Vimshottari Dasha = 120 Year Life Timeline

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

• a time to be born and a time to die,

• a time to plant and a time to uproot,

• a time to kill and a time to heal,

• a time to tear down and a time to build,

• a time to weep and a time to laugh,

• a time to mourn and a time to dance,

• a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

• a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

• a time to search and a time to give up,

• a time to keep and a time to throw away,

• a time to tear and a time to mend,

• a time to be silent and a time to speak,

• a time to love and a time to hate,

• a time for war and a time for peace."

(Eccl. 3:1-8)

In the Vimshottari Dasha predictive system, planets ALWAYS follows the same order of rotation, as shown in the table at top of page.

he length of each major period (mahadasha) is fixed.

The length of each sub-period (bhukti, antardasha) is also fixed.

To predict the events and experiences of each dasha/bhukti period, answer these questions - but not always in this order :)

1. What is the natural character of the bhukti lord? Natural benefic or malefic? Age at maturity?

2. Angle between mahadasha-pati and bhutki-pat?

3. Radix position of bhukti-pat? Sign and lordships from lagna? [Aspects [ drishti] to radix position? social-material events]

4. Radix sign and lordships from Chandra? [emotional events]

5. Nakshatra location? [spiritual direction and tenor]

6. Bhukti-pat's lordships in relevant Varga charts? [special effects on career, children, marriage, studies, etc.]

7. coordinating transits of the bhukti-pat, of Shani, of Rahu-Ketu?

1. Natural character of the Ruling bhukti lord

• e.g., Shani, a natural malefic, will always give a tough period. If Shani is a good house lord, the results might be fabulous - but getting there always, with Shani, requires burning off some serious karma.

• e.g., Guru, a natural benefic, will always give ease. If Guru is a bad house lord (e.g. for Libra lagna) His period might give poor results - but getting there always, with Guru, is fairly easy, because Guru carries the results of our charitable actions from past lives, into the current life.

• if Kuja mahadasha occurs before age 28, we will see mainly the physical, athletic, warrior dimension of Mars - none of the business edge, competitive savvy, etc. that emerges after Mars matures (one of the reasons Kuja Dosha is much more of an issue for marriages before age 28)

2. Angle between the mahadasha-pati (planet which rules the major period) and the bhukti-pat (planet that rules the sub-period)?

• If the angle from mahadasha-pati to bhukti-pat is favorable - 5/9 - 1/1 - 1/7 - 4/10 - then by and large the period will be comfortable and prosperous.

• If the angle is difficult - 3/11 - 6/8 - 2/12 - expect some struggle, generally. (3/11 is not really a problem unless some

3. Radix houses which the bhukti-lord owns and occupies:

• for example, the mahadasha of L-11 is a gainful period in general

• bhukti of L-5 is enormously helpful for conceiving children

• A planet occupying house-7 will give the spouse lots of power during its period

4. Which houses from chandra does the mahadasha-pati own and operate?

• During a Surya period for Makara lagna native, if Chandra occupies Dhanus, Ravi will rule 9th-from-Chandra - a fortunate angle which suggests emotional healing benefits from receiving wise religious advice. Even if other circumstances of the dasha/bhukti in effect would be difficult, this one important angle from radix-Chandra-to-bhukti-lord, provides an emotional blessing

5. Nakshatra location of the period Lord

• Nakshatra effects are more subtle. Nakshatra, the 27/28 mansions of the Moon, derive historically from the most ancient lore of Jyotisha - well before the emergence of solar angles.

• Therefore, Nakshatra reckon our subtle spiritual, intuitive and emotional condition with special delicacy. (One reason why the Moon's nakshatra is so crucially important to marriage matching!)

• e.g., the nakshatra of L-10 indicates vocation, spiritual calling to service

6. Which Varga houses "wake up" when the mahadasha-pati is in control?

• E.g., for Thulalagna, Chandra is always L-10, and good therefore for career. Now check the D-10 (dashamsha) - is Chandra a good lord in D-10 as well? Is Chandra in a good house and sign?

• In a good angle from the mahadasha-pati? Otherwise well positioned? If so, expect not just"good" results from the Chandra period - expect greatness! (See how the dashamsha affects world political leaders.)

• E.g., how will Chandra affect the marriage? Is He a good house lord in Navamsha? Things might go very well in career, and very poorly in marriage, or vice versa. Check out all the major vargas to get the bigger picture.

7. Major transits of the bhukti lord. Esp the Pushkara Navamsha.

• Note: The ONLY transits which have a measurable impact on events are transits OF -or- TO the current Bhukti lord.(Saturn transits are the only exception; they have their own clout independent of the current bhukti lord; however if Shani is also the bhukti lord during a major movement of gochara Shani, expect double-impact.)

• Movements of fast planets like Chandra, Surya, Shukra, Budha have very little noticeable effect. However, during a bhukti of Chandra, Surya, Shukra, Budha - if a bigger planet like Guru or Shani, Rahu or Mars transits over Chandra, Surya, Shukra, Budha's natal position - yes, there is an effect for sure.

• Occurrence of Auspicious events = strongly tied to the Transits of the bhukti-pati through the Pushkara Navamsha.

• It is important to track the transits of the bhukti-pati and note when this empowered graha enters a Pushkara Navamsha, and especially when it transits a "Pushkara Bhagya" degree (there is only one Puskhara Bhagya degree in each rashi.)

• Transits of the Vimshottari Bhukti lord (1) from beginning to end of a Pushkara Navamsha (2) upon the senstive and auspicious Pushkara Bhagya Degree and (3) across a Vargottama navamsha (there is one in Vrishabha, one in Karkata, and one in Dhanushya) are harbingers of excellent good fortune.

•  The good fortune manifests according to the karaka nature of the graha, not according to house lordships in the radix or any varga. E.g., Guru brings children, Shukra brings relationships, Mangala brings competitive wins, Surya brings recognition and applause, etc.

• if gochara Rahu-Ketu are travelling through the radix sign of the current bhukti lord, the nodes *amplify* bhukti events

• Rahu/Ketu movements are especially influential during Abhukti of Rahu or a bhukti of Ketu.

•  Gochara Rahu's singularly strongest effects are upon the Moon

  • like Sade Saati (Saturn transit Moon), Rahu-transit-Chandra is an independent transit that will force "reinventing oneself" every 18 years.

  •  The nature of the "reinvention" is very much influenced however by the bhukti lord(s) in power during this 18-month transit.

• If Rahu occupies the "bad angle" of radix 12th-from-Moon, Rahu's movements during Chandra mahadasha should be watched very carefully in case they move into an axis where they AMPLIFY subconsciously-driven negative patterns in the person's behavior.

  •  The good news is that, if Rahu occupies 12th-from-Moon and Rahu is carefully watched for the 10 years of Chandra mahadasha, and the negative desires in the native's subconscious are allowed to reveal themselves in a therapeutic setting, any and all of the sanctuary-based healing modalities can be effective to provide A profound healing.

  •  The bad news is that hardly anybody does this. Most people just get deeply invested in being a Victim, suffer vicious attacks and blame it on others...

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• Also, in practice, the consulting Jyotishi will consider:

  What is the client's chronological age and social position at time of planetary period?

  • A younger person is naturally concerned with different goals, and lives under different constraints, than an older person.

  • E.g., the death of a parent would be a catastrophic shock to a child; by contrast a sad, but acceptable, loss to a mature person.

  • Death is an event associated with periods of L-2 and L-7 for the native; L2/L7-from-Moon for mother; L2/L-7-from-karakas for various relatives, etc. However, a frightening topic for most people and its occasion must be interpreted for likelihood in different age ranges - and always delicately, in social context

  • Dasha/bhukti of L-5/L-9 is a prime time to conceive children in the reproductive years - presuming L-5 and L/9 are in good condition. But after the reproductive years have faded, expect these planets to produce grandchildren, creative works like books and theatrical plays, and religious inspiration.

  •  Occasionally world leaders do arise from the ranks of blue-collar labor; sometimes an obscure bureaucrat becomes a national celebrity. But usually, predict a range of benefits for "good" planets that are consistent with the person's existing social position. A lifetime peak of recognition for one's creativity might be a Pulitzer Prize, or it might be winning the State Fair Blue Ribbon for the year's most beautiful quilt.

  • Predict "fame" or "achievement" consistent with the person's cultural aspirations. Predict "embarrassment" or "loss" according to the person's existing values.

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• Q: Is it the initial sign on the Vimshottari (change of periods) that controls the whole line, or is each segment ruled by the sign opposite the date until the next date. You kept referring to 9/04-4/07 as the period of Jupiter.

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  A: Your Venus Mahadasha (major period of Venus in the Vimshottari Dasha system) runs from 9/1994-to-5/2004. Venus Mahadasha is always 20 years long, but the first day of Venus Mahadasha can occur at any time, from age zero to age 100, depending on the degree of the Moon at birth.

  Your bhukti [sub-period] of Jupiter occurs WITHIN the 20-year Mahadasha of Venus. This bhukti runs from 9/2004-to-4/2007. The effects of the bhukti are more noticeable, because the bhukti period is shorter and the effect of the bhukti lord is more acute.

  Using the medical metaphor, a Mahadasha lord creates the chronic, low-level condition which subtley influences everything during its tenure. The bhukti feels more "acute". Bhukti effects are more dramatic, but briefer. Bhukti effects really get our attention, but when they are finished, our minds again notice that "chronic" underlying condition which the mahadasha creates in the background.

  We tend to notice the acute symptoms more readily, but it's the relationship between the chronic "background" psychic pattern of thoughts and emotions from the mahadasha, vis-à-vis the acute "foreground" relationships and experiences from the bhukti -- plus the effect of relevant transits -- that gives us the total dasha/bhukti experience.

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  Q: Do each of the planets bring consistent lessons each time they cycle thru the vimshottari dasha?

  Is there a book or reference that would tell me what each brings?

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  A : Great question! This is the heart of Jyotisha.

  Each planet has its own personality and characteristics. It's as if each planet's signal pattern sits in the aura, sometimes near to the field of consciousness, and sometimes far from awareness in the realms of the subconscious.

  Occurrence of that planet's major periods (mahadasha and bhukti) means that planet's effects will come nearer to our field of consciousness, we will be more aware of that effect.

  But are the effects in "real life" - i.e., the realm of the five senses - always that same?

  For example, does each Saturn bhukti feel the same?

  No.

  A portion of the effect will be the same. E.g., for a Shani bhukti: Shani occupies a certain sign and degree; He aspects and is aspected by other deities. He has a consistent character, which determines the way he carries out your responsibility-conformity-effort agenda. That character will be evident in each Shani bhukti. It will always be about responsibility-conformity-effort and each Shani bhukti will be a more mature reiteration of His characteristic way of making your social obligations clear to you.

  So, Chandra/Shani, then Rahu/Shani, then Guru/Shani - then (yowza) Shani/Shani - will all have the typical bear-down characteristics of Shani, say maybe 50% of the total experience is "classic Shani".

  But the majority of any dasha/bhukti effect during its term, is caused by the **relationship between the mahadasha lord and the bhukti lord.**

  If Saturn has a good relationship to the mahadasha lord, the overall experience may be quite beneficial and productive, even though marked by Saturn's typical agenda of discipline, austerity, responsibility, etc.

  If Shani occupies a poor angle from the mahadasha pati, the auspice is not ideal.

  But of course, Shani might occupy a bad angle from the mahadasha pati and a very good angle from radix lagna, or chandra-lagna. He might rule good houses in navamsha. So any number of benefits may emerge from e.g., a Chandra/Shani period - even if Chandra/Shani occupy 6/8 angles from each other.

  We can't be simplistic.

  But at the same time, there are major patterns and there are minor patterns. The major patterns have the strongest impact, and we attend to those first in our predictions and in our life planning.

  So, continuing with the Saturn example, some bhukti's of Saturn, with the worst possible relationship to the mahadasha lord, will give just devastatingly difficult results. (Survivable, of course, but undeniably tough.)

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  There is a rule in Jyotisha that says the bhukti of Any planet in the third house from Mercury will give very rough going due to accelerated karmic payback, when Mercury is the mahadasha lord and that planet in 3rd-from-Mercury is the bhukti lord.

  If for example one's radix Saturn position has lots of stress built into it anyway, and Saturn happens to be located in the radix 3rd-from-Mercury, and THEN the vimshottari dasha rolls around to the Mercury-Saturn period, you just know that depression and psycho-emotional struggle in general, poor choices caused by stress, usually relative state of poverty, delays, demands of short-term travel, lots of unsustainable responsibilities... will be the result.

  The nice thing about knowing a bit of Jyotisha is that one can plan for these periods and not over-react or take it too personally when the karmic reality arrives. Neutrality is always the success element in any of these forecast-able difficult periods.

  The opposite result is also entirely possible. That is, Saturn might occupy an excellent angle from the mahadasha lord. For example, the 10th-from any planet will generally produce good public reputation, professional achievements, recognition for valuable service to society, etc. Saturn will always induce high levels of discipline. But, in his position 10th-from a beneficial mahadasha lord, he can easily channel that discipline and austerity - tapasya - into a solid, productive work ethic that brings praise to the person for difficult but important tasks accomplished with dignity and skill.

  Hard work and delays, which are Saturn's signature behaviors, will always be part of any Saturn bhukti. But under the right planetary circumstances, the experience of hard work can be very satisfying. And as we all know, certain delays are life-saving.

  So, long answer to your great question!

  • "Yes" there are characteristic similarities between all Saturn bhukti's, or all Venus bhukti's, or all Jupiter bhukti's, which arise from the essential behavior of that planet in your rashi chart (and so some extent your navamsha chart too.)

  • But "No" - because the majority of the effect comes from the particular angular relationship between the mahadasha pati and the bhukti pat.

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• It's important to remember that Jyotisha is a "vidya" and not a mechanical science. We can't apply a specific percentage to the "radix planetary character" versus the "angle of relationship" proportion because of the MANY complex factors involved in evaluating BOTH the planet's nature AND the mahadasha-bhukti lord relationship. That's why Jyotisha is so darned complicated and why predictions are always offered humbly and with a grain of salt :)

  There is a lot involved in the evaluation. Most individual astrologers, no matter how good they are, will at most modestly consider themselves as senior students of the Vidya of Jyotisha.

  It is always possible to miss an influential factor when we are making predictions based on dozens of real-time interactive subconscious and conscious perceptual effects. Nevertheless a calm and skillful survey of the major planetary factors will give us a reasonable map of the 120-year Vimshottari timeline that can allow us to prepare for the easy and less-than-easy times ahead!

  You can gain some additional direction on the issues of relationship between mahadasha lord (mahadasha-pati) and bhukti lord (bhukti-pat) by reading The Astrology of the Seers by David Frawley. Frawley is a noted scholar of Vedic culture and history. Some of his conclusions are controversial among historians, but Frawley's books always provide thorough presentation of the subject. There is a heavy dose of Vedic mythology/religious precept in the book which might give it a foreign aura to beginners; but he writes very clearly and his books are a blessing to a motivated audience.

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  Q: I went to a website that produces Vimshottari dasha printouts, and typed in my husband Obafeimi's birth date.

  His birth time is not known, but I wanted to see if by inputting a variety of possible times I could narrow in on some that looked more likely than others.

  However, it seems like all day during my husband's day of birth, in his city of birth (which we know well) the Vimshottari Dasha timeline does not change.

  Is it possible that nothing will change in the Vimshottari Dasha for his date of birth, so that it doesn't matter what time he was born?

  A: Heavens no, it matters remendously what time he was born! The Vimshottari Dasha will change significantly with each passing minute of the birth time.

  The Vimshottari dasha start-point is set via the degree of the Moon.

  • If Obafeimi had been born at 03h00, his Moon would occupy Shravana nakshatra which is ruled by the Moon. 03h00 birth time Moon resides in the 1st quarter of Shravana; 1st quarter (padaa) is ruled by Mars, so at 03h00 he would be born into a Moon/Mars period.

  • If he were born at 12h00, the Moon would still be in Shravana butMoon would have advanced to the third quarter of Shravana that is ruled by Saturn, so he'd be born into Moon/Saturn period as the start point for his life script.

  • If he were born at 21h00, the Moon would be in 4th quarter of Shravana, the quarter-lord is Venus, so the start point would be Moon-Venus (almost the end of the Moon mahadasha).

  • If Obafeimi were born at 23h59, his Moon would occupy the final seconds of the 4th quarter of Shravana, quarter lord is Surya (Sun) and although technically he would be born into Moon/Sun period, the sun bhukti would be almost expired so that Lewis script would start into the Mars/Mars period in early May of 1959, just weeks after his birth.

  So yes, all day on 04 July 1977, in Lagos, Nigeria, Obafeimi's Moon occupies Shravana nakshatra. Yet,every few hours, the Moon proceeds into a new quarter of the nakshatra, and when the Moon's birth quarter changes then the starting bhukti changes. The starting bhukti is the quarter-lord. Each quarter also has sub-lords which are used to determine the tertiary and quaternary Vimshottari period lords.

  You were born with Moon in the third quarter of Ardra (Arudra) nakshatra. Lord of Arudra = Rahu. The lord of the third quarter of Arudhra is Ketu. So you Ayoka have a Vimshottari dasha that starts in Rahu-Ketu period

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  "We have happiness of mind and freedom from anxiety to just the degree that our minds are tamed.... Once we want happiness and do not want suffering, we should engage in the means to achieve happiness and eliminate suffering. Practice is based on reasoning, not force; it is up to oneself. The time for engaging in these techniques is now. Some feel, 'I did not succeed in this lifetime; I will ask a lama for help in my future life.' To think that we will practice in the future is only a hope. It is foolish to feel that the next life will be as suitable as this. No matter how bad our condition is now, since we have a human brain, we can think; since we have a mouth, we can recite mantra. No matter how old one may be, there is time for practice. However, when we die and are reborn, we are unable even to recite Om mani padme hum. make all effort possible at this time when we have obtained the precious physical life-support of a human." ~~ Tsong-ka-pa and H.H. Dalai Lama. (1987). Deity Yoga in Action and Performance Tantra. . Jeffrey Hopkins (Ed.). www.snowlionpub.com