Vimshottari Dasha: How the 120-Year Planetary Period System Works
Vimshottari dasha is the most widely used planetary-period system in Vedic astrology. It assigns each life a rotating sequence of nine planetary 'reigns' totalling 120 years: Ketu (7), Venus (20), Sun (6), Moon (10), Mars (7), Rahu (18), Jupiter (16), Saturn (19) and Mercury (17).
Your starting point comes from the Moon's nakshatra at birth: each nakshatra has a ruling planet, and the fraction of the nakshatra already traversed determines how much of that first dasha remains. From there the sequence simply rotates.
Each mahadasha colours its years with the significations of its lord — Venus periods lean into relationships, comfort and art; Saturn periods into structure and earned authority. Antardashas (sub-periods) refine the timing further.
Generate your kundli below to see your full dasha timeline and which mahadasha you are running right now.
FAQ
The dasha start depends on the Moon's position, which moves about 13° per day — so even a rough birth time gives the correct mahadasha in most cases, though sub-periods benefit from precision.
Venus, at 20 years; the shortest is the Sun's at 6.