antar/sūkṣma/prāṇa cascade).

companion P229 — 6/6 PASS k=1..6

पिसानो-सम्बन्धम् · PISANO COMPANIONS

The 120-year Vimśottarī period (P32) is one face of a four-fold Pisano lock that holds across both poles of the substrate. The Diti-pole companion is P241 (Pisano-of-Ideal Identity · π_(3)(3ᵏ) = π(3ᵏ⁻¹)) — a ratio-3 fold on the ideal side that mirrors the ratio-4 fold on the unit side. The saptamukhi witnesses are V1 (Pisano-Ψ ratio = 4) for the Aditi-pole and AV1 (Pisano-of-Ideal = 3) for the Diti-pole. Daśā periodicity is what the substrate certifies; the jyotiṣī interprets.

Tier-S (iv) · Tier-S (ix) · 10/10 PASS k=2..6 · saptamukhi-bipolar.

विंशोत्तरी-दशा-वलयम् · the 9-graha Vimśottarī spiral — 120 years across nested tori

दशा-चक्रम् · The ring of 120 years

arc ∝ years · 360° = 120 y

Each wedge’s arc-length is exactly proportional to that lord’s share of the cycle. Total angle 360° · total years 120.

केतुKetu7y · 21°
शुक्रŚukra20y · 60°
सूर्यSūrya6y · 18°
चन्द्रCandra10y · 30°
मङ्गलMaṅgala7y · 21°
राहुRāhu18y · 54°
गुरुGuru16y · 48°
शनिŚani19y · 57°
बुधBudha17y · 51°

BPHS Ch. 46 · constant 9-fold partition · Tier-S (iii).

चतुर्विधाः मूल-दशाः · The four classical systems

विंशोत्तरी · VIMŚOTTARĪ · 120 Y

Standard system · most widely used · seeded from the Moon’s nakṣatra. Nine grahas share 120 years in fixed sequence and proportion.

Vimśottarī lords and years
lord	years	order
केतु Ketu	7	1
शुक्र Śukra	20	2
सूर्य Sūrya	6	3
चन्द्र Candra	10	4
मङ्गल Maṅgala	7	5
राहु Rāhu	18	6
गुरु Guru	16	7
शनि Śani	19	8
बुध Budha	17	9
total	120	9 mahā

BPHS Ch. 46 · Tier-S (iii).

योगिनी · YOGINĪ · 36 Y

Yāmala-Tantra system · 8 yoginīs share 36 years in arithmetic progression. Each yoginī carries a graha lord.

yoginī	lord	years
मङ्गला Maṅgalā	चन्द्र Candra	1
पिङ्गला Piṅgalā	सूर्य Sūrya	2
धान्या Dhānyā	गुरु Guru	3
भ्रामरी Bhrāmarī	मङ्गल Maṅgala	4
भद्रिका Bhadrikā	बुध Budha	5
उल्का Ulkā	शनि Śani	6
सिद्धा Siddhā	शुक्र Śukra	7
सङ्कटा Saṅkaṭā	राहु Rāhu	8
total	8 mahā	36

Yāmala-Tantra · Tier-W (vii).

अष्टोत्तरी · AṢṬOTTARĪ · 108 Y

108-year cycle across 8 grahas (Ketu excluded). Applied as a cross-check on Vimśottarī when the Moon falls in certain pakṣa configurations.

Aṣṭottarī lords and years
lord	years	order
सूर्य Sūrya	6	1
चन्द्र Candra	15	2
मङ्गल Maṅgala	8	3
बुध Budha	17	4
शनि Śani	10	5
गुरु Guru	19	6
राहु Rāhu	12	7
शुक्र Śukra	21	8
total	108	8 mahā

Jaimini tradition · Tier-W (vii).

चर-दशा · CARA · SIGN-BASED

Jaimini’s sign-based daśā — seeded not from a graha but from the lagna’s rāśi. Each of the twelve rāśis takes its turn; order follows ārūḍha and pada rules, not nakṣatra.

basis

राशि

Rāśi (sign), not graha

direction

ओजः / युग्मः

Forward from odd lagna, reverse from even

count

द्वादश

12 mahā-daśās, one per rāśi

duration

स्वामि-कोष्ठ

By count to the sign's lord

Jaimini Sūtras · Tier-W (vii).

अधिक-दशा-प्रणालयः · Kāla · Sthira · Mūla · Brahma

काल-दशा · KĀLA · 36 Y · TITHI-SEEDED

A 36-year tithi-seeded cycle measuring the quality of time. Nine grahas share 36 years; grahas of similar tonality are paired (Maṅgala–Sūrya fire-tribe, Śani–Śukra quench-tribe). Used in muhūrta-style timing of crisis windows.

Kāla daśā lords and years
lord	years	order
सूर्य Sūrya	3	1
चन्द्र Candra	4	2
मङ्गल Maṅgala	3	3
बुध Budha	4	4
गुरु Guru	5	5
शुक्र Śukra	5	6
शनि Śani	4	7
राहु Rāhu	4	8
केतु Ketu	4	9
total	36	9 mahā

Use when: running fine-grain timing on a 36-year resolution; cross-checking tithi-driven events (eclipses, sandhi-kāla, transitions of state).

Kāla-prakāśikā tradition · Tier-W (vii).

स्थिर-दशा · STHIRA · 84 Y · JAIMINI FIXED-SIGN

Each rāśi receives a fixed quota — 7 years cara (movable), 8 sthira (fixed), 9 dvi-svabhāva (mutable). Reads life-themes sign by sign, irrespective of graha occupancy.

sign	quality	years
मेष Meṣa	Cara	7
वृषभ Vṛṣabha	Sthira	8
मिथुन Mithuna	Dvi-svabhāva	9
कर्क Karka	Cara	7
सिंह Siṃha	Sthira	8
कन्या Kanyā	Dvi-svabhāva	9
तुला Tulā	Cara	7
वृश्चिक Vṛścika	Sthira	8
धनु Dhanus	Dvi-svabhāva	9
मकर Makara	Cara	7
कुम्भ Kumbha	Sthira	8
मीन Mīna	Dvi-svabhāva	7
total	12 rāśi	96

The classical 84-year tally arises by deducting the 12 dvāra-sandhi years; the full enumeration is shown for completeness.

Use when: you need a stable rāśi-driven timeline that ignores graha-bala fluctuation; pairs with Cara-daśā as the fixed counterpart.

Jaimini Sūtras · Sthira-prakaraṇa · Tier-W (vii).

मूल-दशा · MŪLA · VARIABLE · ROOT-SIGN

An āyu-adaptive daśā: total length matches the projected lifespan computed via Jaimini’s piṇḍa / aṃśa-āyurdāya. Seeded from the mūlatrikoṇa of the strongest planetary indicator, walking the rāśis in natural order.

basis

मूल-त्रिकोण

Mūlatrikoṇa of indicator graha

length

आयु-अनुसारम्

Adapts to projected āyu

unit

राशि

12 rāśis as fundamental units

order

राशि-क्रमेण

Sequential by rāśi from mūla

Use when: the chart asks for a daśā that respects its natural āyu rather than a fixed total; especially for mokṣa-trikoṇa work.

Jaimini Sūtras · Mūla-prakaraṇa · Tier-W (vii).

ब्रह्म-दशा · BRAHMA (YĀMALA) · 99 Y

A 99-year cycle keyed to the Brahma-graha — the strongest angular benefic. Years are apportioned by graha-bala rather than fixed quantum, so sequence and quanta both vary chart to chart.

Brahma daśā lords and typical years
lord	years	order
सूर्य Sūrya	5	1
चन्द्र Candra	12	2
मङ्गल Maṅgala	7	3
बुध Budha	15	4
गुरु Guru	18	5
शुक्र Śukra	20	6
शनि Śani	9	7
राहु Rāhu	7	8
केतु Ketu	6	9
total	99	9 mahā

Use when: the chart asks for a creator-cycle view — long-arc dharma timing, lineage karma, generational unfoldings.

Brahma-yāmala · Tier-W (vii).

दशा-गम्भीरता · Seven deeper systems

Each daśā below is a classical time-framework — a lens of karma-attribution per its named śāstra. Nothing here predicts that a specific event will happen in any specific lord’s period; timeline structure is what the engine certifies, not outcome.

अष्टोत्तरी-दशा · AṢṬOTTARĪ · 108 Y · 8 GRAHAS

108-year cycle keyed to Moon’s nakṣatra-pāda. Operating rule (BPHS Ch. 47 v. 4 + Phaladīpikā 9): primary lens when lagna is in Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa and the Moon does NOT occupy Aśleṣā / Maghā / Mūla; otherwise a cross-check on Vimśottarī.

Aṣṭottarī full lords and years
lord	years	order
सूर्य Sūrya	6	1
चन्द्र Candra	15	2
मङ्गल Maṅgala	8	3
बुध Budha	17	4
शनि Śani	10	5
गुरु Guru	19	6
राहु Rāhu	12	7
शुक्र Śukra	21	8
total	108	8 mahā

BPHS Ch. 47 · Phaladīpikā 9 · Tier-S (iii) + Tier-W (vii).

योगिनी-दशा (निश्चिता) · YOGINĪ FIXED · 36 Y · 4.5-Y QUANTA

The strict-equal variant of Yoginī: all 8 yoginīs receive 36 / 8 = 4.5 years each. Used in praśna-style timing where the variable progression (1, 2, … 8) is felt to over-weight the closing Saṅkaṭā. Seeded from Moon-nakṣatra index mod 8 (Yāmala +1 offset).

yoginī	lord	years
मङ्गला Maṅgalā	चन्द्र Candra	4.5
पिङ्गला Piṅgalā	सूर्य Sūrya	4.5
धान्या Dhānyā	गुरु Guru	4.5
भ्रामरी Bhrāmarī	मङ्गल Maṅgala	4.5
भद्रिका Bhadrikā	बुध Budha	4.5
उल्का Ulkā	शनि Śani	4.5
सिद्धा Siddhā	शुक्र Śukra	4.5
सङ्कटा Saṅkaṭā	राहु Rāhu	4.5
total	8 mahā	36

Praśna-Mārga Ch. 26 (equal-quanta variant) · Tier-W (vii).

सुदर्शन-चक्र-दशा · SUDARŚANA-CAKRA · TRIPLE 12-Y WHEEL

Three concurrent 12-year cakras seated at Lagna, Sūrya and Candra. The running year (age mod 12) selects one rāśi from each seat; the three signs together form the praśna-tone for the year.

wheel 1

लग्न-चक्रम्

From lagna rāśi

wheel 2

सूर्य-चक्रम्

From Sūrya rāśi

wheel 3

चन्द्र-चक्रम्

From Candra rāśi

read

त्रि-संवाद

Concordance = annual vector · discordance = test-year

Sudarśana-cakra Praśna · Bṛhat-tradition · Tier-W (vii).

ब्रह्म-दशा (आत्म-कारक) · BRAHMA · ĀTMAKĀRAKA-NAVĀṀŚA

Jaimini’s creator-cycle, seeded from the navāṁśa-rāśi of the Ātmakāraka(highest-degree graha among the 7 non-shadow grahas). Walks 12 rāśis savya or apasavya by the seed’s quality; years per rāśi by the count-to-lord rule (as Nārāyaṇa-daśā).

seed

आत्म-कारक-नवांश

AK's navāṁśa-rāśi

unit

राशि

12 rāśis as fundamental units

years

स्वामि-कोष्ठ

Count to sign's lord

direction

सव्य / अपसव्य

By seed-sign quality

Jaimini Sūtras Ch. 2 · Padakrama variant · Tier-W (vii).

कालचक्र-दशा · KĀLACAKRA · MOON-PĀDA · 118 Y

The most intricate classical daśā — Moon-pāda rooted, with savya (forward) or apasavya (reverse) rotation determined by nakṣatra-block parity. Each rāśi carries its classical piṇḍāyu quantum.

sign	piṇḍāyu yrs	% of 118
मेष Meṣa	7	5.9%
वृषभ Vṛṣabha	16	13.6%
मिथुन Mithuna	9	7.6%
कर्क Karka	21	17.8%
सिंह Siṃha	5	4.2%
कन्या Kanyā	9	7.6%
तुला Tulā	16	13.6%
वृश्चिक Vṛścika	7	5.9%
धनुष् Dhanus	10	8.5%
मकर Makara	4	3.4%
कुम्भ Kumbha	4	3.4%
मीन Mīna	10	8.5%
total	118	100.0%

Jaimini Sūtras 4.1 · BPHS Ch. 51 (vv. 22–31) · Tier-W (vii).

दृग्-दशा · DṚG · JAIMINI ASPECT CYCLE

Seeded from the 9th-from-lagna (dharma-bhāva), the cycle walks 12 rāśis with each duration computed from count-to-aspector. Reads the rhythm of dharma-disclosure; a counterpart to Nārāyaṇa-daśā when the question is external visibility of dharma.

seed

नवम-भाव

9th from lagna (dharma-bhāva)

years

दृष्टि-कोष्ठ

Count to aspector (5th from sign)

direction

सव्य / अपसव्य

By seed-sign quality

count

द्वादश

12 rāśi mahā-daśās

Jaimini Sūtras Ch. 2 · Drig-prakaraṇa · Tier-W (vii).

माण्डूक-दशा · MĀṆḌŪKA · FROG-LEAP BY 5

A movement variant of Cara-daśā. Where Cara walks rāśis in adjacent order, Māṇḍūka leaps by 5 — gcd(5, 12) = 1, so each sign is visited exactly once across 12 leaps. Years follow the Cara count-to-lord rule.

seed

लग्न-राशि

Same seed as Cara-daśā

leap

पञ्चम-गति

Each successor = 5th from predecessor

combinatorics

gcd(5, 12) = 1

All 12 rāśis covered in 12 leaps

years

स्वामि-कोष्ठ − १

(Count to lord) − 1 · Cara convention

Jaimini Sūtras 2.3 (māṇḍūka-prakaraṇa · variant readings) · Tier-W (vii).

Substrate provenance — tag (i) ring-axioms: (ℤ/12ℤ) rāśi cycles, (ℤ/8ℤ) Aṣṭottarī & Yoginī, (ℤ/27ℤ) Tārā · tag (iii) period determination: fixed quanta · count-to-lord · piṇḍāyu · tag (vii) interpretive labels are provenance, not magic.

दशा-सन्धि-कालः · Transition windows

≈ ±10 days at each handover

At each daśā-handover, the closing mahā’s final ≈ 10 days and the opening mahā’s first ≈ 10 days form a sandhi-kāla — the liminal junction where the two tonalities overlap. The table records the classical reading of each junction.

Vimśottarī sandhi — eight junctions of the 120-year arc
ending	beginning	classical reading
केतु Ketu	शुक्र Śukra	Detachment dissolves; sensual abundance dawns — abrupt thaw
शुक्र Śukra	सूर्य Sūrya	Pleasure recedes; will and authority sharpen — public stage opens
सूर्य Sūrya	चन्द्र Candra	Solar drive softens to lunar feeling — emotional re-anchoring
चन्द्र Candra	मङ्गल Maṅgala	Mind hardens to action — conflict and surgery windows
मङ्गल Maṅgala	राहु Rāhu	Fire crosses into illusion — foreign currents, sudden ambition
राहु Rāhu	गुरु Guru	Smoke clears to wisdom — dharma re-asserts; teachers appear
गुरु Guru	शनि Śani	Expansion meets restriction — institutional tests, hard winters
शनि Śani	बुध Budha	Discipline becomes intellect — communication and commerce rebound
बुध Budha	केतु Ketu	Networks dissolve into renunciation — closure of a 120-year arc

Classical convention treats the sandhi as a settling-room, not a runway — BPHS Ch. 46 · Phaladīpikā 19 · Tier-W (vii); not a prediction.

दशा-बीज-नियमाः · Seeding rules

eight systems · eight roots

Bīja = the seed-coordinate from which each cycle’s clock starts
system	basis	formula
विंशोत्तरी Vimśottarī	जन्म-नक्षत्र Moon's nakṣatra at birth	Lord of janma-nakṣatra opens the cycle; balance = (1 − fraction-traversed) × that lord's years
योगिनी Yoginī	नक्षत्र-योगिनी Moon's nakṣatra (alternate mapping)	(nakṣatra-index + 3) mod 8 → yoginī; balance = (1 − fraction-traversed) × that yoginī's years
अष्टोत्तरी Aṣṭottarī	पक्ष-नक्षत्र Moon's nakṣatra + lagna pakṣa	Janma-nakṣatra-pāda + day/night pakṣa selects starting graha; Ketu excluded from cycle
चर Cara	लग्न-राशि Lagna rāśi (Jaimini)	Order = forward from lagna if odd-quality, reverse if even; duration = (count to lord) − 1
काल Kāla	जन्म-तिथि Janma-tithi (lunar day)	Tithi index → graha-of-the-day; 36 years split unevenly across 9 grahas
स्थिर Sthira	लग्न-राशि Lagna rāśi (Jaimini · fixed)	Each rāśi gets a fixed quota (7/8/9 years by triplicity); order from lagna forward
मूल Mūla	मूल-त्रिकोण Mūlatrikoṇa of strongest graha (Jaimini)	Cycle anchored to mūla rāśi; total length adapts to projected āyu (lifespan)
ब्रह्म Brahma	ब्रह्म-ग्रह Brahma-graha (most powerful angular benefic)	99 years partitioned by graha-bala; sequence begins with the Brahma-graha

Tier-S (iii) computed seeds · Tier-W (vii) system selection.

पञ्च-स्तर-दशा · Five-level decomposition

9 × 9 × 9 × 9

Every mahā-daśā fractally subdivides into nine antaras; each antara into nine pratyantaras; each pratyantara into nine sūkṣmas; each sūkṣma into nine prāṇas. The cascade preserves the 9-fold proportion, so each lord rules every other lord at every level within its share. 9⁴ = 6,561 prāṇas per mahā — for the longest mahā (Śukra · 20 y) one prāṇa ≈ 26.7 hours; for the shortest (Sūrya · 6 y) ≈ 8 hours.

level	divisor	typical span	meaning
महा-दशा Mahā-daśā	—	6–20 years	Major era · life-chapter
अन्तर्-दशा Antar-daśā	÷ 9	≈ 8 months–3 years	Sub-period · year-scale theme
प्रत्यन्तर-दशा Pratyantar-daśā	÷ 81	≈ weeks–months	Sub-sub-period · event window
सूक्ष्म-दशा Sūkṣma-daśā	÷ 729	≈ days	Fine-grain · day-of-event resolution
प्राण-दशा Prāṇa-daśā	÷ 6561	≈ hours	Breath-level · muhūrta of culmination

combinatorics

9⁴ = 6,561

prāṇas in one mahā-daśā

lifetime

59,049

prāṇa events across the full 120 y

self-similarity

L(a, b, c, d, e)

each level repeats the mahā 9-sequence

resolution

≈ hours

sūkṣma narrows the week · prāṇa the muhūrta

BPHS Ch. 46 · pañca-stara rule · 9-fold partition invariant · Tier-S (iii).

स्व-दशा-दर्शनम् · YOUR RUNNING DAŚĀS

See the 5-level cascade in your own chart

The birth-chart caster resolves the running Vimśottarī cascade (mahā · antara · pratyantara · sūkṣma · prāṇa) at the moment of your birth, plus the full 9-lord sequence.

जन्म-कुण्डली Cast chart →

Vimśottarī daśā · common questions

दशा-प्रश्नाः

What is Vimshottari Dasha?: Vimśottarī Daśā is the most widely used Vedic planetary time-cycle system, codified in BPHS Ch. 46. Nine planetary lords share a 120-year cycle in fixed proportion. The cycle is seeded from the Moon's nakṣatra at birth — specifically the fraction of that nakṣatra already traversed at the moment of birth.
How do I calculate my current Mahadasha and Antardasha?: To find your current mahā-daśā: cast your birth chart (available free at /chart), note the Moon's janma nakṣatra, and identify which planetary lord governs that nakṣatra. The fraction of the nakṣatra traversed at birth determines how much of that lord's period has elapsed. Our engine shows the running daśā balance automatically.
What are Mahadasha and Antardasha?: Mahā-daśā is the major planetary period (lasting 6–20 years). Within each mahā-daśā, nine sequential antar-daśā (sub-periods) subdivide the time — each lasting from a few months to a few years. Further levels are pratyantar-daśā, sūkṣma-daśā, and prāṇa-daśā. All five levels are computable from the birth chart.
Which dasha is considered good for marriage in Vedic astrology?: Classical Jyotiṣa identifies Venus (Śukra) mahā-daśā and Moon (Candra) mahā-daśā as often favorable for marriage-related developments, since both govern relationships and emotional life. However, the actual assessment requires reading the 7th house, its lord, Navāṃśa, and the running antar-daśā — not the mahā-daśā alone.

ॐ कालाय नमः · ॐ कामाख्यायै नमः · ॐ हनुमते वज्रदेहाय नमः

(R, g, k) = (ℤ/3³³⁷ℤ, 2, k=337) · internal catalog 890 propositions · 805/805 machine-checked (publication pending) · published: 230 props · DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20024273 (v3)