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Vimshottari dasha
Mercury (Budh) Mahadasha
17 years
Mercury mahadasha runs 17 years in the Vimshottari cycle — the 4th longest of the nine. It follows Saturn mahadasha and is followed by Ketu; anyone born with the Moon in Ashlesha, Jyeshtha or Revati begins life in it.
Ask an AI astrologer — about your own lagna, dasha and transits
- Length
- 17 years
- Place in the cycle
- Saturn → Mercury → Ketu
- Nakshatras it rules
- Ashlesha, Jyeshtha, Revati
- Antardashas
- 9
Mercury mahadasha is the period of learning, trade, writing, communication and networks. Well placed, the texts read education, success in business and new skills; afflicted, they link it to nervous strain, disputes over contracts or words, and scattered effort.
Each antardasha lasts mahadasha years × its lord's years ÷ 120, in the order of the cycle starting with Mercury itself. Lengths are shown as the traditional tables print them (12 months of 30 days); the dasha calculator dates every one exactly for a birth.
| Antardasha | Length | Years | Ends after |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury – Mercury | 2y 4m 27d | 2.41 | 2y 4m 27d |
| Mercury – Ketu | 11m 27d | 0.99 | 3y 4m 24d |
| Mercury – Venus | 2y 10m | 2.83 | 6y 2m 24d |
| Mercury – Sun | 10m 6d | 0.85 | 7y 1m |
| Mercury – Moon | 1y 5m | 1.42 | 8y 6m |
| Mercury – Mars | 11m 27d | 0.99 | 9y 5m 27d |
| Mercury – Rahu | 2y 6m 18d | 2.55 | 12y 15d |
| Mercury – Jupiter | 2y 3m 6d | 2.27 | 14y 3m 21d |
| Mercury – Saturn | 2y 8m 9d | 2.69 | 17y |
A mahadasha brings the matters of the houses its lord rules. Which houses those are depends on the lagna:
| Lagna | Houses it rules | Classical role | Brings into focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aries (Mesha) | 3rd, 6th | Dusthana lord — results come through effort | Courage & Siblings; Enemies, Debt & Health |
| Taurus (Vrishabha) | 2nd, 5th | Trikona lord — favourable | Wealth, Speech & Family; Children & Intellect |
| Gemini (Mithuna) | 1st, 4th | Lagna lord — favourable wherever it sits | Personality & Health; Home, Mother & Property |
| Cancer (Karka) | 3rd, 12th | Dusthana lord — results come through effort | Courage & Siblings; Expenses & Foreign Lands |
| Leo (Simha) | 2nd, 11th | Lord of the 3rd or 11th — mixed | Wealth, Speech & Family; Income & Gains |
| Virgo (Kanya) | 1st, 10th | Lagna lord — favourable wherever it sits | Personality & Health; Career & Status |
| Libra (Tula) | 9th, 12th | Trikona lord — favourable | Fortune & Father; Expenses & Foreign Lands |
| Scorpio (Vrishchika) | 8th, 11th | Dusthana lord — results come through effort | Longevity & Sudden Change; Income & Gains |
| Sagittarius (Dhanu) | 7th, 10th | Kendra lord — follows its placement | Marriage & Partner; Career & Status |
| Capricorn (Makara) | 6th, 9th | Trikona lord — favourable | Enemies, Debt & Health; Fortune & Father |
| Aquarius (Kumbha) | 5th, 8th | Trikona lord — favourable | Children & Intellect; Longevity & Sudden Change |
| Pisces (Meena) | 4th, 7th | Kendra lord — follows its placement | Home, Mother & Property; Marriage & Partner |
- Mercury in the 1st houseMercury on the lagna makes the native quick, witty and learned, and it has directional strength (dig bala) here: the texts give good speech, a youthful look, skill with words, numbers and trade, and long life.
- Mercury in the 2nd houseMercury in the 2nd makes a living from words: the classical texts describe an eloquent speaker, wealth earned through intelligence, writing, accounts or trade, and a cultured family life.
- Mercury in the 3rd houseIn the 3rd house of effort and communication Mercury gives skill with words, writing, messages, short travel and trade, and a quick, adaptable mind.
- Mercury in the 4th houseIn the 4th Mercury favours education and a cultured home: the texts describe learning, contentment, many friends, land and vehicles, and a mind at ease with study.
- Mercury in the 5th houseIn the house of intellect Mercury is at home: the classical texts give a sharp, learned mind, skill in mathematics, writing or advising, intelligent children and success as a counsellor.
- Mercury in the 6th houseMercury in the 6th fights with words: the texts read victory over rivals through intelligence and success in service that needs analysis, along with a tendency to argue and worry, and nervous or skin complaints.
- Mercury in the 7th houseIn the house of marriage and partnership Mercury gives an intelligent, communicative partner and success in trade and contracts: the classical texts describe a learned native, a well-matched spouse and gains through business partnerships.
- Mercury in the 8th houseMercury in the 8th thrives on what is hidden: unusually for this house, the texts give it long life, renown, a talent for research and gains through inheritance or a partner's resources, with a mind drawn to investigation, astrology and psychology.
- Mercury in the 9th houseMercury in the 9th gives a scholar's mind: the texts describe learning, eloquence, good conduct and wealth, with a faith that is reasoned rather than inherited.
- Mercury in the 10th houseMercury in the 10th builds a career on intelligence: the texts describe wisdom, wealth, good work and recognition, and an unafflicted Mercury here forms Amala yoga, the yoga of a spotless reputation.
- Mercury in the 11th houseIn the house of gains Mercury earns through trade, networks and intellect: the classical texts describe wealth, long life, learned friends and wishes fulfilled.
- Mercury in the 12th houseMercury in the 12th keeps its plans private: the texts mention money spent on learning or travel and a secretive or anxious mind, while the same placement suits foreign languages, work abroad, research in solitude and the study of spiritual texts.
- Chant the Mercury mantra: Om Braam Breem Braum Sah Budhaya Namah. Sit facing east after sunrise — Wednesday is the strongest day for it. Chant 3 malas a day (324 repetitions), keeping count on a 108-bead mala. Keep it up for 40 days without a break — that completes the traditional 9,000.
- Give a Mercury donation. Give green vegetables, books, green cloth on Wednesday, before noon. Offer it to a student or someone studying, or to anyone in genuine need. Give quietly, in person, without expecting thanks.
- Daily practice for Mercury. Feed green fodder to a cow; never speak harshly to a child. Keep it up every day for 40 days — consistency is the remedy.
Which mahadasha you are in, and when Mercury mahadasha begins or ends for you, depends on the Moon's nakshatra at birth. The dasha calculator gives every period with dates.
Common questions
How long is Mercury mahadasha?
17 years, in the 120-year Vimshottari cycle.
What is the order of antardashas in Mercury mahadasha?
Mercury → Ketu → Venus → Sun → Moon → Mars → Rahu → Jupiter → Saturn. The first is Mercury's own (2y 4m 27d).
Is Mercury mahadasha good or bad?
It depends on Mercury in your chart — the house it occupies, its sign, and which houses it rules for your lagna. The tables above show each of these.
How do I know if I am in Mercury mahadasha?
Enter your birth date, time and place in the dasha calculator; it lists every mahadasha and antardasha with dates.