Dashas (planetary periods)
Mahadasha in Vedic astrology
A mahadasha is a main planetary period. In the Vimshottari system there are nine, one per planet, lasting from 6 years (the Sun) to 20 years (Venus), 120 years in all. The one running at birth is set by the Moon's nakshatra, and part of it has usually passed already.
Updated
Mahadasha: how the API computes it
The API finds the Moon's nakshatra (birth star) at birth. That nakshatra's ruler runs the first mahadasha (DA-02). How far the Moon has already moved through the nakshatra shows how much of that first period was used up before birth (DA-03).
From there, the nine periods follow in a fixed order (DA-01). Ketu runs 7 years, Venus 20, the Sun 6, the Moon 10 and Mars 7. Rahu runs 18, Jupiter 16, Saturn 19 and Mercury 17.
POST /v1/dasha/vimshottari returns every mahadasha with its start and end as calendar dates. So you do not have to add years yourself. Set the levels field to 1 for main periods only.
The dasha reading section says which period runs on the date you ask about. It also says what that period is read for.
Mahadasha in a real API answer
POST /v1/dasha/vimshottari200 OK{
"starting_lord": "Mars",
"balance_at_birth_years": 6.348728,
"periods": [
{
"lord": "Mars",
"years": 7,
"start": "1989-12-20T13:27:09.380502",
"end": "1996-12-20T07:27:09.380502"
},
{
"lord": "Rahu",
"years": 18,
"start": "1996-12-20T07:27:09.380502",
"end": "2014-12-20T19:27:09.380502"
},
{
"lord": "Jupiter",
"years": 16,
"start": "2014-12-20T19:27:09.380502",
"end": "2030-12-20T19:27:09.380502"
}
]
}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/daily | Daily reading for a chart |
| POST | /v1/reading/weekly | Weekly reading for a chart |
| POST | /v1/forecast/couple/{theme} | Love, career or wealth forecast for a couple |
| POST | /v1/forecast/{theme} | Love, career or wealth forecast |
| POST | /v1/summary | Plain-language summary of a chart |
What the API reference says
Each line is quoted from the reference page of the endpoint named above it.
- POST /v1/dasha/vimshottari · Vimshottari dasha periods with datesSet
levelsin the request body. 1 gives the main periods (mahadasha) and 2 adds sub-periods (antardasha). 3 adds the next level (pratyantardasha), and so on up to 5. - POST /v1/dasha/yoginiBy comparison, most people live through only three or four of Vimshottari's main periods (mahadashas).
- POST /v1/matchingDasha sandhi is the junction between two main planetary periods (mahadashas), traditionally avoided for weddings.
- POST /v1/reading/section/{section_id}
topic:remedy-*depends on the main planetary period (mahadasha) running on that date.
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
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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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