Know your Dasha

In Astrology it is understood that at any point of time nature is governed by a planet and the position of that planet in the horoscope determines how the native will feel or behave.
This chapter details the calculation of the planet acting at any point of time and the period for which the planet rules.

To predict the past present and future, saints evolved the system of "Dasha" or period. Any planet influences someone more than others at some point of time, than the other planet takes over and so on.

Many dasha systems have been described as many as 42. but the most common and -popular dasha system is "Vimshottari". As the name suggests, the complete cycle of dasha is of 120 years. All the nine planets take part in this system. The periods and the constellation assigned to them is as follows:

Table -1

Planet        Constellation                                       Year

Sun          Krittika, U. phalguni, Uttarashada            6

Moon        Rohini, Hasta, Shravana                        10

Mars         Mrigshira, Chitra, Dhanistha                    7

Rahu         Ardra, Swati, Satbhisha                          18

Jupiter       Punarvasu, Vishakha, P. bhadrapada     16

Saturn       Pushya, Anuradha, U. bhadrapada         19

Mercury   Ashlesha, jyestha, Revati                         17

Ketu         Magha, Mool, Ashwin                              7

Venus       P. phalugni, Purva Ashada, Bharani        20

At the time of birth of the native, the constellation occupied by the Moon determines which planet will rule at that time. The fraction of the constellation balance at that time determines the "balance of dasha", that is the time period for which the planet will rule after birth. After the end of the ruling period of that planet, other planets rule one by one in the cyclic order as listed in table 1.

Let us understand it by an example. In the model horoscope in the previous issue, we have date of birth 15-1-1970, time 4.30 A.M. and place of birth Delhi. on this date and time Moon's degree is Aries 9⁰ 36' , that is, it is in Ashwini nakshatra. Ashwini starts at 00 Aries and extends upto 13⁰20' Of Aries. This way moon has crossed 9⁰ 36' of Aries and has 13⁰ 20' - 9⁰ 36^' = 3⁰ 44' still to go. From table-I we find Ashwini is represented by Ketu having a period of 7 years. Hence the native was born when ketu was ruling and it had a balance of dasa.

3⁰ 44' x 7 years = 1.96 years
13⁰ 20' = 1 year 16 months 16 days

Adding this period to date of birth, we get

15 - 1 - 1970
16 - 11 - 1      
1 - 1 - 1972

ie. the native experienced influence of Ketu for 1 year 16 months 16 days from birth till
1 Jan. 1972. Thereafter, according to table 1, was under the influence of Venus for 20 years upto 1-1-1992; followed by Sun for 6 years upto 1-1-1998, then by Moon for 10 years 1-1-2008 and so on.

Note that the period of 1 year 11 months 16 days is called the balance of 7 years of ketu 20 years of Venus etc. are called dasha periods.

Thus we compute the dasha periods for nature as follows :

Balance of dasha : 1 year 11 months 16 days, of Ketu.

D.O.B.                      15    -         1   -         1970
Balance of Ketu        16   -        11   -               1
                                  1    -          1   -         1972
Venu                                                              20
                                 1      -        1      -      1992
Sun                                                                 6
                                 1      -         1     -      1998
Moon                                                           10
                                 1      -         1   -        2008
Mars                                                               7
                                 1      -        1    -        2015
Rahu                                                             18
                                 1      -        1    -        2033
Jupiter                                                           16
                                 1     -         1    -        2049
Saturn                                                           19
                                 1      -      1      -        2068
Memory                                                        17
                                1       -      1     -         2085

No one will be satisfied if we tell him how he will go through his next 10 or 20 years in nut shell. He would want to know the effects of events in detail. So the above dashas are further subdivided into sub periods or Antar dashas. During the planet's dasha, antar dasha starts from planet itself, followed by the same sequence as given in table I. The period is also subdivided into the same fractions as assigned in table No. 1. In brief sun rules for 6 years. Sun will have its own sub period first for 6x6/120 = 36/120 years

= (36 x 12)/120  = 3 months 18 days

After this will come Moon's sub period. Moon represents 10 years out of total span of 120 years of Vimshottari dasa. So it will rule for 1/12th part of the total period of 6 years of Sun .

Thus Moon will have sub period of

6 x 10/120 = ½ = 6 months

In a similar manner we can compute sub periods of all the planets while major influence of other planet is there.