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Today’s panchangall five angas with exact timesTithithe lunar day, and when it endsNakshatrathe Moon’s position todayHorathe planetary hour, all twenty-fourRahu Kaalthe time to avoid starting new workChoghadiyaday and night, each split into eightFestivalsDiwali, Holi and 81 more, with the rule behind each dateVratEkadashi with parana, Purnima, Amavasya, Pradosh
14.2% of the cycle
Mercury (Budh) Mahadasha
17 years
Mercury mahadasha runs 17 years and is read for trade, study and the written word. What it brings you depends on where Mercury sits in your kundli.
Mercury mahadasha in the cycle
17 of 120 years. It follows Saturn (19 years) and comes before Ketu (7 years). You are born into it if the Moon was in Ashlesha, Jyeshtha or Revati, the three nakshatras Mercury rules.
Ketu7y
Venus20y
Sun6y
Moon10y
Mars7y
Rahu18y
Jupiter16y
Saturn19y
Mercury17y
The nine antardashas
Each runs for 17 × its own lord’s years ÷ 120. The longest is Mercury–Venus, the shortest Mercury–Sun; together they make up the 17 years.
A dasha year here is 365.25 days, the common modern convention; a panchang using a 360-day year will give slightly different dates, in the same ratio. Each length is rounded to the day.
As Parashara reads them (BPHS chapter 58)
Each line is the text’s reading when the antardasha lord is well placed, and when it is not; your kundli decides which applies.
Budh (Mercury) antardasha
Goes well: BPHS gives gains of gems such as pearls, learning, growing happiness, pious deeds, success in studies, name and fame, meetings with new people in authority, and wealth and happiness through the spouse, children and parents.
Hard: BPHS warns of loss of wealth and livestock, friction with relatives, and illnesses such as stomach pain.
Caution: When Budh rules your 2nd or 7th house, BPHS counts this a maraka period (one the texts link with danger to life).
Remedy: For relief from these difficulties, BPHS prescribes reciting the Vishnu Sahasranama, the thousand names of Vishnu.
BPHS 58.1–5Ketu antardasha
Goes well: BPHS gives good health, modest gains of wealth, warm ties with relatives, growth in livestock, income from industry, success in studies, name and fame, honours, a meeting and a shared meal with those in power, and comforts such as good clothes.
Hard: BPHS warns of a fall from a vehicle, distress to a son, trouble from those in power, a pull towards wrong deeds, danger from stings and bites such as a scorpion's, quarrels with subordinates, sorrow, illness and low company.
Caution: When Ketu sits in your 2nd or 7th house or is joined with the lords of those houses, BPHS warns of physical distress and asks for care with health.
Remedy: For relief from these difficulties, BPHS prescribes giving a goat in charity.
BPHS 58.6–12Shukra (Venus) antardasha
Goes well: BPHS gives an inclination to religious rites, the fulfilment of ambitions with help from those in power and from friends, gains of farmland, and happiness.
Hard: BPHS warns of heart trouble, a damaged reputation, fevers, dysentery, separation from relatives, physical distress and anguish.
Caution: When Shukra rules your 2nd or 7th house, BPHS counts this a maraka period (one the texts link with danger to life).
Remedy: For relief from these difficulties, BPHS prescribes reciting the mantras of Goddess Durga.
BPHS 58.13–19Surya (Sun) antardasha
Goes well: BPHS gives a rise in fortune through the favour of government, seniors or those in power, and happiness through friends.
Hard: BPHS warns of danger from thieves, fire and weapons, bilious complaints, headaches, mental anguish and separation from friends.
Caution: When Surya rules your 2nd or 7th house, BPHS counts this a maraka period (one the texts link with danger to life).
Remedy: For relief from these difficulties, BPHS prescribes the worship of Surya.
BPHS 58.20–25Chandra (Moon) antardasha
Goes well: BPHS calls this strongly favourable. It gives marriage, the birth of a son, gains of clothes and ornaments, the building of a new house, sweet foods, the enjoyment of music, study of the shastras, a journey to the south, clothes or goods from overseas, and gems such as pearls.
Hard: BPHS warns of trouble from those in power, from fire and from thieves, a damaged reputation, loss of wealth on account of the spouse, and damage to farmland and livestock.
Caution: When Chandra rules your 2nd or 7th house, BPHS counts this a maraka period (one the texts link with danger to life).
Remedy: For relief, BPHS prescribes reciting the mantras of Goddess Durga in the prescribed manner and giving clothes in charity. It says Durga's grace then brings relief, a longer life and the return of comforts.
BPHS 58.26–35Mangal (Mars) antardasha
Goes well: BPHS gives well-being and enjoyment in the family through the favour of those in power, more property, the regaining of a lost position of authority, the birth of a son, contentment, gains of livestock, vehicles and farmland, and happiness from the spouse.
Hard: BPHS warns of physical distress, mental anguish, obstacles in industrial ventures, loss of wealth, gout, trouble from wounds, danger from weapons, and fever.
Caution: When Mangal rules your 2nd or 7th house, BPHS counts this a maraka period (one the texts link with danger to life).
Remedy: For relief, BPHS prescribes the Mahamrityunjaya japa, the mantra to Shiva for health and long life, and giving a cow in charity.
BPHS 58.36–46Rahu antardasha
Goes well: BPHS gives respect from those in power, a good name, gains of wealth, pilgrimage, religious rites and offerings, recognition and gains of clothes. There is some trouble at the start, but all goes well later.
Hard: BPHS warns of heavy pressure of work in government service, loss of position, fears, the risk of imprisonment, illness, anguish for oneself and relatives, heart trouble, and loss of reputation and wealth.
Caution: When Rahu sits in your 2nd or 6th house (the verse names the 6th here, not the 7th it pairs with the 2nd elsewhere), BPHS warns of the danger of an untimely death, as in a maraka period (one the texts link with danger to life), and asks for care with health.
Remedy: For relief, BPHS prescribes reciting the mantras of Goddess Durga and Goddess Lakshmi in the prescribed manner, and giving a tawny (kapila) cow or a female buffalo in charity.
BPHS 58.47–55Guru (Jupiter) antardasha
Goes well: BPHS gives good health, gains of wealth, the favour of those in power, happy occasions such as weddings at home, sweet foods, growth in livestock, listening to the Puranas, devotion to the deities and one's guru, interest in dharma and charity, and the worship of Shiva.
Hard: BPHS warns of discord with those in power and with relatives, danger from thieves, disgrace, penalties from government, loss of wealth, danger from snakes and poison, fever, poor harvests and loss of land, and it names the death of parents among its cautions.
Caution: When Guru rules your 2nd or 7th house, or sits in the 2nd or 7th, BPHS treats it as a maraka caution (the 2nd and 7th being the houses the texts link with danger to life).
Remedy: For relief, BPHS prescribes reciting the Shiva Sahasranama, the thousand names of Shiva, and giving a cow and gold in charity.
BPHS 58.56–66Shani (Saturn) antardasha
Goes well: BPHS gives well-being in the family, a rise to authority or a position of command, enthusiasm, growth in livestock, a new position, and pilgrimage.
Hard: BPHS warns of danger from enemies, distress to the spouse and children, clouded thinking, the loss of relatives, losses in ventures, mental anguish, journeys to foreign lands and bad dreams.
Caution: When Shani rules your 2nd or 7th house, BPHS counts this a maraka period (one the texts link with danger to life).
Remedy: For relief and to regain good health, BPHS prescribes the Mahamrityunjaya japa, the mantra to Shiva for health and long life, and giving a black cow and a female buffalo in charity.
BPHS 58.67–72What Mercury mahadasha is read for
What the tradition reads it for, and what decides it in a chart.
Decided by your chart
The houses Mercury rules in your kundli, the house it sits in and its strength there. In a kendra (the 1st, 4th, 7th or 10th house) or a trikona (the 1st, 5th or 9th), strong in its own rashi, it tends to give good results; in the 6th, 8th or 12th it asks for care. See Mercury (Budh) in each house and its upay.
Read for your chart
The dasha calculator finds when Mercury mahadasha falls in your life and reads it, and each of its antardashas, for your chart. Find my dasha.
What Parashara says of this mahadasha (BPHS 47.61–70)
His readings come with conditions: where the dasha lord sits in your kundli, and what it joins. The old text speaks of a man; it applies to anyone.
When it goes well
- When Budh (Mercury) is exalted, in his own or a friendly rashi, or in the 11th, 5th or 9th house, BPHS gives gain of wealth and reputation, growth in knowledge, favour from the government, auspicious functions, happiness from spouse and children, good health, sweet food, and profit in business.BPHS 47.62–65
- When Budh receives the drishti (aspect) of a benefic, is in the 9th house, or is lord of the 10th, BPHS gives the good results above in full, with great happiness all round.BPHS 47.62–65
- When Budh's dasha is in its first and middle parts, BPHS gives gain of wealth, progress in studies, the birth of children and happiness at the start, and recognition from the government in the middle.BPHS 47.66–70
When it is hard
- When Budh is joined with a malefic, BPHS warns of punishment from the government, ill-will with relatives, travel to a foreign land, dependence on others, and possible urinary trouble.BPHS 47.66–70
- When Budh is in the 6th, 8th or 12th house, BPHS warns of loss of wealth through indulgence in sensual pleasures, possible rheumatism and jaundice, danger of theft, the ill-will of the government, and loss of land and cattle.BPHS 47.66–70
- When Budh's dasha reaches its last part, BPHS reads it as a time of distress.BPHS 47.66–70
Upay in Mercury mahadasha
Suggestions the tradition gives while Mercury’s period runs; your kundli says which apply.
What helps
- Feed green grass to cows on Wednesdays
- Recite Vishnu Sahasranama
- Study and acquire new knowledge
- Make a habit of saying things clearly
- Worship Lord Ganesha before new ventures
What to keep clear of
- Avoid dishonesty in business
- Don't spread rumours
- Avoid nervous anxiety
Beej mantra and daan
The beej mantra is Budh’s seed sound, chanted with a count.
ॐ ब्रां ब्रीं ब्रौं सः बुधाय नमः
Daan: green moong and green cloth, on Wednesday
Mercury mahadasha for each lagna
Whether Parashara counts Mercury good or hard for your lagna sets the tone of this period.
| Lagna | Mercury is (lord of) |
|---|---|
| Mesh (Aries) | Malefic 3rd and 6th |
| Vrishabh (Taurus) | Mildly malefic— lord of the 2nd and 5th, which the verse calls 'somewhat inauspicious' (34.23) and does not name among the killers 2nd and 5th |
| Mithun (Gemini) | Lagna lord— the lagna lord, which the verse leaves unjudged: 34.25 names only Shukra auspicious for Mithun 1st and 4th |
| Kark (Cancer) | Malefic 3rd and 12th |
| Singh (Leo) | Malefic— lord of the 2nd, but the killers the verse names for this lagna are Shani and Chandra (34.29–30) 2nd and 11th |
| Kanya (Virgo) | Benefic · Yoga— gives yoga together with Shukra (34.32) 1st and 10th |
| Tula (Libra) | Benefic · Yoga— gives yoga together with Chandra (34.34) 9th and 12th |
| Vrishchik (Scorpio) | Malefic 8th and 11th |
| Dhanu (Sagittarius) | Benefic · Yoga— gives yoga together with Surya (34.38)— lord of the 7th, but the killers the verse names for this lagna are Shani and Shukra (34.37–38) 7th and 10th |
| Makar (Capricorn) | Benefic 6th and 9th |
| Kumbh (Aquarius) | Neutral— gives mixed results (34.42) 5th and 8th |
| Meen (Pisces) | Malefic · Maraka 4th and 7th |
The labels, from Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, chapter 34:
- Yogakaraka: the strongest graha a lagna can have: the one Parashara names as bringing yoga, or the one lord of both a kendra (1st, 4th, 7th, 10th) and a trikona (1st, 5th, 9th) (34.13)
- Benefic, Malefic, Neutral: works for the lagna; brings its harder matters; neither
- Lagna lord: the lagna’s own graha, where the verse calls it neither good nor hard
- Maraka: a killer Parashara names for the lagna, watched for health and longevity; printed alone, or after another label. It is not always the lord of the 2nd or 7th: where it differs, the line under it gives the verse
- · Yoga: one of two grahas he says give yoga together for this lagna
All nine mahadashas
Common questions
How long is Mercury mahadasha?
17 years, 14.2% of the 120-year cycle, divided into nine antardashas.
When does Mercury mahadasha start?
From birth, if the Moon was in Ashlesha, Jyeshtha or Revati at birth; otherwise when Saturn mahadasha ends. Whether it comes in your lifetime depends on which mahadasha was running when you were born.
Is Mercury mahadasha good or bad?
Neither in general. It depends on the houses Mercury rules and occupies in your chart and its strength there; the calculator reads it for yours.
Which dasha you are running is a fact about your chart.
It follows from the Moon’s nakshatra at your birth. Enter your birth details and the whole 120-year timeline comes with it, each period read for your chart.
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