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Timing & dasha

Antardasha

Antardasha is the sub-period that runs inside a Mahadasha in the Vimshottari Dasha system. Each Mahadasha splits into nine Antardashas, one per graha, starting with the Mahadasha lord and following the fixed order; an Antardasha lasts the Mahadasha's years multiplied by the sub-period lord's years, divided by 120, so it runs from a few months to a little over three years.

Antardasha is also written Antar Dasha or Antardasa and is called Bhukti in many texts and apps; in Devanagari it is अंतर्दशा. It is not the Mahadasha (the major period above it) and not the Pratyantardasha (the sub-period one level below it).

Antardasha illustration

What is Antardasha?

Antardasha (also called Bhukti) is the "sub-period" that runs inside a Mahadasha. Where a Mahadasha colours years at a time with one planet's broad themes, an Antardasha layers a second planet's influence on top for a shorter stretch inside it, giving a more specific, blended read on a narrower window of time. Every Mahadasha, whichever planet rules it, is divided into nine Antardashas, one for each of the nine grahas.

How is the length of an Antardasha calculated?

The length is proportional, not fixed: (Mahadasha lord's years × Antardasha lord's years) ÷ 120. Inside the 16-year Jupiter Mahadasha the Antardashas run Jupiter 2.13 years, Saturn 2.53, Mercury 2.27, Ketu 0.93, Venus 2.67, Sun 0.8, Moon 1.33, Mars 0.93 and Rahu 2.4, and these nine add back to exactly 16. The shortest possible Antardasha is the Sun's inside the Sun Mahadasha (6 × 6 ÷ 120 = 0.3 years) and the longest is Venus inside Venus (20 × 20 ÷ 120 ≈ 3.33 years). The Dasha calculator shows the one running for you today with its dates.

In what order do Antardashas run?

The nine Antardashas inside a Mahadasha always begin with the Mahadasha's own lord, then continue through the other eight planets in the fixed Vimshottari order, wrapping around from wherever the Mahadasha lord sits. A Jupiter Mahadasha therefore opens with a Jupiter Antardasha, then moves to Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, and so on around the cycle, as in the example above. A Saturn Mahadasha opens with a Saturn Antardasha, and the Saturn Mahadasha article walks through each of its nine.

How is an Antardasha read, and why does it matter day to day?

An Antardasha is read as a blend of two planetary influences: the Mahadasha lord sets the broad backdrop for the multi-year period, while the Antardasha lord shapes the specific flavour of the shorter window inside it. A Mahadasha can run for close to two decades, which is too broad a brush to explain why one year feels different from the next, so many practitioners treat the current Antardasha lord as the more immediately relevant planet, while still reading it against the Mahadasha's theme. The Jupiter Mahadasha article shows how each Antardasha changes the picture.

Antardasha at a glance

  • Antardasha (also called Bhukti) is the sub-period inside a Mahadasha, using the same nine-planet rotation.
  • An Antardasha lasts (Mahadasha lord's years × Antardasha lord's years) ÷ 120.
  • The first Antardasha inside any Mahadasha belongs to that Mahadasha's own lord.
  • Inside the 16-year Jupiter Mahadasha, the Saturn Antardasha lasts (16 × 19) ÷ 120 ≈ 2.53 years and the Ketu Antardasha (16 × 7) ÷ 120 ≈ 0.93 years.
  • The nine Antardashas inside a Mahadasha always sum to that Mahadasha’s full length.
  • Each Antardasha divides again into nine Pratyantardashas.

Frequently asked questions

What is Antardasha?

Antardasha is the sub-period running inside a Mahadasha. It uses the same nine-planet Vimshottari sequence, scaled proportionally to the Mahadasha's length, so it narrows the broad multi-year Mahadasha theme down to a more specific window lasting from a few months to a little over three years.

Is Antardasha the same as Bhukti?

Yes. Bhukti and Antardasha are two names for the same level of the Vimshottari Dasha system, the sub-period inside a Mahadasha. Older texts and many Indian apps say Bhukti, while most English sources say Antardasha, but the calculation, the nine planets and the order are identical.

How long does an Antardasha last?

Multiply the Mahadasha lord's own Vimshottari years by the Antardasha lord's years, then divide by 120. A Venus Antardasha inside the 20-year Venus Mahadasha lasts (20 × 20) ÷ 120 ≈ 3.33 years, while a Sun Antardasha inside the Sun Mahadasha lasts only 0.3 years, about three and a half months.

Which Antardasha comes first in a Mahadasha?

The Mahadasha's own ruling planet always runs its own Antardasha first, before the sequence moves on to the remaining eight planets in the standard Vimshottari order. So a Saturn Mahadasha, for instance, opens with a Saturn Antardasha, followed by Mercury, Ketu, Venus and the rest.

How is Antardasha different from Mahadasha?

A Mahadasha is the major period, 6 to 20 years long, that sets the broad backdrop for a stretch of life. An Antardasha is the sub-period inside it: shorter, and read as a second planetary influence layered on top of the Mahadasha's own theme.

What is the difference between Antardasha and Pratyantardasha?

Antardasha is the second level of the Vimshottari nesting, the sub-period inside a Mahadasha. Pratyantardasha goes one level deeper, subdividing each Antardasha by the same rule, and gives month-level or shorter timing detail rather than year-level detail. Both use the same nine-planet order.

Read more

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Related terms

  • Mahadasha

    Mahadasha is the 'major period' of the Vimshottari Dasha system — a stretch of 6 to 20 years ruled by one of the nine grahas. The nine Mahadashas run in a fixed order and total 120 years, and the one running now is the most consulted operative timing marker in Vedic astrology.

  • Pratyantardasha

    Pratyantardasha (Pratyantar Dasha) is the 'sub-sub-period' inside an Antardasha — the third level of the Vimshottari Dasha system, used for month-level timing. Its length is the Antardasha's length multiplied by the sub-sub-period lord's years and divided by 120.