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
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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.
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