Vedic Dashas (Planetary Periods)
Dashas are planetary periods in Vedic astrology that sequence life events; the most common system is Vimshottari Dasha based on the Moon's nakshatra.
Dashas (Sanskrit: "periods") in Vedic astrology divide the life into segments ruled by planets. The Vimshottari Dasha system (120-year cycle) is the most used: the starting dasha is determined by the Moon's nakshatra at birth (from Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra and related texts).
Comparing "Vedic dashas vs Western progressions" is a common search: dashas are sequence-based (each planet rules for a set number of years), while Western progressions (e.g. secondary progressions) move the chart forward by a day-per-year or similar. Both can be computed with modern ephemerides (e.g. NASA DE441); the interpretation framework differs. Technical guides often combine both for cross-validation.