Introduction to Dashas: All along we have been looking at a pretty static picture of the birth chart. All of the analysis applies on the person's life in general, without having any clue when events will take place. We have been interpredicting the birth chart, but we have not made timed predictions.

Vedic Astrology has a most brilliant system of timing when the effects of each planet will be felt, the dashas. Dashas are planetary cycles, which follow in a very specific order, with a very specific time span. There are various dasha systems, but we will consider one of them here, the Vimshottari dasha system. The complete dasha cycle is 120 years. After a 120 years, the cycle repeats itself. Out of the full cycle, each planet takes a number of years:
Sun 6 years
Moon 10 years
Mars 7 years
Rahu 18 years
Jupiter 16 years
Saturn 19 years
Mercury 17 years
Ketu 7 years
Venus 20 years

Everybody is somewhere in this 120 year cycle. The point where we enter this cycle at the beginning of our life, is determined by the degree of the Moon at the time of birth. From that point on, we travel through the cycle in the order shown in the table. As you can see, it takes years to finish one cycle.

The main periods just explained, are called the "Maha Dashas" or main periods. The Maha Dashas themselves are subdivided in sub periods, called "Antar Dashas". The sub periods follow the same order as the main periods, and divide up the time span of the particular main period, just like the main periods divide up a life time. The only difference is that a sub period is not 120 years - it is compressed to be just the number of years of the particular main period it runs under.
Example:
Now how do we use dashas in conjunction with the birth chart? There are just three simple rules that reveal most of the effect of a dasha period.
1. The planet which dasha is ruling will be activated in the birth chart. Whatever this planet does or is related to in the birth chart, according to the interpretation rules explained so far, will be experienced more pronounced in its dasha period.
2. Treating the position of the dasha lord as the first house, look at the rest of the chart, and interpret all the other planetary positions in their new house positions as counted from the dasha lord. In other words, interpet the birth chart with the dasha ruler as the Ascendant.
3. If the main dasha lord and the sub dasha lord are related (conjunct, aspecting each other, etc.) then their effect in the chart will be quite noticable.

Dashas Overview: There are many different dasha systems, categorized in 3 broad categories: Nakshatra based, rashi based, and those that are based on both. Some dashas are applicable to every chart, but some are only valid if some astrological condition is met. The most popular dasha system in use today is the Vimshottari dasha system. This is a general purpose dasha system that can be applied on every chart. Today we have 20 more of such general purpose dashas systems:
Dasha system Type
Kala dasha Planetary
Chakra dasha Rashi
Kalachakra dasha Rashi/Planetary
Chara dasha Rashi
Sthira dasha Rashi
Yogardha dasha Rashi
Kendradi dasha Rashi
Karaka dasha Planetary
Mandooka dasha Mandooka
Shoola dasha Shoola
Trikona dasha Trikona
Drig dasha Driga
Lagna Rasi Dasa Rashi
Panchswara dasha Sounds
Yogini dasha Yoginis/Planetary
Pinda dasha Planetary
Amsha dasha Planetary
Nisarga Dasha Planetary
Sandhya Dasha Rashi
Pachaka Dasha Rashi
Besides that, there are 10 conditional dasha systems, as discussed in a further section.


Vimshottari Dashas: The most popular dasha system is the Vimshottari dasha system. It is based on a 120 year life span, representing the natural, full lifespan of a human being. The order and length of dashas is the same for everyone, only the entry point is different. The Vimshottari dasha system has 9 dasha rulers, which are the 9 Grahas themselves. The order in which the dashas follow has an astronomical basis, and is the order of increasing distance from the Sun, with some special cases.
Mercury
Ketu
Venus
Sun
Moon
Mars
Rahu
Jupiter
Saturn
One special case is the Sun itself, which is placed before the Moon. The other special case is Rahu and Ketu. Rahu is associated with the astroid belt which is located between Mars and Jupiter, and Ketu is placed opposite of Rahu in this cycle of 9. The Vimshottari dasha order is the same as the rulerships of the nakshatras. The 27 nakshatras are divided in three cycles of 9, and the nakshatras within each group are ruled by the 9 Grahas. The first Nakshatra is ruled by Ketu, and the other 8 rulers follow in the order of the Vimshottari dashas. The duration of the dashas is as follows: Ketu 7, Venus 20, Sun 6, Moon 10, Mars 7, Rahu 18, Jupiter 16. Saturn 19, Mercury 17. The dasha the person is born in, is determined by the ruler of the Moon's Nakshatra. For example, in present chart Moon is in Ardra, which is ruled by Rahu, therefore you were born in a Rahu dasha. How far this first dasha has progressed depends on how many degrees the Moon is into that nakshatra. The further the Moon is into the nakshatra, the greater portion of the first dasha is expired. To calculate the exact dasha balance at birth, one has to calculate the percentage of degrees the Moon has progressed into its nakshatra, and that percentage of the dasha's length is expired at birth.

Conditional dashas: Besides the general purpose dashas, Parashara has provided a number of dasha systems that are only applicable for those that have some specific feature in their chart.

* Ashtottari dasha - Rahu should not be in the Lagna, and it should be in a Kendra
* Trikona from the Lagna lord. Birth during day-time in Krishna Paksha night-time in Shukla Paksha.
* Shodsottari dasha The Lagna should be in the Hora of the Moon if the Moon is waning, and should be in the Hora of the Sun if the Moon is waxing.
* Dwadashottari dasha The Lagna is in the Navamsha of Venus.
* Panchottari dasha The Lagna is Cancer or the Lagna is in Cancer Dwadasamsa.
* Shatabdika dasha The Lagna is Vargottama.
* Chaturashiti sama dasha The lord of the 10th is in the 10th.
* Dwisapti sama dasha The lord of the 1st is in the 1st, or the lord of the 1st is in the 7th.
* Shastihayani dasha The Sun is in the Ascendant.
* Shat-trimshat sama dasha Birth during the day and the Lagna in the Hora of the Sun, or
* Birth during the night and the Lagna in the Hora of the Moon.
* Tara dasha There should be Grahas in Kendras.
* All conditional dashas are Graha based (vs Rashi based) and all except Tara dasha are nakshatra based.


How to predict using dashas: There is a vast set of rules that can be used in the interpretation of dashas, but what we present here is a small, manageable set of the most important ones.

1. A dasha will give the results according to its position in the chart. This is the most straightforward rule of all; whatever potential a Graha indicates in the chart, that is what it will manifest in it's dasha period. The house position, lordships, aspects, yogas, and whatever else you use in interpreting the Graha's effects, can all be used for making dasha predictions.

2. Considering the dasha lord as Lagna, the dasha will be according to the chart. If you consider the dasha lord as Lagna, read the 12 houses relative from that Lagna. Look for any striking features in the chart; are any of the houses particularly strong or weak? What houses does the dasha lord rule when it is considered as Lagna? Where is the "new" Lagna lord placed?

3. The dasha will be according to the dasha lord in transit. It is very important to consider the position in transit during the course of the dasha. Various contrasting effects that are expected within the same dasha may come about when the dasha lord transits the houses that relate to those effects. In general, when positive effects are expected, they could manifest when the Dasha lord transits through the kendras and trikona houses. When the natal position and other
consideration give reason to predict negative events, those may come about when the dasha lord transits Dusthana houses (6, 8 and 12).

4. Yogas manifest in the Maha and Antar dasha of the yoga forming planets. Any Grahas that form a yoga with the Maha dasha lord, will manifest that yoga during it's antar dasha. With yoga, any noteworthy interaction or combination is meant. For example, two Grahas may be conjunct, and the result of that conjunction (whatever your prediction is) will manifest when one of these two is Mahadasha, and the other is the Antardasha.

5. Weak planets will give weak results, strong planets give strong results. Grahas that are weak in Shad Bala, will not be able to take their promises up to full fledged manifestation. Such dasha period may have the flavor of what the Graha indicates, but the matters will not come about fully. Strong Grahas however, will manifest their potential clearly and pronounced, and bring about concrete happenings.

Regardless of what of kind prediction you come up with using the above rules, it will not come true unless the potential is there in the chart. A person who has a chart that indicates great wealth throughout life, will not become poor because the Mahadasha rules the 12th house and transits the 8th! Make predictions that make sense in the context of the overall chart and what you know about the person's social status.