Jyotiṣa · Vimśottarī Daśā
Ketu is the south node — the tail, the ascetic, the loose end of past karma. Its seven years strip away, detach and turn the attention inward, toward what cannot be held.
Ketu · at a glance
- Period
- 7 years
- Nature
- Krūra · shadow
- Kāraka of
- Mokṣa · detachment · past karma
- Rules
- co-Vṛścika
- Exalted
- Vṛścika (trad.)
- Debilitated
- Vṛṣabha (trad.)
- Day
- —
- Direction
- —
Ketu is the south node — the tail, the ascetic, the loose end of past karma. Its seven years strip away, detach and turn the attention inward, toward what cannot be held.
01The nine antardaśās, computed
Every mahādaśā divides into nine sub-periods in the fixed Vimśottarī order, beginning with the daśā lord itself. Their lengths are a fixed proportion of Ketu’s 7 years — not opinion.
| Sub-period | Duration | What it colours |
|---|---|---|
| Ketu–Ketuketu | 0y 4m 27d | Detachment, endings and the inward pull. |
| Ketu–Śukravenus | 1y 2m 0d | Relationships, comfort and the arts. |
| Ketu–Sūryasun | 0y 4m 6d | Authority, the ego and the father-principle. |
| Ketu–Candramoon | 0y 7m 0d | The emotional mind, mother and inner tides. |
| Ketu–Maṅgalamars | 0y 4m 27d | Drive, courage and open conflict. |
| Ketu–Rāhurahu | 1y 0m 18d | Ambition and the unorthodox. |
| Ketu–Gurujupiter | 0y 11m 6d | Wisdom, dharma and expansion. |
| Ketu–Śanisaturn | 1y 1m 9d | Discipline, delay and endurance. |
| Ketu–Budhamercury | 0y 11m 27d | Intellect, speech and commerce. |
| Full mahādaśā | 7y 0m 0d | Nine sub-periods, one lord. |
Method: antardaśā = (sub-lord’s Vimśottarī years × 7) ÷ 120, on the 360-day classical convention. Anchored to your Moon’s nakṣatra, these become exact calendar dates.
02What the 7 years structure
Ketu quietly dissolves. Where it is spiritually placed, these seven years deepen detachment, insight and mokṣa. Where it afflicts, they bring sudden losses, health puzzles and a sense of the ground giving way — an emptying that classical texts treat as necessary, not cruel.
None of this predicts events. It is the classical tendency of a placement — a lens for timing, not a verdict.
See your exact Ketu Mahādaśā
Give your birth date, time and place, and Karma Jyotiṣa computes your real Vimśottarī timeline — every antardaśā start and end date, keyed to your Moon’s nakṣatra.
Find yours today →03Common questions
How long is Ketu Mahādaśā?
7 years — its Vimśottarī allotment. It divides into nine antardaśā sub-periods, from Ketu–Ketu (0y 4m 27d) to Ketu–Budha (0y 11m 27d).
Is Ketu Mahādaśā good or bad?
Neither by default. It depends on Ketu’s house, sign and dignity in your chart — a well-placed graha gives its best significations, an afflicted one strains them. Classical texts describe a tendency, never a fixed fate.
Which antardaśā matters most?
The sub-period whose lord is strong and friendly to Ketu usually reads best; one that is afflicted or inimical is felt hardest. A computed reading of your own chart resolves it precisely.
How do I find my own Ketu Mahādaśā dates?
Exact dates need your birth date, time and place, because the sequence is anchored to your Moon’s nakṣatra at birth. Karma Jyotiṣa computes it free.
