What is the Sun mahadasha?
The Sun mahadasha (Surya mahadasha, Surya dasha) is the 6-year period ruled by the Sun in the Vimshottari dasha system, the 120-year cycle of planetary periods used in Vedic astrology. Surya is the king among the planets and the soul of the chart. He stands for authority, recognition, the father, vitality and leadership, which is why his period is so often about standing and responsibility.
It is the shortest of the nine periods. It comes after the 20-year Venus period and before the 10-year Moon period, and runs through nine sub-periods (antardashas), from Sun–Sun to Sun–Venus. How it goes depends on the Sun’s sign, house and company in your chart.
Quick answers
- How long is it? 6 years, the shortest period of all, with nine antardashas from about 3½ months (Sun) to 1 year (Venus).
- Is it good? When the Sun is strong: exalted in Aries, in his own sign Leo, in a kendra or the 11th, or joined with the lord of the 9th or 10th, tradition expects wealth, honours and recognition.
- When does it ask for care? When the Sun is debilitated in Libra, weak in the 6th, 8th or 12th, or with malefics; a benefic aspect softens it.
- What comes after? The 10-year Moon mahadasha: home, family and the mind.
- When does mine start? It depends on the Moon’s nakshatra at birth. Enter your birth details above for your exact dates.
The Sun mahadasha by the numbers
Because the order of the periods is fixed and only the starting point changes with the Moon at birth, the cycle can be worked out for everyone at once, with the Moon equally likely anywhere in the sky:
Nobody has two Sun mahadashas in a lifetime: the next one is 114 years away. Counting the Sun's sub-periods inside every other mahadasha as well, about 1 in 11 adults are under the Sun's influence at any time. And there is no fixed “Sun age”: when it starts depends entirely on the nakshatra the Moon was in at your birth.
| Moon at birth in | Your Sun mahadasha begins |
|---|---|
| Krittika, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashadha | born in it; over by age 6 |
| Bharani, Purva Phalguni, Purva Ashadha | between birth and 20 |
| Ashwini, Magha, Mula | 20 to 27 |
| Ashlesha, Jyeshtha, Revati | 27 to 44 |
| Pushya, Anuradha, Uttara Bhadrapada | 44 to 63 |
| Punarvasu, Vishakha, Purva Bhadrapada | 63 to 79 |
| Ardra, Swati, Shatabhisha | 79 to 97 |
| Mrigashira, Chitra, Dhanishta | 97 to 104 |
| Rohini, Hasta, Shravana | 104 to 114 |
What decides how your Sun period goes
Tradition judges the Sun’s period by his sign, his house and the planets around him:
- Most rewarding: the Sun exalted in Aries, in his own sign Leo, in a kendra (1st, 4th, 7th, 10th) or the 11th house, or joined with the lord of the 9th or 10th: wealth, honours and recognition from people in authority.
- Special blessings: with the lord of the 5th, children; with the lord of the 2nd, wealth; with the lord of the 4th, home and vehicles.
- Asks for care: the Sun debilitated in Libra, weak in the 6th, 8th or 12th, or with malefics or the lords of those houses: patience with officials, relatives and your father’s health. A benefic aspect brings good times even then.
- The house he rules: the Sun rules one sign, Leo, so one house in your chart comes forward in his period.
The tool above applies all of these to your chart.
Sun mahadasha by house
| The Sun in | Tradition | What his period centres on |
|---|---|---|
| 1st house | Among his best | Confidence, vitality and leadership. People notice you; keep pride in check. |
| 2nd house | Supported | Family standing, wealth through government or authority, and firm speech. |
| 3rd house | Supported | Courage, initiative and success through your own effort. |
| 4th house | Among his best | Home, property and vehicles; a position of authority, sometimes in government. |
| 5th house | Supported | Children, intelligence, leadership in creative or political fields. |
| 6th house | Asks for care | You overcome rivals and do well in service; watch health and avoid conflicts at work. |
| 7th house | Among his best | Partnerships with people of standing; give your partner space and respect. |
| 8th house | Asks for care | Research and change; look after health and avoid disputes with authority. |
| 9th house | Supported | Fortune, father, teachers and dharma; long journeys and higher learning. |
| 10th house | Among his best | One of the Sun's strongest houses: career, recognition and authority. |
| 11th house | Among his best | Gains, influential friends and ambitions fulfilled. |
| 12th house | Asks for care | Expenses, foreign links and rest; plan spending and look after your eyes and sleep. |
The Sun rules only Leo, so for a Leo ascendant he is the lagna lord, for Aries the lord of the 5th, and for Sagittarius the lord of the 9th: three ascendants for whom his period is counted especially good. The tool reads your own houses.
The nine antardashas of the Sun mahadasha
Each sub-period lasts 6 years times the sub-period planet's years, divided by 120, in this order. Your own dates, and how each one reads for your chart, are in the tool above.
Sun mahadasha, Sun (Surya) antardasha · 3 months 18 days
Surya at full strength opens the period.
A strong or well-placed Sun brings gains and steady progress. Weak or in a hidden house, take things steadily and look after your health.
Traditional remedy: worship of Surya Dev, or the Mahamrityunjaya mantra to Bhagwan Shiv.
Sun mahadasha, Moon (Chandra) antardasha · 6 months
Home, family and celebrations.
A well-placed Moon brings family celebrations, often a wedding, a home and comforts. Waning or with malefics, avoid disputes and keep ventures simple.
Traditional remedy: charity towards the care of cows (gau seva).
Sun mahadasha, Mars (Mangal) antardasha · 4 months 6 days
Land, courage and success.
A strong Mars brings land, a house and gains; with your lord of fortune or career, success all round. In a hidden position, avoid quarrels and hasty ventures.
Traditional remedy: Vedic recitation and japa, with charity.
Sun mahadasha, Rahu antardasha · 10 months 24 days
A demanding start that settles.
Even well placed, tradition expects a careful first two months, then comforts and favour from people in authority. In houses of growth, recognition and a good name.
Traditional remedy: worship of Maa Durga, with charity.
Sun mahadasha, Jupiter (Guru) antardasha · 9 months 18 days
Blessings, marriage and fortune.
A strong Jupiter brings a marriage or a birth in the family and ambitions fulfilled; as lord of the 9th or 10th, a rise in position.
Traditional remedy: worship of your Ishta Devata, and a gift of gold or gau seva.
Sun mahadasha, Saturn (Shani) antardasha · 11 months 12 days
Patience and steady effort.
A well-placed Saturn helps you overcome rivals. In a hidden position from the Sun, avoid disputes with relatives and look after your health.
Traditional remedy: the Mahamrityunjaya mantra to Bhagwan Shiv, with charity.
Sun mahadasha, Mercury (Budh) antardasha · 10 months 6 days
Position, pilgrimage and a good name.
A well-placed Mercury brings a rise in position, respect and pious work. In a hidden position, a careful start and better middle months.
Traditional remedy: reciting the Vishnu Sahasranama, and charity of grains.
Sun mahadasha, Ketu antardasha · 4 months 6 days
A short, demanding stretch.
Tradition counts this sub-period as testing unless Ketu is in a house of growth (3rd, 6th, 10th, 11th) or with your ascendant lord. Care for your health and your father.
Traditional remedy: the Durga Saptashati (Chandi path), in devotion to Maa Durga.
Sun mahadasha, Venus (Shukra) antardasha · 1 year
Comforts and relationships close the period.
A strong Venus brings marriage or happiness with your partner, property and a good reputation. It closes the Sun's period and hands over to the Moon.
Traditional remedy: the Mahamrityunjaya mantra and Rudra japa to Bhagwan Shiv, and gau seva.
After the Sun: the Moon (Chandra) mahadasha
The Sun’s period hands over to the Moon’s 10 years. Many people feel the change as a move from duty and standing to home, family and feeling. The last sub-period of the Sun, Venus, brings comforts and relationships before the handover. How your Moon period goes depends on your Moon, which the Moon mahadasha page reads for you; your exact handover date is in the tool above and the dasha calculator.
Sun mahadasha for career, money, family and health
Career. The Sun is the karaka of authority, so his years are about standing: promotions, leadership, government work, administration, politics and medicine. Many people take charge of something in this period.
Money. Gains often come through position, government or a senior role rather than speculation. Spending on status is the Sun's weakness; keep it measured.
Father and family. The Sun signifies the father, so his health and your relationship with him often come forward. Respect for elders is the classic Sun advice.
Marriage. The Sun is not a natural marriage planet, but marriages happen in his period, often in the Moon, Jupiter or Venus sub-periods. Ego clashes are the thing to watch.
Health. The Sun rules vitality, the heart, eyes and bones. Regular check-ups, morning sunlight and steady routines suit him.
Spiritual life. Surya Namaskar, offering water to Surya Dev at sunrise and the Aditya Hridayam are the traditional ways to honour the Sun.
Remedies for the Sun mahadasha
- Offering water (arghya) to Surya Dev at sunrise, and Surya Namaskar.
- The Aditya Hridayam, a hymn to the Sun widely recited for his period.
- The Sun’s mantra, such as “Om Hraam Hreem Hraum Sah Suryaya Namah”, recited with steady daily practice. Tradition sets a full count for it, best guided by a priest.
- Respect and care for your father and elders, and charity of wheat or jaggery on Sundays.
- Gemstones are not a general remedy: a stone that helps one chart can harm another, so we recommend one only in the complete reading, after checking your whole chart, with its cautions.
Each sub-period also has its own traditional remedy, listed with it above and in your reading.
Questions about the Sun mahadasha
How long is the Sun mahadasha?
Six years, the shortest of the nine Vimshottari periods. It follows the 20-year Venus mahadasha and is followed by the 10-year Moon mahadasha. If you were born with the Moon in Krittika, Uttara Phalguni or Uttara Ashadha, your life began in the Sun period, so it was over by the age of six.
Is the Sun mahadasha good?
When the Sun is strong. Exalted in Aries, in his own sign Leo, in a kendra or the 11th, or joined with the lord of the 9th or 10th, tradition expects wealth, honours and recognition. Debilitated in Libra, weak in the 6th, 8th or 12th, or with malefics, the period asks for more care, though a benefic aspect brings good times even then.
Is the Sun mahadasha good for government jobs?
The Sun is the planet of authority and government, so when he is strong, tradition links his period to recognition from people in authority and positions of responsibility. Whether a particular job comes depends on your 10th house and the sub-periods running.
Which antardasha of the Sun mahadasha is best?
There is no single answer for everyone. Each of the nine sub-periods is judged by where its planet sits from your ascendant and from the Sun. The tool above reads all nine for your chart and shows your easiest stretches and the ones that need the most care.
Does the Sun mahadasha affect the father?
The Sun signifies the father, so his health and your relationship with him often come forward in this period. Tradition advises respect and care for him, especially when the Sun is weak in your chart.
What happens after the Sun mahadasha ends?
The Moon mahadasha begins: 10 years of home, family, the mind and the public. How it goes depends on your Moon, which the Moon mahadasha page reads for you.
What if the Sun is debilitated in my chart?
The Sun in Libra is his sign of weakness, so his period asks for patience in matters of standing and with officials. It is not a bad period by itself: other factors in the chart can offset it, which a full reading checks.
Surya ki mahadasha kitne saal ki hoti hai?
Surya ki mahadasha 6 saal ki hoti hai, sabse chhoti mahadasha. Iske andar nau antardashas aati hain, Surya–Surya se shuru hokar Surya–Shukra par khatam. Uske baad Chandra ki 10 saal ki mahadasha shuru hoti hai. Aapki apni dates upar ke tool mein dekh sakte hain.
Surya ki mahadasha kaisi hoti hai?
Yeh aapki kundli mein Surya ki sthiti par nirbhar hai. Surya uchch (Mesh), swarashi (Singh), kendra ya 11th bhav mein ho to parampara maan-samman, dhan aur sarkar se laabh maanti hai. Neech (Tula) ya 6th, 8th, 12th bhav mein kamzor ho to zyada dhyan rakhna padta hai.
Surya ki mahadasha ke upay kya hain?
Subah Surya Dev ko arghya dena, Surya Namaskar, Aditya Hridayam ka path, Surya ke mantra ka jaap, pita aur bado ka samman, aur Raviwaar ko gehun ya gud ka daan. Ratna (gemstone) sirf poori kundli dekhkar hi chuna ja sakta hai, isliye hum use complete reading mein hi batate hain.
More periods: the Venus (Shukra) mahadasha that comes before the Sun, the Moon (Chandra) mahadasha that follows, the Jupiter (Guru) mahadasha, the Mercury (Budh) mahadasha, the Mars (Mangal) mahadasha, the Rahu mahadasha, the Shani (Saturn) mahadasha, the Ketu mahadasha, and all nine of yours in the dasha calculator.