How to read antardasha: sub-periods, their lengths and how to time them

Key facts

Length formula

Mahadasha years x sub-lord's years / 120 ^1,2

First sub-period

Always the mahadasha lord's own, then the Vimshottari order ^1,2

Shortest and longest in Venus dasha

Sun 1 year; Venus 3 years 4 months (calculated from the formula)

Hard positions

Sub-lord 6th, 8th or 12th counted from the mahadasha lord ³

Strength scale

Exalted full, moolatrikona three quarters, own sign half, friend's sign a quarter, enemy's sign little, debilitated nil ³

Next level down

Pratyantardasha, worked out by the same formula ^1,2

How long does each antardasha last?

An antardasha lasts the mahadasha years multiplied by the sub-lord's own years, divided by 120 ^1,2. Mantreswara turns the remainder into months by multiplying by 12 and dividing by 120, and into days by multiplying by 30 and dividing by 120 ².

Calculated with the rule in BPHS 51.1 and Phaladeepika 21.2 ^1,2; the nine lengths add up to the full 20 years.

Which antardasha comes first, and in what order do the rest follow?

The first antardasha of every mahadasha is the mahadasha lord's own, and the others follow in the usual Vimshottari order ^1,2. In a Venus mahadasha the order is Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu.

Parashara also records a second scheme: nine equal sub-periods, starting with the dasha lord and then the planets in kendras from it ¹. Most software uses the proportional rule, so say which one you use if a client compares dates.

How do you judge the antardasha lord against the mahadasha lord?

The antardasha lord is judged by its house counted from the mahadasha lord and by its own dignity. Mantreswara says only the matters of the house the sub-lord occupies, counted from the dasha lord, come to pass in that sub-period ³.

Parashara adds that results of every level, down to the finest sub-period, are declared by the strength of the planets involved ¹. A strong sub-lord can lift a hard mahadasha for a while, and a weak one can dull a good one.

When inside an antardasha does an event tend to show?

Inside an antardasha, Mantreswara times its good results by transits over the sub-lord's exaltation sign. He says a favourable sub-period shows its good effect when the Sun enters the sub-lord's exaltation sign, and again when Jupiter transits that place ³.

A hard sub-period is felt when the Sun passes the sub-lord's debilitation or enemy sign ³. The sub-lord's own transit matters too: through its own or exaltation sign it helps, through debilitation or an enemy sign it brings strain ³.

For a still narrower window, use the pratyantardasha, worked out with the same formula one level down ^1,2. Venus inside Venus inside Venus is 3.33 x 20 / 120, about 6 months and 20 days.

In what order should you read an antardasha?

1. Read the mahadasha lord first; see how to read dasha.
2. List the antardashas with start and end months, and mark the one running now.
3. Count the house of the sub-lord from the dasha lord, then from the lagna.
4. Check the sub-lord's dignity and its friendship with the dasha lord.
5. Check whether the sub-lord is tied to the house of the client's question.
6. Look for the Sun or Jupiter crossing the sub-lord's exaltation sign for the month to watch; see transits.
7. Give the client a window of months, never a single promised date.

How do you phrase an antardasha for a client in chat?

An antardasha lands best when you translate the classical result into the client's own life. Mantreswara himself says sub-period results should be fitted to the person's station and occupation, not read out as a fixed list ².

Say the sub-period, its months and one theme. Keep the old lists of illnesses and losses in Phaladeepika 21 out of the chat: no medical, legal or financial advice, no death predictions, nothing on a pregnancy's outcome.

1. Client (example)

   I am in Venus dasha. Is this a good year for marriage talks?

2. Astrologer (example)

   You are in the Venus and Jupiter sub-period until August next year. Jupiter sits in the 5th from your Venus and is well placed, so it supports family talks.

3. Client (example)

   So I will be married by August?

4. Astrologer (example)

   No astrologer can promise that. I can say this window supports the conversations. Shall we look at which months look strongest?

This exchange is a made-up example, not a real client.

Why does antardasha timing matter for returning clients on Kismo?

Antardasha timing gives clients a reason to come back when the next sub-period starts, and on Kismo returning clients pay you a larger share. A first visit pays 30%, 40% or 50% of your rate by your level, a second visit 50%, and every visit from the third 55%.

• A visit is every session with the same client within 12 hours of the previous one, so a follow-up the same evening counts as the same visit.
• A request card can carry the label Returning, so you see when a client is coming back.
• The app's course ends with an episode called Real earnings are return clients.
• You may never ask a client for money outside the app or share a phone number, so the follow-up happens inside it.

What do astrologers ask about this?

Where should you go from here?

Where do these facts come from?

1. Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, chapter 51 (antardashas), verses 1 to 4, Enjoy Learning Sanskrit. Accessed 2026-11-05.
2. Phaladeepika by Mantreswara, chapter 21: sub-divisions of dasas, slokas 1, 2 and 84 (tr. V. Subrahmanya Sastri), Wisdom Library. Accessed 2026-11-05.
3. Phaladeepika by Mantreswara, chapter 20: bhuktis, slokas 28 to 30, 37, 38, 42 and 44 (tr. V. Subrahmanya Sastri), Wisdom Library. Accessed 2026-11-05.