Yogini Dasha Explained

Vimshottari is the dasha system most astrologers use first, but it is not the only one. Yogini Dasha is a short, elegant system popular in North India, the Himalayan region and Nepal. Many astrologers run it alongside Vimshottari as a second opinion: when both systems point to the same period, they speak with more confidence.

The eight yoginis

The system has eight periods, each named after a yogini (a form of the Goddess) and each linked to a planet. The lengths are simply 1, 2, 3 ... 8 years.

No.	Yogini	Planet	Years	General nature
1	Mangala	Moon	1	Favourable: comfort, good beginnings
2	Pingala	Sun	2	Mixed: effort, heat, standing up for oneself
3	Dhanya	Jupiter	3	Favourable: growth, learning, prosperity
4	Bhramari	Mars	4	Mixed: movement, travel, restlessness
5	Bhadrika	Mercury	5	Favourable: work, skill, friendships
6	Ulka	Saturn	6	Testing: hard work, responsibility
7	Siddha	Venus	7	Favourable: fulfilment, comforts, success
8	Sankata	Rahu	8	Testing: change, pressure, big shifts

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 = 36 years. After Sankata the cycle begins again with Mangala, so a person may live through each yogini two or three times. Ketu has no period of its own.

Finding your starting yogini

Yogini Dasha, like Vimshottari, starts from the Moon's nakshatra at birth.

1. Take the number of your birth nakshatra, counting Ashwini as 1 and Revati as 27.
2. Add 3.
3. Divide by 8 and take the remainder. A remainder of 0 means 8.

Starting yogini	Birth nakshatras
Mangala	Ardra, Chitra, Shravana
Pingala	Punarvasu, Swati, Dhanishta
Dhanya	Pushya, Vishakha, Shatabhisha
Bhramari	Ashwini, Ashlesha, Anuradha, Purva Bhadrapada
Bhadrika	Bharani, Magha, Jyeshtha, Uttara Bhadrapada
Ulka	Krittika, Purva Phalguni, Mula, Revati
Siddha	Rohini, Uttara Phalguni, Purva Ashadha
Sankata	Mrigashira, Hasta, Uttara Ashadha

Check: Rohini is the 4th star. 4 + 3 = 7, remainder 7: Siddha. Hasta is the 13th: 13 + 3 = 16, remainder 0: Sankata.

The balance at birth

The first dasha is rarely a full one. As in Vimshottari, the part of the nakshatra the Moon still has to cross gives the part of the dasha that remains.

Example: Moon at 15°00' Taurus.

• Rohini runs from 10° to 23°20' of Taurus. The Moon has crossed 5° of the star's 13°20', which is 37.5%. So 62.5% remains.
• Rohini starts with Siddha (7 years). Balance = 7 x 0.625 = 4.375 years = 4 years 4 months 15 days of Siddha.
• Then come Sankata (8 years), Mangala (1), Pingala (2), Dhanya (3), Bhramari (4), Bhadrika (5), Ulka (6), and Siddha again.

Because the same Moon position is used, the same caution applies as in Vimshottari dasha calculation: a small error in the birth time shifts the dates a little. If you are unsure how to place the Moon inside its star, see Nakshatra Padas and Navamsa Explained.

Sub-periods

Each yogini dasha is divided into eight sub-periods (antardashas), beginning with the yogini's own and following the same order.

Sub-period length = (dasha years x sub-period years) / 36, in years.

For example, in the 7-year Siddha dasha:

• Siddha-Siddha = 7 x 7 / 36 = 1.36 years, about 1 year 4 months 10 days.
• Siddha-Sankata = 7 x 8 / 36 = 1.56 years, about 1 year 6 months 20 days.
• Siddha-Mangala = 7 x 1 / 36 = 0.19 years, about 2 months 10 days.

All eight add up to the 7 years of the dasha.

How to read a yogini period

Read the planet, not just the name. The table gives a general flavour, but the real result comes from the ruling planet in your own chart: its sign, house, dignity, and the houses it rules. A Sankata dasha with a well-placed Rahu in the 3rd, 6th, 10th or 11th house can be a period of bold progress; a Siddha dasha with a weak Venus may deliver less than its name suggests.

"Testing" does not mean "bad". Ulka (Saturn) and Sankata (Rahu) ask for patience, discipline and adaptability. They are often the years in which people build careers, relocate or take on responsibilities that pay off later. No dasha, in any system, should be read with fear.

Use it as a cross-check. Most astrologers judge timing with Vimshottari first and then see whether the Yogini period agrees. For example, if Vimshottari shows a Jupiter sub-period and Yogini shows Dhanya at the same time, the Jupiter themes of growth, teaching, children or finance are doubly marked.

Short periods give sharp focus. With dashas of only 1 to 8 years, the system is handy for pinpointing a phase within a long Vimshottari dasha.

Yogini compared with other systems

	Vimshottari	Yogini
Cycle	120 years	36 years
Periods	9 planets	8 yoginis (no Ketu)
Starts from	Moon's nakshatra	Moon's nakshatra
Longest period	Venus, 20 years	Sankata, 8 years

Other systems work on different principles altogether, for example the sign-based Kalachakra Dasa.

Summary

Yogini Dasha has eight periods of 1 to 8 years, ruled by the Moon, Sun, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Saturn, Venus and Rahu, in a 36-year cycle. Add 3 to your birth star's number and divide by 8 to find the starting yogini, work out the balance from the Moon's position in the star, and read each period through its ruling planet in your own chart. Its best use is as a clear, quick cross-check on Vimshottari.

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