Vimshottari Dasha Calculator — Planetary Periods
Your mahadasha and antardasha timeline — the 120-year Vimshottari cycle calculated from your Moon nakshatra.
Dashas (Sanskrit: दशा) are the planetary periods of Vedic astrology — the timing system that shows which planet governs each chapter of your life. The most widely used is Vimshottari dasha, a fixed 120-year cycle of nine mahadashas.
What are Dashas?
Your first mahadasha is set by the Moon's nakshatra at birth: its lord opens the sequence, and the rest follow in a fixed order. Each mahadasha divides into nine antardashas (sub-periods) that refine the timing of events the chart promises.
The Vimshottari Sequence — 9 Mahadashas in 120 Years
Ketu Mahadasha
7 years
Spirituality, liberation, past lives, renunciation, losses. Time of spiritual search and detachment.
Venus Mahadasha
20 years
Love, marriage, art, luxury, comfort, beauty. Time of relationships and pleasures.
Sun Mahadasha
6 years
Authority, recognition, career growth, government, health, father. Time of self-expression and leadership.
Moon Mahadasha
10 years
Emotions, mother, home, travel, public, mind. Time of emotional experiences and changes.
Mars Mahadasha
7 years
Energy, conflicts, real estate, siblings, courage. Time of activity and overcoming obstacles.
Rahu Mahadasha
18 years
Material desires, foreign, technology, illusions, sudden changes. Time of ambitions and unconventional paths.
Jupiter Mahadasha
16 years
Wisdom, children, teachers, religion, luck, expansion. Time of growth and spiritual development.
Saturn Mahadasha
19 years
Discipline, karma, obstacles, hard work, longevity. Time of responsibility and maturation.
Mercury Mahadasha
17 years
Intellect, communication, trade, education, skills. Time of learning and business.
Key Concepts
Vimshottari System
The most widely used dasha system: a fixed 120-year cycle of nine planetary periods running in a set order — Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury.
Mahadasha (Main Period)
The major planetary period, lasting from 6 years (Sun) to 20 years (Venus). Your current mahadasha sets the dominant theme of this stage of life.
Antardasha (Sub-period)
Each mahadasha divides into nine antardashas (sub-periods) in the same planetary order. The mahadasha–antardasha pair is how Vedic astrologers actually time events.
Predictive Value
Dashas are the primary predictive tool of Vedic astrology: the running period shows what the chart delivers now, while transits (gochar) supply the trigger.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know my current mahadasha?
Your current mahadasha is determined from the Moon's nakshatra at birth: its ruling planet opens the sequence, and the periods then run in fixed order across a 120-year cycle. A dasha calculator does this instantly — AstroCodex shows the running mahadasha and antardasha plus the full past-and-future timeline.
What is Vimshottari dasha?
Vimshottari dasha is the principal planetary-period system of Vedic astrology, described in Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra — a 120-year cycle divided among nine planets. Each planet governs a mahadasha of fixed length, and life events are timed by which mahadasha and antardasha are running.
How is mahadasha calculated from the Moon's nakshatra?
The lord of your Moon's nakshatra rules your first mahadasha, and the portion of the nakshatra the Moon had already traversed determines how much of that period remained at birth. From there the sequence continues in the fixed Vimshottari order — which is why the exact birth time and the Moon's precise degree matter.
What is the order of dasha periods?
The fixed Vimshottari order is: Ketu 7 years, Venus 20, Sun 6, Moon 10, Mars 7, Rahu 18, Jupiter 16, Saturn 19 and Mercury 17 — totalling 120 years. Your personal sequence starts from your Moon-nakshatra lord and cycles through this order.
What is antardasha?
An antardasha (bhukti) is a sub-period inside a mahadasha: each mahadasha is divided among all nine planets in the same order, proportionally to their period lengths. Events are usually read from the mahadasha–antardasha pair — Saturn mahadasha with Venus antardasha behaves very differently from Saturn–Mars.
Which mahadasha is most difficult?
No mahadasha is universally difficult — the result depends on the planet's strength, dignity and house rulerships in your own chart. Saturn, Rahu and Ketu periods have the harshest reputation, but a well-placed Saturn can deliver the best decades of a life, while a functionally malefic Venus can disappoint despite its benefic name.
What Is Your Current Mahadasha?
Calculate your full Vimshottari dasha timeline by date of birth and get an AI forecast for every period.