Narayana Dasha is also sign-based, but it appears in Parashara's classical text (Chapter 46) and uses different seed and duration rules than K.N. Rao's Chara Dasha. Both are "Jaimini Sutras" in spirit, but they are NOT the same.
Narayana Dasha may start from Lagna, or from the 7th, or whichever is stronger—creating different timelines even for the same birth chart. Duration is calculated similarly to Chara (sign → lord), but Parashara adds special rules:
• Lord in own sign = 12 years (same as Chara).
• Lord exalted = add 1 year to the duration.
• Lord debilitated = subtract 1 year.
• Lord retrograde = special adjustments (varies by commentary).
Antardasha in Narayana uses fixed 12-part divisions (not proportional like Vimshottari), so each antardasha is 1/12 of the mahadasha period.
Key difference from Chara: Narayana is more conservative; it respects classical Parashara strength (exaltation, debilitation) and adds/subtracts years accordingly. Chara is more purely positional (count from sign to lord).
When should you use Narayana vs Chara? Both. Jaimini scholars debate which is "correct." The pragmatic approach: compute both and see which one aligns with your client's life events. Some charts respond to Chara; others to Narayana.
The calculator computes Narayana periods. You will compare Narayana and Chara timelines for the same chart to see which correlates better with known events.
Its source and status. Narayana Dasha is set out in Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra rather than in the Jaimini sutras, which is why it sits somewhat awkwardly in a Jaimini curriculum. It is nonetheless a sign dasha and is used alongside Chara by most practitioners of the system.
How it differs from Chara. Both are sign-based, but the rules for sequence and duration differ, so the two can place the same life event in different periods. Narayana Dasha is often described as reading the unfolding of the chart's promise, where Chara reads the native's changing circumstances.
Which chart to run it from. Narayana Dasha can be computed from the rasi chart or from a divisional chart, and the choice changes the output. Running it from the D9 for marriage matters or the D10 for career is common practice, but the practitioner should state which chart was used.
On competing implementations. Software implementations of Narayana Dasha differ, because the classical rules admit more than one reading. Before trusting any output, check the program's documentation, and be cautious about comparing results computed by different tools.