Rahu Mahadasha
18 years in the Vimshottari cycle
Rahu Mahadasha lasts 18 years. It is the sixth of nine dashas in the Vimshottari order, coming after Mars and before Jupiter. Rahu stands for ambition, foreign links, unconventional paths and obsession. It tends to bring restlessness, ambition and an interest in the unfamiliar, such as new places, technology or fields. Rahu owns no sign, so how it behaves depends on the sign it sits in and that sign's lord.
Rahu owns no sign, so the houses it affects depend on the sign it occupies and that sign's lord. That makes the chart placement more important than for any other dasha. Each Mahadasha is split into nine Antardashas starting with Rahu itself, and each one blends Rahu with another planet.
Your Moon sign, the placement of Rahu in your birth chart and current transits decide how this dasha plays out. Use the nine sub-period pages below, then pick your Moon sign for a version tailored to it.
Rahu Mahadasha: the nine Antardashas, in order
Frequently asked
How long is Rahu Mahadasha?
Rahu Mahadasha lasts 18 years in the Vimshottari system, which runs on a 120-year cycle. It follows Mars Mahadasha and is followed by Jupiter Mahadasha. When it starts depends on the Moon's position at your birth.
What are the Antardashas in Rahu Mahadasha and how long is each?
There are nine, in order: Rahu 2 years 8 months 12 days, Jupiter 2 years 4 months 24 days, Saturn 2 years 10 months 6 days, Mercury 2 years 6 months 18 days, Ketu 1 year 18 days, Venus 3 years, Sun 10 months 24 days, Moon 1 year 6 months, Mars 1 year 18 days. Each length is the Mahadasha years × the sub-period planet's years ÷ 120.
Is Rahu Mahadasha good or bad?
Neither on its own. Rahu stands for ambition, foreign links, unconventional paths and obsession, and the result depends on the houses it rules for your Moon sign, its strength and placement in your chart, and transits.
Does my Moon sign change Rahu Mahadasha?
Yes. The Moon sign decides which houses Rahu rules (none directly, since it owns no sign) and so which life areas the dasha works through. Astrika reads natal chart, dasha and transit together before answering.