Vimshottari Mahadasha Periods
The nine planetary periods of the 120-year Vimshottari cycle: what each brings, how long it lasts, and the nine sub-periods inside it.
How the Vimshottari cycle works
Vimshottari Dasha divides a 120-year life cycle into nine planetary periods: Ketu 7 years, Venus 20, Sun 6, Moon 10, Mars 7, Rahu 18, Jupiter 16, Saturn 19 and Mercury 17. The period you are born into is set by the ruler of your birth Nakshatra, and the balance left at birth depends on how far the Moon had moved through that star. Each Mahadasha is divided into nine Antardashas in the same order, starting with its own planet.
Reading a period in your own chart
A period gives the results of its planet as placed in your chart: the houses it rules and occupies, its dignity and the planets it joins or aspects. Transits of Saturn and Jupiter during the period add timing. The general readings here describe the planet's natural themes; the house positions in your horoscope decide where they show up.