What is dasha?

Dasha is the Vedic system of planetary periods. Where the houses and planets describe what a chart holds, the dasha describes when things tend to unfold. It is the main way astrologers talk about timing. You can find the Mahadasha you are running in a minute.

Vimshottari dasha: the 120-year cycle

The most widely used system is Vimshottari dasha, a 120-year cycle divided among the nine grahas. Each planet rules a stretch of years: Ketu 7, Venus 20, Sun 6, Moon 10, Mars 7, Rahu 18, Jupiter 16, Saturn 19 and Mercury 17.

Mahadasha and Antardasha

The big period ruled by one planet is the Mahadasha. Inside it, shorter sub-periods called Antardasha (or bhukti) are ruled by each of the nine planets in turn. So at any moment you are running a Mahadasha and, within it, an Antardasha — a blend of two planetary influences.

How the starting point is calculated

Your dasha sequence is set by the Moon's nakshatra at birth. That is why an accurate birth time and place matter — they fix the Moon's position, which decides which dasha you were born into and how far through it you already were.

What a dasha does and does not mean

A dasha highlights the themes a planet naturally carries — Jupiter periods often feel expansive, Saturn periods ask for patience and structure. It is a lens for reflection, not a fixed script or a guarantee. The same period can play out very differently depending on the whole chart and your own choices.

Find yours

See which Mahadasha and Antardasha you are running now with the Mahadasha calculator, and read how the current period colours the year in your personalized yearly horoscope.