Vimshottari Dasha Calculator
Find your birth Nakshatra and currently-running Mahadasha instantly — free. Unlock the full 9-Antardasha breakdown and your complete 120-year Vimshottari timeline with our Growth tier and above.
Accurate birth time is essential — Dasha periods depend on your Moon's exact Nakshatra position.
Vimshottari Dasha — 9 Mahadasha Periods
The complete 120-year Vimshottari cycle in fixed sequence
| Planet (Lord) | Duration | Significance |
|---|---|---|
☋Ketu | 7 years | Spirituality, detachment, sudden change, past-life karma |
♀Venus | 20 years | Love, luxury, creativity, marriage, comfort |
☉Sun | 6 years | Authority, career, health, father, government |
☾Moon | 10 years | Mind, emotions, mother, travel, public life |
♂Mars | 7 years | Energy, courage, property, siblings, drive |
☊Rahu | 18 years | Ambition, foreign connections, obsession, material gain |
♃Jupiter | 16 years | Wisdom, expansion, children, wealth, spirituality |
♄Saturn | 19 years | Discipline, hardship, career, longevity, karma |
☿Mercury | 17 years | Communication, intellect, business, education, adaptability |
What Is Vimshottari Dasha?
Vimshottari ("one hundred and twenty" in Sanskrit) is the most widely used planetary period system in Vedic astrology, attributed to the sage Parashara. It divides a person's life into a fixed 120-year cycle split among the nine Navagraha in a set order — Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mercury — each governing a Mahadasha of a specific length. Where the birth chart shows the potential in your life, the Dasha system reveals the timing.
How Dasha Is Calculated
The calculation begins with your Moon's exact Nakshatra at birth. Since the Moon is rarely at the very start of a Nakshatra, your first Mahadasha is usually already partially elapsed — the "Dasha balance at birth" reflects how much of that Nakshatra the Moon has yet to traverse. From there, the remaining eight Mahadashas follow in the fixed sequence, each running its full classical duration, together always summing to exactly 120 years.
Mahadasha vs Antardasha
Each Mahadasha (major period) is subdivided into 9 Antardashas (sub-periods) — one for each planet — using the formula: Antardasha duration = (Mahadasha years × Antardasha planet's years / 120) × 365.25 days. The Antardasha lord colors and modifies the broader themes of the Mahadasha, giving a more precise timeline within it.
How to Interpret Your Current Dasha
Knowing which planet rules your current period is only the starting point — its actual effect depends on several factors from your full birth chart:
- Natal placement of the Dasha lord: Which house does it occupy? Is it exalted, debilitated, or in its own sign?
- Houses ruled by the Dasha lord: The life themes of those houses tend to activate.
- Aspects received by the Dasha lord: Benefic aspects (from Jupiter or Venus) tend to improve results; malefic aspects can bring more challenge.
- The Antardasha lord: The sub-period planet further colors the experience, especially through its relationship to the Mahadasha lord.
Your birth Nakshatra and current Mahadasha are free to check. The full Antardasha breakdown and 120-year Mahadasha timeline are included with Growth tier and above; a full Cosmic Blueprint goes deeper still, factoring in your Dasha lord's exact chart placement for personalized predictions.
Want to know exactly how your current Dasha interacts with your full birth chart — including planetary strength and personalized predictions?
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Frequently Asked Questions
It's the most widely used planetary period system in Jyotish, dividing a person's life into a fixed 120-year cycle of 9 sequential Mahadashas (major periods) — one for each of the Navagraha — determined by your Moon's Nakshatra at birth.