What is a Mahadasha?
Explainer · reviewed August 2026
A mahadasha is a major planetary period in the Vimshottari dasha system. ePandit computes which planet’s mahadasha is running for a birth chart from the Moon’s nakshatra at birth, using Swiss Ephemeris positions and Lahiri ayanamsa.
On this page
How ePandit computes it
Our engine maps the Moon’s nakshatra to a starting dasha lord, then walks the fixed Vimshottari sequence with the year lengths we ship in code.
Period lengths we use (years): Ketu 7, Shukra 20, Surya 6, Chandra 10, Mangal 7, Rahu 18, Guru 16, Shani 19, Budha 17 — totaling 120 years. Day length for dasha math is 365.24219 days.
What we do not claim
A mahadasha names a timing framework. It is not a guarantee of outcomes. In the app, interpretations must show chart basis rather than absolute fate language.
See your current mahadasha in the ePandit app
ePandit computes your complete Vimshottari dasha timeline with Swiss Ephemeris.
Common questions
How long does a mahadasha cycle last?
The complete Vimshottari dasha cycle spans 120 solar years distributed across all nine classical planetary periods.
Can the starting mahadasha be changed?
No. In the Vimshottari system, the starting planetary period is fixed at the exact moment of birth by the Moon’s sidereal nakshatra and pada.