Reading Your Vimshottari Dasha Timeline

The 120-Year Vimshottari Cycle

Vimshottari means '120' in Sanskrit. The system divides life into nine planetary periods summing to 120 years. At birth, only the unexpired fraction of the Moon's nakshatra lord's period is counted — so the first dasha can be anything from a few months to the full allotment.

Planetary years in the cycle:

• Sun (Pingala / Surya): 6 years
• Moon (Mangala / Chandra): 10 years
• Mars (Bhramari / Mangala): 7 years
• Rahu (Sankata): 18 years
• Jupiter (Dhanya / Guru): 16 years
• Saturn (Ulka / Shani): 19 years
• Mercury (Bhadrika / Budha): 17 years
• Ketu (Mangala): 7 years
• Venus (Siddha / Shukra): 20 years

Three Levels of Timing

Astavya shows three levels of the dasha hierarchy. Access the Dasha tab on any profile.

1. Mahadasha — the outermost period, lasting 6 to 20 years. Sets the broad theme.
2. Antardasha — a sub-period within the Mahadasha, lasting months to a few years. Refines the theme.
3. Pratyantar Dasha — the finest level, lasting days to months. Narrows timing further.

The Yogini system is an alternative 36-year cycle with eight yoginis. It repeats up to four times in a lifespan. Astavya shows both systems — switch between them with the selector on the Dasha tab.

How to Use Dasha for Reflection

A dasha period highlights the themes associated with its ruling planet and its placement in your natal chart. Rather than treating a period as a fixed forecast, use it as a lens: what areas of life does this planet govern in your chart? What themes might it be illuminating?

Periods are timing frames for reflection, not forecasts of events.

The 'Current period' panel at the top of the Dasha tab shows the active Mahadasha, Antardasha and Pratyantar with their start and end dates. The full list below shows where you have been and where you are heading.

The Yogini Dasha System

Yogini dasha assigns eight yoginis — Mangala (Moon), Pingala (Sun), Dhanya (Jupiter), Bhramari (Mars), Bhadrika (Mercury), Ulka (Saturn), Siddha (Venus) and Sankata (Rahu) — to consecutive years in a 36-year cycle. Each yogini rules 1 to 8 years. The cycle repeats across a lifespan.