A Mahadasha is a major planetary period in the Vimshottari system, ruled by one of the nine grahas and lasting between 6 and 20 years. Your Mahadashas follow one another in a fixed order for a 120-year cycle.

How do I find my Mahadasha by date of birth?

Enter your birth date, time and place. The calculator finds your Moon’s Nakshatra, works out the Mahadasha you started life in and how much of it was left, then follows the cycle forward to show the one running today.

What is an Antardasha?

An Antardasha is a sub-period inside a Mahadasha. Each Mahadasha is divided into nine, one for each graha, and the calculator shows the Antardasha running today with its dates.

Why is my first Mahadasha shorter than the full length?

You are born part-way through a Mahadasha. Only the balance still ahead of you at birth is counted, and it is set by how far the Moon had travelled through its Nakshatra.

Why do my dates change with a few minutes’ difference in birth time?

The Moon moves about half a degree an hour, and the balance of your first Mahadasha depends on its exact position. That is why the calculator needs a birth time rather than only a date.

Does this calculator show every Antardasha?

It shows the Antardasha running today, with its dates, and the full Mahadasha timeline. It does not list the whole Antardasha table.

Free · instant · no signup

Dasha Calculator — Mahadasha by Date of Birth

Dasha is the Vedic astrology system of planetary time periods, and the Vimshottari Dasha is its standard 120-year version. This free calculator finds your current Mahadasha and Antardasha with start and end dates, how long each has left, and your full Mahadasha timeline. It needs your exact birth time as well as your date and place.

New to the term? Read the full definition: Vimshottari Dasha

What your Dasha result means

The Vimshottari Dasha is the most widely used timing system in Vedic astrology. It divides life into Mahadashas ruled by the nine grahas in a fixed 120-year cycle, and each Mahadasha is divided into nine Antardashas, the sub-periods.

Your first Mahadasha is the one ruled by the lord of your birth Nakshatra, and only the part of it still ahead of you at birth is counted — so the first row of the timeline is shorter than the lord’s full length. The last row is the remaining part of the same lord’s period that completes the 120 years.

Dates shift with the birth time: an hour’s difference can move Dasha dates by several months. Enter the most accurate time you have.

How to find your Mahadasha by hand

Find the Moon’s sidereal longitude at birth and its Nakshatra. The Nakshatra’s ruling planet is your first Mahadasha lord.
Divide the Moon’s distance into its Nakshatra by 13°20′ to get the fraction already crossed at birth.
Multiply the lord’s full years by one minus that fraction. This is the balance of the first Mahadasha at birth.
Follow with the next Mahadashas in order, adding their fixed lengths: Ketu 7, Venus 20, Sun 6, Moon 10, Mars 7, Rahu 18, Jupiter 16, Saturn 19, Mercury 17 years. The one you have reached at today’s date is your current Mahadasha.
To split a Mahadasha into Antardashas, multiply its years by each Antardasha lord’s years and divide by 120, starting with the Mahadasha lord’s own.

How this calculator decides

The starting Mahadasha lord is the lord of the Moon’s Nakshatra at birth (sidereal, Lahiri). The balance left at birth is proportional to how much of that Nakshatra the Moon has not yet crossed.
The nine Mahadashas follow one order with fixed lengths: Ketu 7, Venus 20, Sun 6, Moon 10, Mars 7, Rahu 18, Jupiter 16, Saturn 19 and Mercury 17 years, 120 years in all. A year is counted as 365.25 days.
Each Mahadasha is split into nine Antardashas, starting with the Mahadasha lord’s own and following the same order. An Antardasha lasts the Mahadasha length multiplied by the Antardasha lord’s years, divided by 120.
The calculator shows the Mahadasha and Antardasha running today, and the full Mahadasha timeline. Dates are shown as calculated, in UTC.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Mahadasha?: A Mahadasha is a major planetary period in the Vimshottari system, ruled by one of the nine grahas and lasting between 6 and 20 years. Your Mahadashas follow one another in a fixed order for a 120-year cycle.
How do I find my Mahadasha by date of birth?: Enter your birth date, time and place. The calculator finds your Moon’s Nakshatra, works out the Mahadasha you started life in and how much of it was left, then follows the cycle forward to show the one running today.
What is an Antardasha?: An Antardasha is a sub-period inside a Mahadasha. Each Mahadasha is divided into nine, one for each graha, and the calculator shows the Antardasha running today with its dates.
Why is my first Mahadasha shorter than the full length?: You are born part-way through a Mahadasha. Only the balance still ahead of you at birth is counted, and it is set by how far the Moon had travelled through its Nakshatra.
Why do my dates change with a few minutes’ difference in birth time?: The Moon moves about half a degree an hour, and the balance of your first Mahadasha depends on its exact position. That is why the calculator needs a birth time rather than only a date.
Does this calculator show every Antardasha?: It shows the Antardasha running today, with its dates, and the full Mahadasha timeline. It does not list the whole Antardasha table.

Learn the terms

More free calculators

For cultural and entertainment purposes. Not medical, financial or legal advice.