Jyotish Term
Mahadasha — महादशा
Short answer. A mahadasha is a major planetary period in the Vimshottari Dasha system, ranging from 6 to 20 years in length depending on the planet. The current mahadasha lord is the dominant influence over a major chapter of life.
In Vimshottari Dasha, the nine grahas each rule a fixed-length mahadasha: Ketu 7 years, Venus 20, Sun 6, Moon 10, Mars 7, Rahu 18, Jupiter 16, Saturn 19, Mercury 17 — totaling 120 years, the classical human lifespan. The starting point is determined by the longitude of the Moon at birth (its nakshatra lord becomes the first mahadasha lord, with elapsed proportion of the nakshatra determining how much of that first period has already passed). The current mahadasha lord acts as a colored lens over the chart — every transit, every event of that 6-20 year window passes through its themes. A Saturn mahadasha will tend to manifest delay, structure, and effort; a Venus mahadasha will tend to manifest relationships, beauty, and material flow. The lord's natal house, dignity, and aspects fine-tune what specifically unfolds.
Related terms
- Dasha — A dasha is a planetary period — a span of time during which a specific graha (planet) is the primary influence over a person's life. Vedic astrology uses dasha systems to predict timing of life events, the most common being Vimshottari Dasha.
- Antardasha — An antardasha is a sub-period within a mahadasha, ruled by a secondary planet. It refines the timing of specific events within the longer mahadasha and is critical for short-window predictions.
- Vimshottari Dasha — Vimshottari Dasha is the most widely used Vedic planetary period system, totaling 120 years across nine grahas. It is referenced by Sage Parashara as the dasha system suited to the current cosmic age and is calculated from the Moon's nakshatra at birth.
- Nakshatra — A nakshatra is one of 27 lunar mansions — sub-divisions of the zodiac, each 13°20' wide, used in Vedic astrology to read finer-grained character, compatibility, and timing. The Moon occupies one nakshatra at any moment.
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