What Is Antardasha? Mahadasha vs Antardasha vs Pratyantar Dasha, With Lengths

Mahadasha supplies the long background. Antardasha is a smaller portion inside it. While the main planet's period runs, another planet joins it for a shorter time. Rahu–Saturn means Saturn antardasha within Rahu mahadasha. Saturn–Rahu reverses those roles. Multiplication gives the same length, but the main planet and reading background differ.

Do not mistake a smaller period for the next mahadasha. After Saturn within Rahu, Mercury antardasha follows. Rahu remains the main planet. The main planet changes only when the whole large period ends. Keep the main and smaller names separate when writing down a result.

BPHS 51.1 gives the proportion. Multiply Rahu's 18 years by Saturn's 19 years. Divide 342 by 120. The result is 2.85 years. That is about 2 years, 10 months and 6 days.

Our calculator counts a dasha year as 365.25 days. It adds those days to the real start date. Calendar months differ in length, so exact dates come from the calculator. The tables below give rounded lengths for easy reading.

BPHS 51.2 puts the main planet's own sub-period first. Saturn begins Saturn–Saturn. Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu and Jupiter follow. Ketu's large period begins with Ketu. The circular order stays fixed; only the starting point changes.

If birth falls midway through a mahadasha, the first antardasha can already be over. The calculator works back to when the full period began, before birth. It then finds the smaller window containing birth. Splitting only the remaining birth balance into nine new windows would be wrong. It would shift every smaller period's date.

Pratyantar is a further period within antardasha. Sookshma is smaller again. Prana sits within that. At each step, multiply the enclosing duration by the next lord's years divided by 120. Start with that enclosing level's lord. The final subdivision ends at the enclosing period's end. BPHS ch. 61–63 give the results of pratyantar, sookshma and prana periods.

The free calculator shows the top three levels: mahadasha, antardasha and pratyantar. A very short window cannot by itself promise an event on a set day. First check how reliable the birth time is.

They have different roles. The main lord supplies the background. The smaller lord forms the active combination within it. Phaladeepika 21.84 says to read results against the person's situation. It names status, class, occupation and appearance. The same applies to the smaller levels. The same employment sentence cannot be pasted onto a student and a retired person.

A pleasant smaller-planet name does not erase the main lord. A difficult main-planet name does not make every smaller window bad. Read both placements and their relationship. The calculator supplies dates. It does not automatically know the full life situation. Keep a period timetable distinct from a personal result reading.

These tables describe full main periods. The remaining birth period can be shorter. Average months are rounded to one decimal. Use the calculator for exact dates.

Bhukti is another name for antardasha. Some books use it for the smaller period. It is not a tenth planet or a new level with another length. Read the first name as the main lord and the second as the bhukti lord. Changing the label does not change the duration rule.