Dashas (planetary periods)
Antardasha in Vedic astrology
An antardasha is a sub-period inside a mahadasha. Each mahadasha is split into nine antardashas, one per planet, in a fixed order that starts with the mahadasha's own planet. Each lasts in proportion to that planet's share of the 120-year Vimshottari cycle.
Updated
Antardasha: how the API computes it
The antardashas follow the same fixed order as the main periods. They start with the mahadasha's own planet. Each one lasts the main period's length times its planet's years, divided by 120 (DA-04). So in a 20-year Venus mahadasha, the Venus antardasha lasts 20 × 20 ÷ 120 years. That is 3 years and 4 months.
Set the levels field on POST /v1/dasha/vimshottari to 2 for antardashas. Set it up to 5 for the smaller periods: pratyantardasha, sookshma and prana. Every level has calendar start and end dates.
The two deepest levels are dated but come with no reading text, because they last only days or hours (DR-04). Most dasha readings work at the antardasha level. A main period is too long to describe one time of life.
Antardasha in a real API answer
POST /v1/dasha/vimshottari200 OK{
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Mars",
"start": "1989-12-20T13:27:09.380502",
"end": "1996-12-20T07:27:09.380502",
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Mars",
"start": "1989-12-20T13:27:09.380502",
"end": "1990-05-18T16:54:09.380502"
},
{
"lord": "Rahu",
"start": "1990-05-18T16:54:09.380502",
"end": "1991-06-06T05:12:09.380502"
},
{
"lord": "Jupiter",
"start": "1991-06-06T05:12:09.380502",
"end": "1992-05-12T02:48:09.380502"
}
]
}
]
}Get it from the API
Vimshottari dasha periods with dates. Here is the call to API for Astrology (apiforastrology.com) for our sample, John Doe, born Aug 15, 1990, 10:30 AM, New York.
POST /v1/dasha/vimshottari
# John Doe, born Aug 15, 1990, 10:30 AM, New York
curl -X POST "https://apiforastrology.com/api/astrology/v1/dasha/vimshottari" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $ASTROLOGY_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"year":1990,"month":8,"day":15,"hour":10,"minute":30,"second":0,"latitude":40.7128,"longitude":-74.006,"timezone":"America/New_York"}'Answer (long lists shortened)200 OK
{
"system": "vimshottari",
"year_length_days": 365.25,
"moon_nakshatra_index": 5,
"nakshatra_fraction_elapsed": 0.09303881,
"starting_lord": "Mars",
"balance_at_birth_years": 6.348728,
"balance_method": "time",
"levels": 3,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Mars",
"start": "1989-12-20T13:27:09.380502",
"end": "1996-12-20T07:27:09.380502",
"years": 7,
"partial_at_birth": true,
"balance_years": 6.348728,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Mars",
"start": "1989-12-20T13:27:09.380502",
"end": "1990-05-18T16:54:09.380502",
"years": 0.408333,
"elapsed": true,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Mars",
"start": "1989-12-20T13:27:09.380502",
"end": "1989-12-29T06:15:13.880502",
"years": 0.023819,
"elapsed": true
},
{
"lord": "Rahu",
"start": "1989-12-29T06:15:13.880502",
"end": "1990-01-20T15:10:16.880502",
"years": 0.06125,
"elapsed": true
},
{
"lord": "Jupiter",
"start": "1990-01-20T15:10:16.880502",
"end": "1990-02-09T12:25:52.880502",
"years": 0.054444,
"elapsed": true
}
]
},
{
"lord": "Rahu",
"start": "1990-05-18T16:54:09.380502",
"end": "1991-06-06T05:12:09.380502",
"years": 1.05,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Rahu",
"start": "1990-05-18T16:54:09.380502",
"end": "1990-07-15T05:32:51.380502",
"years": 0.1575,
"elapsed": true
},
{
"lord": "Jupiter",
"start": "1990-07-15T05:32:51.380502",
"end": "1990-09-04T08:47:15.380502",
"years": 0.14
},
{
"lord": "Saturn",
"start": "1990-09-04T08:47:15.380502",
"end": "1990-11-04T02:08:06.380502",
"years": 0.16625
}
]
},
{
"lord": "Jupiter",
"start": "1991-06-06T05:12:09.380502",
"end": "1992-05-12T02:48:09.380502",
"years": 0.933333,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Jupiter",
"start": "1991-06-06T05:12:09.380502",
"end": "1991-07-21T16:04:57.380502",
"years": 0.124444
},
{
"lord": "Saturn",
"start": "1991-07-21T16:04:57.380502",
"end": "1991-09-13T15:30:09.380502",
"years": 0.147778
},
{
"lord": "Mercury",
"start": "1991-09-13T15:30:09.380502",
"end": "1991-10-31T22:33:45.380502",
"years": 0.132222
}
]
}
]
},
{
"lord": "Rahu",
"start": "1996-12-20T07:27:09.380502",
"end": "2014-12-20T19:27:09.380502",
"years": 18,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Rahu",
"start": "1996-12-20T07:27:09.380502",
"end": "1999-09-02T11:39:09.380502",
"years": 2.7,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Rahu",
"start": "1996-12-20T07:27:09.380502",
"end": "1997-05-17T05:40:57.380502",
"years": 0.405
},
{
"lord": "Jupiter",
"start": "1997-05-17T05:40:57.380502",
"end": "1997-09-25T17:26:33.380502",
"years": 0.36
},
{
"lord": "Saturn",
"start": "1997-09-25T17:26:33.380502",
"end": "1998-02-28T20:54:27.380502",
"years": 0.4275
}
]
},
{
"lord": "Jupiter",
"start": "1999-09-02T11:39:09.380502",
"end": "2002-01-26T02:03:09.380502",
"years": 2.4,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Jupiter",
"start": "1999-09-02T11:39:09.380502",
"end": "1999-12-28T08:46:21.380502",
"years": 0.32
},
{
"lord": "Saturn",
"start": "1999-12-28T08:46:21.380502",
"end": "2000-05-15T03:51:09.380502",
"years": 0.38
},
{
"lord": "Mercury",
"start": "2000-05-15T03:51:09.380502",
"end": "2000-09-16T08:17:33.380502",
"years": 0.34
}
]
},
{
"lord": "Saturn",
"start": "2002-01-26T02:03:09.380502",
"end": "2004-12-02T01:09:09.380502",
"years": 2.85,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Saturn",
"start": "2002-01-26T02:03:09.380502",
"end": "2002-07-09T21:42:36.380502",
"years": 0.45125
},
{
"lord": "Mercury",
"start": "2002-07-09T21:42:36.380502",
"end": "2002-12-04T08:58:57.380502",
"years": 0.40375
},
{
"lord": "Ketu",
"start": "2002-12-04T08:58:57.380502",
"end": "2003-02-03T02:19:48.380502",
"years": 0.16625
}
]
}
]
},
{
"lord": "Jupiter",
"start": "2014-12-20T19:27:09.380502",
"end": "2030-12-20T19:27:09.380502",
"years": 16,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Jupiter",
"start": "2014-12-20T19:27:09.380502",
"end": "2017-02-07T00:15:09.380502",
"years": 2.133333,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Jupiter",
"start": "2014-12-20T19:27:09.380502",
"end": "2015-04-03T16:53:33.380502",
"years": 0.284444
},
{
"lord": "Saturn",
"start": "2015-04-03T16:53:33.380502",
"end": "2015-08-05T01:51:09.380502",
"years": 0.337778
},
{
"lord": "Mercury",
"start": "2015-08-05T01:51:09.380502",
"end": "2015-11-23T11:07:57.380502",
"years": 0.302222
}
]
},
{
"lord": "Saturn",
"start": "2017-02-07T00:15:09.380502",
"end": "2019-08-21T07:27:09.380502",
"years": 2.533333,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Saturn",
"start": "2017-02-07T00:15:09.380502",
"end": "2017-07-03T12:23:33.380502",
"years": 0.401111
},
{
"lord": "Mercury",
"start": "2017-07-03T12:23:33.380502",
"end": "2017-11-11T14:24:45.380502",
"years": 0.358889
},
{
"lord": "Ketu",
"start": "2017-11-11T14:24:45.380502",
"end": "2018-01-04T13:49:57.380502",
"years": 0.147778
}
]
},
{
"lord": "Mercury",
"start": "2019-08-21T07:27:09.380502",
"end": "2021-11-26T05:03:09.380502",
"years": 2.266667,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Mercury",
"start": "2019-08-21T07:27:09.380502",
"end": "2019-12-16T14:18:45.380502",
"years": 0.321111
},
{
"lord": "Ketu",
"start": "2019-12-16T14:18:45.380502",
"end": "2020-02-02T21:22:21.380502",
"years": 0.132222
},
{
"lord": "Venus",
"start": "2020-02-02T21:22:21.380502",
"end": "2020-06-19T20:58:21.380502",
"years": 0.377778
}
]
}
]
}
],
"balance_conventions": {
"longitude": {
"fraction_elapsed": 0.09312764,
"balance_years": 6.348107,
"first_period_ends": "1996-12-20T02:00:06.412309"
},
"time": {
"fraction_elapsed": 0.09303881,
"balance_years": 6.348728,
"first_period_ends": "1996-12-20T07:27:09.380502"
},
"used": "time",
"other": "longitude",
"shift_days": 0.2271,
"sources_agree": true,
"note": "longitude measures how far the Moon has moved through its birth nakshatra; time measures how long it has been there (bhayat over bhabhog), as a desktop program does. Every later date moves by the same shift."
},
"meta": {
"ayanamsa": "lahiri",
"ayanamsa_value": 23.7260727,
"julian_day": 2448119.10483,
"ephemeris": "JPL DE440s",
"node": "true",
"timezone": {
"source": "zone",
"offset_hours": -4,
"zone": "America/New_York",
"abbreviation": "EDT",
"dst": true,
"dst_hours": 1,
"ambiguous_resolved_by_fold": null,
"note": "read from the IANA tz database at this instant, so daylight saving and historical offset changes are included"
}
}
}Where the API returns it
| POST | /v1/dasha/vimshottari | Vimshottari dasha periods with dates |
| POST | /v1/reading/weekly | Weekly reading for a chart |
| POST | /v1/reading/daily | Daily reading for a chart |
| POST | /v1/forecast/couple/{theme} | Love, career or wealth forecast for a couple |
| POST | /v1/summary | Plain-language summary of a chart |
| POST | /v1/jaimini | Jaimini: sign aspects, argala, chara dasha and karakas |
What the API reference says
Each line is quoted from the reference page of the endpoint named above it.
- POST /v1/jaimini · Jaimini: sign aspects, argala, chara dasha and karakasEach period has 12 equal sub-periods (antardashas) with their dates (rulebook JM-09).
- POST /v1/dasha/vimshottari · Vimshottari dasha periods with datesEach period divides into sub-periods, down to five levels.
- POST /v1/dasha/yoginiTwo levels are returned, periods and sub-periods; a third level would be only days long.
Feature page: Dashas (planetary periods). Who uses it: Astrology apps. See dasha periods in a full reading in the sample report. The classical rules the API follows are in the rulebook.
How we check the numbers
Every value here starts from planet positions worked out from NASA JPL planet data (DE440). We test them against NASA JPL Horizons, NASA's planet position service. On 25,571 positions from 1850 to 2149, the Sun and planets agree within 0.001 arc seconds. The Moon agrees within 0.011. On 2,000 random birth charts, the rising sign agrees with Swiss Ephemeris within 0.004 arc seconds. An arc second is 1/3,600 of a degree. A practicing astrologer reviews the rules behind these answers. See how we test.
Related terms
From the blog
Astrology API
Get these values from the API
Create a free test key and call any endpoint on this page. Or try a request in the API reference first.
Your first answer
John Doe, New York
POST /v1/planets200 OK
- RisingVirgoHast
- SunCancerAshlesha
- MoonTaurusMrigashira
- MarsAriesKrittika
Real API output. A free test key gets the same answer.
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