DASHA VICHAR IN INDIAN ASTROLOGY

                                      ARUN ROY MUKHERJEE

We shall now examine the theories relating to “Dasha Vichar”. We know that there are about 42 types of “Dasha Vichar according to the main texts of Indian Astrology but only Astottori, Vimshottori and Sorhasattori systems are mainly followed by the present day astrologers. According to these 3 systems and all other systems the maximum life span of human being is taken as 120 years as per Vimsottori system, 108 years as per Astottori and 116 years as per Sorhasottori system of Dasha Vichar. In this context it may be fairly concluded even according to the very ancient texts on Astrology, human life span is limited to 120 years at the maximum and is an admission of the fact that it was not possible for a Vedic sage to remain alive for more than that to study, compose, compile and finally write the astrological texts which are commonly known to be composed by Parashara, Bhrigu and Jaimini in Sanskrit language. (Please refer to my earlier post “VEDIC ASTRLOGY”- click on Older posts). The Dasha Vichar according to all the “Nakshatriki” systems including the three systems specifically mentioned above (Vimsottori, Astottori & Sorosattori) is calculated on the basis of Moon’s position in relation to one of 27 stars in the 12 zodiac signs. For example, according to Vimsottori system any person born when Moon is on Punarvasu, Vishakha or Purbavadrapada stars will be born with Jupiter dasha to start with and will follow Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars and Rahu dasha respectively one after the other. He will start with Sun dasha if Moon is on Krittika, Uttarfalguni or Uttarasarha stars at the time of birth. We are not going into the detailed list of dasha according to the different systems of dhasha vichar. Our main issue is regarding the position of Moon on or near about the star at the time of birth which, according to Indian system, decides the initial dasha and the subsequest dasha a person has to go through in his life one after the other.   

The vital question is when the Moon’s position vis-à-vis the star is so important in astrology for “ Dasha Vichar” and prediction purposes, is the method applied to calculate and arrive at the position of the Moon and the star at the time of birth of a person accurate? The method adopted is to find the Star which appears nearest to the Moon on the date and place at the appointed time. We must take into account three factors which are a) that the stars are far away in the sky, 2) we see an object either when the light emitted from it reaches our eyes or when light is reflected from the object and hits our eyes and 3) that it takes time for the light to travel from the object to our eyes on earth. It may be noted here that light travels at a speed of 186000 miles per second. But most of the stars are so far away from us that the light from those stars, even travelling at so high speed of 186000 miles per second requires a number of years. There are number of stars in our Milky Way galaxy light from which takes more than 100 years to reach us. Some of the stars take about 1000 years or more.  Light from most of the stars in the 12 zodiac signs takes about 50 to 500 years to reach the earth.

In that context, keeping in mind the facts stated above, it may be safely concluded that when we see a star at a particular position in the sky, the said star was at that position only at some 50, 500 or 1000 years ago according to the distance it is situated away from earth and not now when it appears before our eyes. If a star is 50 light years away from earth its today’s accurate position at a particular point of time in the sky will be known only after 50 years when the light emitted by it now will reach our eyes. If the star is 500 light years away from us, we will know its today’s position only after expiry of 500 years. Therefore when we see a star nearest to the Moon and decide the Birth Star of the new born on the basis of which the new born’s “Dasha Vichar” is done , it is not done on the basis of facts and actual position of the star but on a seeming assumption and as it appears at the particular time of observation but not truly. Therefore when we see Moon near the star Vishakha or say Revati and decide about the Dasha in which the child is born, Moon is actually nowhere near that star. The decision of the dasha in which the child is born is absolutely not correct and so also the subsequent Dasha which the new born has to go through according to the prevalent system of calculation. We may therefore conclude that the Dasha Vichar system is absolutely faulty and totally misleading.

In Indian astrology all horoscope Dasha Vichar is done on the Birth Star or the Star which appears nearest to Moon and the turn of Dasha of the planets during the life time of the person are calculated and predicted on the basis of that seeming assumption and as it appears and on not the basis of facts or the accurate position of the Star and Moon’s position at the time of birth. The position of Star as it appears at any point of time from a place on earth is not its accurate position but only appears to be so. Therefore the Dasha Vichar calculation is done on such assumption or assumed and faulty basis. The entire prediction process in astrology is, therefore, blatantly faulty and imaginary devoid of any relation with the facts. I find many people getting afraid of Shani or Rahu dasha or a Dasha of a malefic planet which is totally unnecessary. I hope. You, by now, are fully convinced that the year, date and time indicated in your horoscope when all those dreadful period of bad and malicious dasha is predicted in your life, (even for argument’s sake we assume such predictions to have any truth at all) are all done on a totally wrong calculation due to a misinterpretation of the actual position of the stars in the sky.

                                          --------------------------------------------------