How to read a dasha timeline
The dasha timeline lists each mahadasha with its start and end dates, and under it the antardashas. Read it from top to bottom, starting from the period that contains today's date.
What it is
Each row gives a graha, its start and end, and its length in years. The period that is running now is the row whose start is before today and whose end is after today.
How it is worked out or read
A period tells you the time frame in which a graha is the ruling lord. It does not, by itself, say what will happen. The traditional texts give meanings for each graha, and those are on the graha pages.
Where it appears on this site
The timeline is in the dasha tool. The graha dasha years article lists each length.
Reading the layout
A timeline usually lists each mahadasha on its own line, with its graha, its start date, its end date and its length in years. The antardashas for each mahadasha are shown beneath it, in the same order. Reading from the top down follows the sequence of life, and the reader can find the current period by locating today's date between a start and an end. The rows are in date order, so the eye can move down the page to the present.
Some timelines show the period that is running with a marker, and some show the age of the person at the start of each period. The reader should check which of these conventions is used and whether the dates are in the civil calendar or the panchang day, since they can differ slightly at the edges.
Finding the current period
To find the current period, locate the mahadasha whose start is before today and whose end is after today. Then look beneath it for the antardasha whose dates contain today. The pair of lords is the active combination for the day. A reader who wants the precise day can check the end dates of both, because an antardasha can end in the middle of a month and the change of combination matters for that day.
Remember that the timeline changes only at the boundaries, so most days fall within the same combination for weeks or months. The reader can plan with the boundary dates in view, and does not need to recheck every day.
Reading responsibly
A timeline is a calculation of periods and not a set of events. Reading it well means noting which graha is active, what the chart says about that graha, and what the rest of life is showing, without assuming that the period decides the outcome. The site presents the timeline as the calculated structure, and any description of what a period means is labelled as traditional.
Reading across several years
When a reader scans a timeline across many years, it helps to look for the boundaries first. Each boundary marks a change of mahadasha, and the stretches between boundaries are the periods of one lord. Noting the boundaries gives the outline of the whole life, and the antardashas fill in the detail. A reader who starts with the outline avoids being overwhelmed by the many small rows.
It also helps to mark a few dates the reader already knows, such as a marriage or a move. Seeing where those dates fall in the timeline makes the structure concrete and shows the reader how the periods relate to the known events, which is a useful check on the reading.