Glossary · concept
Dasha
Also written Vimshottari Dasha · planetary period
A dasha is a planetary period: a stretch of life ruled by one graha (planet), during which that planet’s themes come to the foreground. The system most used in Jyotish is Vimshottari — literally "one hundred and twenty", the number of years its full cycle runs.
The cycle is keyed to your birth nakshatra: which planet rules the mansion the moon sat in decides where your dasha sequence begins. The largest chapter is the Mahadasha (major period), from six years (Surya) to twenty (Shukra); within it run nine shorter Antardashas (sub-periods), one per planet. Knowing your current Mahadasha–Antardasha pair is the standard read on "what season of life am I in."
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