Dashas (planetary periods)
Ashtottari dasha in Vedic astrology
Ashtottari dasha is a third system of planetary periods, next to Vimshottari and Yogini. Eight planets rule periods that add up to 108 years, from 6 years for the Sun to 21 for Venus. Ketu rules no period. Classical texts use it only for charts that meet certain conditions.
Updated
Ashtottari dasha: how the API computes it
The eight periods are the Sun 6 years, the Moon 15, Mars 8, Mercury 17, Saturn 10, Jupiter 19, Rahu 12 and Venus 21 (AD-01). The first period comes from the Moon's nakshatra at birth. Ashtottari counts 28 nakshatras, including Abhijit, in groups of three or four from Ardra (AD-02).
The time already passed at birth is measured as in Vimshottari, with the same year of 365.25 days. POST /v1/dasha/ashtottari returns up to three levels of periods. The first period is listed at full length, so it starts before birth (AD-04).
The texts give two conditions for using this system. One is Rahu in an angle or a trine from the ascendant's ruler, but not in house 1. The other is birth by day in the waning half of the month, or by night in the waxing half.
Sources differ on whether one is enough. So applicable is true when either holds, and both_conditions_met when both do (AD-05). For John Doe, only the second holds.
His first period is Venus, with about 6.35 years left at birth.
Get it from the API
Ashtottari dasha periods (a 108-year cycle). 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/ashtottari
# John Doe, born Aug 15, 1990, 10:30 AM, New York
curl -X POST "https://apiforastrology.com/api/astrology/v1/dasha/ashtottari" \
-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": "ashtottari",
"total_years": 108,
"year_length_days": 365.25,
"balance_method": "time",
"moon_nakshatra_index": 5,
"nakshatra_fraction_elapsed": 0.09303881,
"moon_star": "Mrigashira",
"star_fraction_elapsed": 0.09303881,
"star_group": {
"lord": "Venus",
"position": 3,
"of": 3
},
"starting_lord": "Venus",
"balance_at_birth_years": 6.348728,
"levels": 3,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Venus",
"years": 21,
"start": "1975-12-21T01:27:09.380502",
"end": "1996-12-20T07:27:09.380502",
"partial_at_birth": true,
"balance_years": 6.348728,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Venus",
"start": "1975-12-21T01:27:09.380502",
"end": "1980-01-20T11:57:09.380502",
"years": 4.083333,
"elapsed": true,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Venus",
"start": "1975-12-21T01:27:09.380502",
"end": "1976-10-06T01:29:39.380502",
"years": 0.793981,
"elapsed": true
},
{
"lord": "Sun",
"start": "1976-10-06T01:29:39.380502",
"end": "1976-12-27T22:04:39.380502",
"years": 0.226852,
"elapsed": true
},
{
"lord": "Moon",
"start": "1976-12-27T22:04:39.380502",
"end": "1977-07-23T01:32:09.380502",
"years": 0.56713,
"elapsed": true
}
]
},
{
"lord": "Sun",
"start": "1980-01-20T11:57:09.380502",
"end": "1981-03-21T14:57:09.380502",
"years": 1.166667,
"elapsed": true,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Sun",
"start": "1980-01-20T11:57:09.380502",
"end": "1980-02-13T04:07:09.380502",
"years": 0.064815,
"elapsed": true
},
{
"lord": "Moon",
"start": "1980-02-13T04:07:09.380502",
"end": "1980-04-12T08:32:09.380502",
"years": 0.162037,
"elapsed": true
},
{
"lord": "Mars",
"start": "1980-04-12T08:32:09.380502",
"end": "1980-05-13T22:05:29.380502",
"years": 0.08642,
"elapsed": true
}
]
},
{
"lord": "Moon",
"start": "1981-03-21T14:57:09.380502",
"end": "1984-02-19T22:27:09.380502",
"years": 2.916667,
"elapsed": true,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Moon",
"start": "1981-03-21T14:57:09.380502",
"end": "1981-08-16T13:59:39.380502",
"years": 0.405093,
"elapsed": true
},
{
"lord": "Mars",
"start": "1981-08-16T13:59:39.380502",
"end": "1981-11-03T11:52:59.380502",
"years": 0.216049,
"elapsed": true
},
{
"lord": "Mercury",
"start": "1981-11-03T11:52:59.380502",
"end": "1982-04-20T04:23:49.380502",
"years": 0.459105,
"elapsed": true
}
]
}
]
},
{
"lord": "Sun",
"years": 6,
"start": "1996-12-20T07:27:09.380502",
"end": "2002-12-20T19:27:09.380502",
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Sun",
"start": "1996-12-20T07:27:09.380502",
"end": "1997-04-21T01:27:09.380502",
"years": 0.333333,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Sun",
"start": "1996-12-20T07:27:09.380502",
"end": "1996-12-27T01:47:09.380502",
"years": 0.018519
},
{
"lord": "Moon",
"start": "1996-12-27T01:47:09.380502",
"end": "1997-01-12T23:37:09.380502",
"years": 0.046296
},
{
"lord": "Mars",
"start": "1997-01-12T23:37:09.380502",
"end": "1997-01-22T00:03:49.380502",
"years": 0.024691
}
]
},
{
"lord": "Moon",
"start": "1997-04-21T01:27:09.380502",
"end": "1998-02-19T10:27:09.380502",
"years": 0.833333,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Moon",
"start": "1997-04-21T01:27:09.380502",
"end": "1997-06-02T08:02:09.380502",
"years": 0.115741
},
{
"lord": "Mars",
"start": "1997-06-02T08:02:09.380502",
"end": "1997-06-24T21:08:49.380502",
"years": 0.061728
},
{
"lord": "Mercury",
"start": "1997-06-24T21:08:49.380502",
"end": "1997-08-11T19:00:29.380502",
"years": 0.131173
}
]
},
{
"lord": "Mars",
"start": "1998-02-19T10:27:09.380502",
"end": "1998-07-31T18:27:09.380502",
"years": 0.444444,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Mars",
"start": "1998-02-19T10:27:09.380502",
"end": "1998-03-03T11:02:42.713835",
"years": 0.032922
},
{
"lord": "Mercury",
"start": "1998-03-03T11:02:42.713835",
"end": "1998-03-29T00:18:16.047168",
"years": 0.069959
},
{
"lord": "Saturn",
"start": "1998-03-29T00:18:16.047168",
"end": "1998-04-13T01:02:42.713835",
"years": 0.041152
}
]
}
]
},
{
"lord": "Moon",
"years": 15,
"start": "2002-12-20T19:27:09.380502",
"end": "2017-12-20T13:27:09.380502",
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Moon",
"start": "2002-12-20T19:27:09.380502",
"end": "2005-01-19T17:57:09.380502",
"years": 2.083333,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Moon",
"start": "2002-12-20T19:27:09.380502",
"end": "2003-04-05T11:54:39.380502",
"years": 0.289352
},
{
"lord": "Mars",
"start": "2003-04-05T11:54:39.380502",
"end": "2003-05-31T20:41:19.380502",
"years": 0.154321
},
{
"lord": "Mercury",
"start": "2003-05-31T20:41:19.380502",
"end": "2003-09-28T15:20:29.380502",
"years": 0.327932
}
]
},
{
"lord": "Mars",
"start": "2005-01-19T17:57:09.380502",
"end": "2006-03-01T13:57:09.380502",
"years": 1.111111,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Mars",
"start": "2005-01-19T17:57:09.380502",
"end": "2005-02-18T19:26:02.713835",
"years": 0.082305
},
{
"lord": "Mercury",
"start": "2005-02-18T19:26:02.713835",
"end": "2005-04-23T16:34:56.047168",
"years": 0.174897
},
{
"lord": "Saturn",
"start": "2005-04-23T16:34:56.047168",
"end": "2005-05-31T06:26:02.713835",
"years": 0.102881
}
]
},
{
"lord": "Mercury",
"start": "2006-03-01T13:57:09.380502",
"end": "2008-07-10T23:27:09.380502",
"years": 2.361111,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Mercury",
"start": "2006-03-01T13:57:09.380502",
"end": "2006-07-15T07:53:32.713835",
"years": 0.371656
},
{
"lord": "Saturn",
"start": "2006-07-15T07:53:32.713835",
"end": "2006-10-03T04:19:39.380502",
"years": 0.218621
},
{
"lord": "Jupiter",
"start": "2006-10-03T04:19:39.380502",
"end": "2007-03-03T21:33:16.047169",
"years": 0.415381
}
]
}
]
}
],
"balance_conventions": {
"longitude": {
"fraction_elapsed": 0.69770921,
"balance_years": 6.348107,
"first_period_ends": "1996-12-20T02:00:06.412309"
},
"time": {
"fraction_elapsed": 0.6976796,
"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 star; time measures how long it has been there (bhayat over bhabhog), the astrologer's N-26 boundaries for the three Abhijit-adjusted stars. Every later date moves by the same shift."
},
"applicability": {
"applicable": true,
"both_conditions_met": false,
"sources_agree": false,
"conditions": {
"rahu": {
"met": false,
"lagna_lord": "Mercury",
"rahu_house": 5,
"rahu_from_lagna_lord": 6,
"in_kendra_or_trikona_from_lagna_lord": false,
"in_lagna": false
},
"paksha": {
"met": true,
"paksha": "krishna",
"born_by_day": true
}
},
"rule": "BPHS chapter 46: Rahu in a kendra or trikona from the lagna lord, not in the lagna. Or: birth in krishna paksha by day or shukla paksha by night. `applicable` reads the two as either, `both_conditions_met` as both."
},
"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/ashtottari | Ashtottari dasha periods (a 108-year cycle) |
What the API reference says
Each line is quoted from the reference page of the endpoint named above it.
- POST /v1/dasha/ashtottari · Ashtottari dasha periods (a 108-year cycle)Returns the Ashtottari dasha timeline, a third system of dashas (planetary periods) next to Vimshottari and Yogini.
- dasha endpointsAshtottari is a third, of 108 years, with a test of whether it applies to the chart.
- POST /v1/dasha/ashtottari · Ashtottari dasha periods (a 108-year cycle)Ashtottari counts 28 of them, including Abhijit, in groups of three or four from Ardra, and each group belongs to one planet.
- POST /v1/dasha/ashtottari · Ashtottari dasha periods (a 108-year cycle)The classical texts use Ashtottari only for some charts.
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
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
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