How the Vimshottari dasha calculator works
Vimshottari is the classical 120-year cycle of planetary periods (mahadashas). Your starting point is seeded by your janma nakshatra: its lord opens the sequence, and how far the Moon had travelled through that nakshatra fixes the balance of the first period remaining at birth.
From there the nine mahadashas run in fixed order, each subdivided into antardashas (bhukti) and pratyantardashas in the same sequence, proportional to their years. The calculator shows your balance at birth and the periods running right now, with exact dates.
Mahadasha order and years (the 120-year cycle)
The order and durations are fixed by the classics; only your entry point varies. A Venus mahadasha lasts 20 years whoever you are — what differs is when it arrives and how Venus behaves in your chart.
| Order | Mahadasha lord | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ketu | 7 |
| 2 | Venus | 20 |
| 3 | Sun | 6 |
| 4 | Moon | 10 |
| 5 | Mars | 7 |
| 6 | Rahu | 18 |
| 7 | Jupiter | 16 |
| 8 | Saturn | 19 |
| 9 | Mercury | 17 |
Why do different sites show different dasha dates?
Three honest reasons: the ayanamsa (we use Lahiri; KP and Raman shift the Moon's position slightly, which can move a dasha boundary by months), the birth-time precision (a 4-minute error moves the Moon about 2′ of arc), and whether the site computes from the exact Moon longitude or a coarse table. Our method is documented openly on the methodology page — compare inputs before comparing answers.
Frequently asked questions
Which mahadasha is running for me now?
Enter your birth details above — the calculator returns your current mahadasha, antardasha and pratyantardasha with from–to dates, plus the balance of dasha you were born with.
What is antardasha (bhukti)?
Each mahadasha subdivides into nine antardashas in the same planetary order, each lasting a share of the mahadasha proportional to its own years. A 'Saturn–Venus' period means Saturn mahadasha, Venus antardasha.
Is any mahadasha good or bad by itself?
No — a dasha delivers the promise of that planet IN YOUR CHART. A well-placed Saturn's 19 years are famously constructive. Fear-mongering about 'dreaded' dashas ignores the chart; read the planet's dignity, house and yogas first.
How is the dasha balance at birth calculated?
By how much of your janma nakshatra the Moon had already crossed. If the Moon was 40% through a Ketu-ruled nakshatra, 60% of Ketu's 7 years (about 4y 2m) remained at birth.
What is a dasa bhukti calculator?
The same thing by its South Indian name — dasa = mahadasha, bhukti = antardasha. This tool computes both, plus the third level (pratyantardasha).