How to calculate Dasha Sesha?

Sakti

Well-known member
Can anyone explain me how to calculate exact Dasha sesha?
As per softwares available online my dasha sesha is 7year 3months(Moon Dasha Sesha).
My grand father who is an astrologer calculated my Dasha Sesha as 7years 7months. Am sad to say that he is no more now. I missed an opportunity to confirm this with him.
Can anyone tell me which is correct? How to calculate the exact dasha sesha????:surprised:

thanks & regards,
Sakti
 

Crystalpages

Well-known member
Although what you asked, seems superficially an easy question, but in actual practice, it is not! Dasa duration tables are available in most ephemeris and software calculates dates based on those. Dasa arambha (beginning of a period or sub period) is probably even more useful (though almost the same thing since one period finishes and the next one starts without a gap!). A chart drawn for that moment often gives valuable insight into the upcoming dasha, incidentally.
The variations in the calculated dates and times of ending of dasas depend on several factors, some of which are not uniformly accepted by all astrologers, I will indicate a few of those:
Different ayanamshas used will cause the dates to be very different.
Different year durations, so exact solar year, calendar year (nominal solar year), lunar years (tithi based, nakshatra based), savanmana (360 d year).
Some software allow as options calculation of dasas based on progression of moon by nakshatra length or time based. Since moon's velocity varies quite a bit, any averaging (usually ephemeris) and interpolation can create variations too.
So for your situation, first place to look for the difference in the two calculations would be the ayanamsha used in the two.
If your late grandfather was a traditional astrologer calculating everything by hand (presumably was), he might be using a very different method such as outlined in BPHS for instance (bhogya, etc). Also, as per surya siddhant calculations, often longitudes of planets are quite different from those calculated by drik and NASA JPL routines and values. The difference is not uniform for all planets (moon might be 3 degrees different from software values, jupiter may be different only by one, saturn by half a degree, and so on). So it is not a simple ayanamsha difference!
Sorry for giving so many details, but a one-liner would not have been satisfactory in addressing your query.
Regards,
Rohiniranjan
 

Sakti

Well-known member
Rohiniranjanji!
Ji, the information you have given is very useful.
You are right. My grandfather used to calculate everything by hand. And yes he follows BrihatParasa Samhita.:smile:
As you said difference in dasha sesha might be due to difference in ayanamsha. But as per traditional astrology which is more accurate????
Calculations by hand or softwares............?
Becoz, the Dasa arambha of following dashas(ex: for moon dasha sesha following dasa are mars, rahu, jupiter etc) will change... I mean we will have confusions with dasha aarambha date. So it is difficult to predict the chart. That's my opinion.:smile:
Thanks a lot Rahiniranjan ji!!!!:)
thanks & regards,
Sakti
 

dr. farr

Well-known member
Softwares are, of course, of great value, but everything there depends upon exactly what was programmed into that software!!
For my part, the only software I use is from the "free horoscope" page options at astro.com (and pretty much only for erecting various types of charts); for all other calculations, I do it by hand (using a hand calculator for the mathematical computations)-whether for Western considerations or for my experiments using various Vedic techniques (such as ashtakavarga)
 

Sakti

Well-known member
the only software I use is from the "free horoscope" page options at astro.com (and pretty much only for erecting various types of charts); for all other calculations, I do it by hand (using a hand calculator for the mathematical computations)

Thank you Dr.Farr!
I will look into astro.com, "free horoscope"........:happy:
Yeah! even I feel calculations by hand are much beneficial.

regards,
Sakti
 

Crystalpages

Well-known member
Thank you Dr.Farr!
I will look into astro.com, "free horoscope"........:happy:
Yeah! even I feel calculations by hand are much beneficial.

regards,
Sakti

If I may, the problem with long hand calculations vs software calculations is not the implements but the algorithm, equations etc that are used! If those are identical then the calculations should be identical though precision (how many decimal point!) might differ.

That said, with hand calculations there is the possibility of making human errors and so the errors if any would or could vary from one chart to the other. Spreadsheets once the formulae are all in should give more consistent results, I suppose.

OTOH, softwares if inaccurately programmed can lead to errors for each chart :) and quite frankly, if I may dare to say, most individuals using software might not be that familiar with the intricacies of calculations and so would not have the know-how of what is wrong etc and so are a bit crippled in that sense.

Then there are the differences in opinions about certain calculations. For example the ashtaka varga points have differences between Parashara and Varahamihira (moon and Jupiter). Also in some of the strength calculations.

In early nineties, when I was playing around with some of the prominent software, and some not so prominent ones, many errors were noted and conveyed to the software designers. I will refrain from using names, but I also noticed that something that got correctly calculated in earlier versions of two software, was giving wrong results in a subsequent version! While some things improved in later versions, certain things (coding etc changed) seemed to slip!

Then add to that the very real fact that birthtimes are not recorded accurately due to a variety of reasons, although it may sound difficult to believe. I have written a few messages either on this forum or other ones I participate in about that matter already.

Birthtime rectification can be a rather tricky matter too, because if events and traits are the means of fine tuning, ayanamsha and dasa duration (which year to use?) come into play and it can get a bit messy. The repercussion of this is not too critical, a few days here or there (though could be more with extremely different ayanamshas and year etc) and so may not matter to most, unless they use dasarambha or I believe kalchakra dasa which is more sensitive to accuracy of birthtime. Narasimha once wrote an article about that on one of the forums where with examples he compared different dashas and their sensitivity to birth-time shifts.

Anyways, I suppose we each figure out for ourselves what is satisfactory and most efficient for their personal use, at this time.

Regards,

Rohiniranjan
 

Sakti

Well-known member
Thank you Rohiniranjan ji!
Yes for hand calculations there might be human errors.
Ji it's true; I have seen many errors in many softwares........
I wish if there is a unique system of calculations...............:wink::smile:
One system of calculations must be made universal so that there won't be much confusions.:happy: And that's anyway impossible!

Thanks a lot Rohiniranjan ji!

regards,
Sakti:smile:
 

Crystalpages

Well-known member
Thank you Rohiniranjan ji!
Yes for hand calculations there might be human errors.
Ji it's true; I have seen many errors in many softwares........
I wish if there is a unique system of calculations...............:wink::smile:
One system of calculations must be made universal so that there won't be much confusions.:happy: And that's anyway impossible!

Thanks a lot Rohiniranjan ji!

regards,
Sakti:smile:

Not to belabour the point, but I think that although paradoxically, Gifts of Kali Awatar, namely computers and software have increased our productivity and savings in time, those who can must still learn and practice calculations by the slower and painstaking long-hand manner. It does come in handy, as a skill, if nothing else. Particularly, when we are learning astrology. Instructions are readily available, so that cannot be used as an excuse.

Dr. Farr and your sharings and of others have been valuable reminders to all, hopefully!

Thanks!

Love and Light,

Rohiniranjan
 

Sakti

Well-known member
Not to belabour the point, but I think that although paradoxically, Gifts of Kali Awatar, namely computers and software have increased our productivity and savings in time, those who can must still learn and practice calculations by the slower and painstaking long-hand manner. It does come in handy, as a skill, if nothing else. Particularly, when we are learning astrology. Instructions are readily available, so that cannot be used as an excuse.

Dr. Farr and your sharings and of others have been valuable reminders to all, hopefully!

:lol: Yeah ji! If we learn the calculations for our self we could be more confident in delivering the predictions. We will atleast have the chance to double-check the errors if any....:smile:
In one way gifts of Kali are very useful, but in other way these gifts are spoiling the Human thinking ability....... 'MAN'is simply depending upon computers and other machinery:tongue::rightful:. I hope am not wrong Rohiniranjan ji!
Thank you Rohiniranjan ji!!!!
Have a nice day.......:smile:

regards,
Sakti
 
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