What is the Vimshottari dasha?

It's the main planetary-period system in Vedic astrology: your life is divided into nine consecutive planetary periods (mahadashas) totalling 120 years, starting from the planet that rules your birth (Moon) nakshatra.

Which dasha is the longest?

Venus, at 20 years, followed by Saturn at 19 and Rahu at 18. The Sun's, at 6 years, is the shortest.

How is my starting dasha decided?

By the nakshatra your Moon occupies at birth - each nakshatra is ruled by one of the nine planets, and that planet's dasha is the one running at your birth. Generate a free birth chart to find yours.

The Vimshottari Dasha Timeline: How Vedic Astrology Splits Your 120 Years · Astroniq

Name: The Vimshottari Dasha Timeline: How Vedic Astrology Splits Your 120 Years
Creator: Astroniq
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

By years

Total: 120 years

Ketu: 7
Venus: 20
Sun: 6
Moon: 10
Mars: 7
Rahu: 18
Jupiter: 16
Saturn: 19
Mercury: 17

Key findings

Saturn governs the single longest period - 19 years - and Venus the largest at 20.
The Sun's dasha is the shortest at just 6 years.
Venus (20) and Saturn (19) together cover 39 of the 120 years - nearly a third of a lifetime.
The complete cycle runs exactly 120 years before it would repeat.

Methodology

Vimshottari is the most widely used dasha (planetary-period) system in Vedic astrology. Each of the nine grahas is assigned a fixed number of years; the nine spans sum to a 120-year human lifespan, and they run in a fixed order beginning from the planet ruling your birth nakshatra. The figures below are the classical, invariant values.

Source: Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra - Vimshottari Dasha

Download this dataset (CSV) — free to reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0).

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Frequently asked

What is the Vimshottari dasha?: It's the main planetary-period system in Vedic astrology: your life is divided into nine consecutive planetary periods (mahadashas) totalling 120 years, starting from the planet that rules your birth (Moon) nakshatra.
Which dasha is the longest?: Venus, at 20 years, followed by Saturn at 19 and Rahu at 18. The Sun's, at 6 years, is the shortest.
How is my starting dasha decided?: By the nakshatra your Moon occupies at birth - each nakshatra is ruled by one of the nine planets, and that planet's dasha is the one running at your birth. Generate a free birth chart to find yours.