Free tool
Your Vimshottari dasha periods, with dates
Enter your date and time of birth to see every mahadasha of the 120-year Vimshottari cycle, the antardashas of the mahadasha running now, and how much of your first dasha was left at birth. Lahiri ayanamsa, from the Moon's position at birth.
How the Vimshottari dasha works
Vimshottari is the most used dasha system in Vedic astrology. It divides a 120-year cycle among nine planets in a fixed order: Ketu 7 years, Venus 20, Sun 6, Moon 10, Mars 7, Rahu 18, Jupiter 16, Saturn 19 and Mercury 17. Each period is called a mahadasha.
Your first mahadasha is ruled by the lord of the nakshatra the Moon was in at birth. How far the Moon had travelled through that nakshatra decides how much of that first dasha was already used up, which is the balance at birth. The other mahadashas then follow in the fixed order.
Mahadasha, antardasha and what they show
Each mahadasha is split into nine antardashas (sub-periods), in the same order and starting with the mahadasha lord itself. An antardasha lasts the mahadasha years times its own planet's years, divided by 120. Traditionally the mahadasha sets the main theme of the period and the antardasha shows the phase inside it.
A dasha does not act alone. Its result depends on where that planet sits in your chart, which houses it rules and how it is placed by sign and aspect. This calculator gives the timing; reading it properly needs your full kundli.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my mahadasha by date of birth?
Enter your date, time and time zone of birth above. The calculator finds the Moon's sidereal position, takes the nakshatra it was in, and starts your mahadasha sequence from that nakshatra's lord. The mahadasha with today's date inside it is the one running now.
What is the Vimshottari dasha?
It is a timing system in Vedic astrology that spreads a 120-year cycle over nine planets. Each planet rules a mahadasha of fixed length, and your birth nakshatra decides which one you begin with.
What is the difference between mahadasha and antardasha?
The mahadasha is the main period of one planet, lasting 6 to 20 years. An antardasha is a sub-period inside it, ruled by each of the nine planets in turn. The mahadasha gives the broad theme and the antardasha the phase within it.
Why does my birth time matter for the dasha?
The Moon covers about 13 degrees a day, and one nakshatra is 13 degrees 20 minutes. The point where the Moon was inside its nakshatra sets how much of the first dasha was left. A birth time that is an hour off can move every dasha date by several months, and near a nakshatra boundary it can change the first dasha lord.
Which ayanamsa does this dasha calculator use?
Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsa, the Indian standard. Software that uses another ayanamsa, such as Raman or KP, can show a Moon position a fraction of a degree apart and so dasha dates that differ by days or weeks.
Is a running dasha good or bad?
No dasha is good or bad on its own. Its effect depends on that planet's sign, house, strength and aspects in your own chart, and on the transits during the period. Use this page for the dates and a kundli reading for the meaning.
A dasha shows timing, not the whole story. Book a consultation to read your running dasha with the houses and transits of your chart.
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