Vimsottari dasa

Vimsottari dasa is the most popular dasa system among Vedic astrologers of today. Sage Parasara mentions in “Brihat Parasara Hora Sastram” that this dasa system is the most suitable dasa system in Kali yuga. Vimsottari means 120. Vimsottari dasa is a dasa system where the total duration of the dasa cycle is 120 years. Dasas of different planets are for different number of years, but the sum of all dasas is 120 years. In Kali yuga, paramaayush (maximum longevity) of human beings is supposed to be 120 years. Consequently, Vimsottari dasa is the most suitable dasa in Kali yuga. Dasas are reckoned here based on the constellation occupied by Moon. There are other variations that are more applicable in some cases. Many contemporary Vedic astrologers ignore these variations and always reckon dasas from the lord of the constellation occupied by Moon. However, this may not result in the best predictions always. In this book, we will look at some of the variations. One’s life is divided into dasas – periods – ruled by the nine planets. A dasa is alsocalled a “mahadasa” (mahadasa = master period). Each mahadasa is again divided into 9 sub-periods ruled by 9 planets. These sub-periods in mahadasas are called “antardasas”. We can divide further. Sub-periods in antardasas are called “pratyantardasas”. Sub-periods in pratyantardasas are called “sookshma-antardasas” or simply sookshma dasas. Sub-periods in sookshma dasas are called “pranaantardasas” or simply prana dasas. Sub-periods in prana dasas are called “dehaantardasas”. In this book, we will denote mahadasa with MD, antardasa with AD, pratyantardasa with PD, sookshma dasa with SD, prana-antardasa with PAD and deha-antardasa with DAD.