Ashtottari Dasa

 Introduction

Ashtottari dasa is perhaps the most popular dasa system in India after Vimsottari dasa. Sage Parasara listed it as a conditional dasa applicable only in some charts. The conditions for its applicability are highly controversial. 

In this system, the sum of all dasas is 108 years. Ashtottari means “ashtottara sata”, i.e. one hundred and eight. Because poornaayush (full life) of a man is 108 years, some scholars have suggested that ashtottari dasa is best used as an ayur dasa, i.e. a dasa that shows longevity.

Some other scholars suggest that Ashtottari dasa can be used as a phalita dasa. Because only chara karakas, i.e. Rahu and the seven planets, have dasas under the Ashtottari dasa scheme, it may also be suggested that it shows events related to sustenance, achievements, raja yogas and moksha (just like chara karakas do). Some people, however, prefer to see all matters in Ashtottari dasa.

Computation

Dasas

Order of dasas and the length of dasas is as shown in Table 39. Each planet covers an arc of either 53°20' (4 nakshatras) or 40°0' (3 nakshatras) in the zodiac, as shown in that table.

We note natal Moon’s longitude and see which of the eight arcs it belongs to. The planet ruling the arc will rule the first dasa. The fraction of the arc that is yet to be traversed by natal Moon is calculated and the same fraction of the dasa length of the first dasa lord is left at birth. After that, dasas will come in the order shown in the table and the length of a planet’s dasa is the full dasa length given in the table. After Venus, we come back to Sun at the beginning of the table.

                                Table 39 Ashottari Dasa table

#

Nakshatra

Arc covered by planet

Arc Length

Planet

Dasa Length

1

Aardra

Punarvasu

Pushyami

Aasresha

 

 

66°40' – 120°0'

 

 

53°20'

 

 

Sun

 

6 years

2

Makha

P.Phalguni

U.Phalguni

 

120°0' – 160°0'

 

40°0'

 

Moon

 

15 years

3

Hasta

Chitra

Swaati

Visaakha

 

160°0' – 213°20'

 

53°20'

 

Mars

 

8 years

4

Anooradha

Jyeshtha

Moola

 

213°20' – 253°20'

 

40°0'

 

Mercury

 

17 years

 

5

P.Ashadha

U.Ashadha

Sravanam

 

 

253°20' – 293°20'

 

 

40°0'

 

Saturn

 

10 years

 

6

Dhanishtha

Satabhisha

P.Bhadra

 

293°20' – 333°20'

 

40°0'

 

 

Jupiter

 

19 years

7

U.Bhadra

Revati

Aswini

Bharani

 

333°20' – 386°40'

(333°20' – 26°40')

 

53°20'

 

 

Rahu

 

12 years

8

Krittika

Rohini

Mrigasira

 

26°40' – 66°40'

 

 

40°0'

 

Venus

 

 

21 years

 

 

Example 59: Suppose Moon is at 24° in Leo. That is equivalent to 24°0' + 120°0' = 144°0'. We see that 144° is between 120°0' and 160°0'. So it is in the 2nd arc of Table 39, which is ruled by Moon. The full dasa length is 15 years. Here we have to find the fraction of the arc that is yet to be traversed. The arc starts at 120°0' and ends at 160°0'. So the part of the arc that is yet to be traversed by Moon is (160°0' – 144°0') = 16°. As a fraction of the arc length (40°), this is 16°/40° = 0.4. The same fraction of the full dasa length of Moon is 15 x 0.4 = 6 years. The native will run Moon dasa of 6 years from his birth. Then 8 years of Mars dasa will run. Then 17 years of Mercury dasa will run. Then 10 years of Saturn dasa will run. And so on.

 NOTE: One has to be careful with the calculation if the first dasa is Rahu dasa. The arc ruled by Rahu starts at 333°20' and ends at 26°40'. The ending longitude 26°40' is equivalent to 386°40' and we should use either 26°40' or 386°40' based on Moon’s longitude. For example, if Moon is at 10º in Aries, then the part of the arc that is yet to be traversed is 26°40' – 10° = 16°40'. If Moon is at 20º in Pisces, i.e. at 350º, then the part of the arc that is yet to be traversed is 386°40' – 350° = 36°40'.

Antardasas

The first antardasa belongs to the planet that comes in the table after the dasa lord. Then antardasas go in the same order as dasas and the last antardasa belongs to dasa lord. For example, antardasas in Jupiter dasa go as: Rahu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Saturn and Jupiter. Antardasas in Moon dasa go as: Mars, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter, Rahu, Venus, Sun and Moon.

The length of a dasa is divided into eight antardasas in the ratio of the dasa lengths. For example, Sun dasa is of 6 years. Moon antardasa in Sun dasa is of 6 x 15/108 = 0.8333 year = 10 months. Mars antardasa in Sun dasa is of 6 x 8/108 = 0.4444 year = 5 months 10 days. Mercury antardasa in Sun dasa is of 6 x 17/108 = 0.9444 years = 11 months 10 days. And so on.

Application

There are three different views on the applicability of Ashtottari dasa:

(1) Ashtottari dasa is applicable in all charts. 

(2) Ashtottari dasa is applicable if Rahu, who is not in lagna, is in a quadrant or a

trine from lagna lord.

(3) Ashtottari dasa is applicable for daytime births in Krishna paksha (darker

fortnight) and night time births in Sukla paksha (brighter fortnight).

Some people use Ashtottari dasa as an ayur dasa and see longevity in it. Some other people use Ashtottari dasa as a phalita dasa. Because only chara karakas, i.e. Rahu and the seven planets, have dasas under the Ashtottari dasa scheme, it may also be suggested that it shows events related to sustenance, achievements, raja yogas and moksha (just like chara karakas do). Some people, however, prefer to see all matters in Ashtottari dasa.

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