Nepal & Nepali jyotish

Kundali Milan — Ashtakoota (36 guna) explained

Ashtakoota Gun Milan scores a match out of 36 points across eight tests, or kootas, computed almost entirely from the two Moons — specifically from the nakshatra and rashi the Moon occupies in each chart. The total is the headline, but the points are unevenly distributed, so two matches with the same score can be very different cases.

Sarathi Services TeamUpdated 8 September 2026

Written and reviewed by the team that builds the Jyotish Sarathi calculation engine.

Key takeaways

Eight kootas, 36 points total, computed from the Moon's nakshatra and rashi in each chart.
The weights are uneven: Nadi 8, Bhakoot 7, Gana 6, Maitri 5, Yoni 4, Tara 3, Vashya 2, Varna 1.
Nadi and Bhakoot alone are 15 of the 36 — which is why a "good total" can hide the two objections that traditionally matter most.
Conventional guidance treats 18 or more as workable, but the composition matters more than the number.
The score is one input to a reading, not the reading. The charts, the dasha and the D9 belong in the judgement.

What the eight kootas are

Koota	Points	What it compares
Varna	1	Broad temperament grouping derived from the Moon's rashi
Vashya	2	Relative dominance between the two Moon rashis
Tara	3	Counted distance between the two Moon nakshatras — read for mutual wellbeing
Yoni	4	Animal symbol of each Moon nakshatra — read for physical compatibility
Graha Maitri	5	Friendship between the lords of the two Moon rashis — mental affinity
Gana	6	Deva / Manushya / Rakshasa grouping of the Moon nakshatras — disposition
Bhakoot	7	Positional relationship between the two Moon rashis — read for prosperity and family life
Nadi	8	Aadi / Madhya / Antya grouping — traditionally read for progeny and health

Note what is not in the list: the lagna, the seventh house, Mars, the D9 chart, the dasha. Ashtakoota is a Moon-based screen, and it was designed as a first filter, not as the whole analysis.

Why the total can mislead

Because the weights are uneven, the same total can be reached in very different ways. Consider two matches that both score 20:

Match A scores full marks on Nadi (8) and Bhakoot (7) and loses points on the small kootas. Traditionally, this is the more comfortable case.
Match B scores zero on Nadi and Bhakoot but full marks on everything else — 21 points from the six lighter kootas. The number looks similar; the traditional objection is far more serious.

This is why a matching screen that shows only the total is doing you a disservice, and why the matching module prints the points koota by koota.

Bhakoot dosha and Nadi dosha

These are the two objections that come up in practice. Bhakoot dosha arises from certain positional relationships between the two Moon rashis; Nadi dosha arises when both charts fall in the same nadi group. Classical practice recognises exceptions and cancellations for both — for instance, some Bhakoot combinations are treated as cancelled when the rashi lords are friendly or identical. Whether a cancellation applies in a given case is a judgement, not an arithmetic step, and a competent astrologer will look at the whole chart before pronouncing.

How the score is read conventionally

Total	Conventional reading
Below 18	Traditionally considered weak; examine the charts closely before advising
18–24	Considered acceptable
25–32	Considered good
Above 32	Considered very good

Treat these bands as convention rather than law. Different lineages draw the lines differently, and every one of them subordinates the number to the chart reading.

What belongs in a match reading beyond the 36 guna

1Both D1 charts — the lagna, the seventh house and its lord, and the condition of Venus and Jupiter.
2Both D9 (Navamsha) charts — the varga traditionally read for marriage. See divisional charts.
3Both dasha timelines — an otherwise reasonable match in a difficult period for one person is a timing question, not a compatibility one. See Vimshottari dasha.
4Mangal / Kuja considerations, where the tradition being followed uses them.
5The settings. Bhakoot and Nadi both depend on the Moon's nakshatra and rashi, which shift with the ayanamsha. A match scored under Lahiri and one scored under Raman can genuinely differ — so keep the setting fixed across a family's charts. See what is ayanamsha.

In Jyotish Sarathi

The kundali matching module shows the koota-by-koota breakdown, both lagna and Navamsha charts, both dasha systems and a joint faladesh in one view — so the reading can be done on the charts rather than on the number alone.

Frequently asked questions

How many guna are needed for marriage?

Conventionally 18 or more out of 36 is treated as acceptable. But the composition matters more than the total: Nadi (8 points) and Bhakoot (7 points) are 15 of the 36, so a match can reach 20 while failing both of the objections that traditionally weigh most.

What is Bhakoot dosha?

It arises from certain positional relationships between the Moon rashis of the two charts, and is traditionally read as an objection concerning prosperity and family life. Classical practice recognises cancellations in some combinations, which is a judgement made on the full chart rather than an arithmetic rule.

Is Ashtakoota based only on the Moon?

Almost entirely — all eight kootas derive from the nakshatra and rashi of the Moon in each chart. That is why it is a first filter rather than a complete compatibility analysis, and why the D1, D9 and dasha still need to be read.

Does the ayanamsha affect the guna score?

Yes. Nadi, Bhakoot, Gana, Yoni and Tara all depend on the Moon's nakshatra or rashi, and the ayanamsha shifts the Moon's computed longitude. Score both charts under the same setting and record which one you used.

In the app

Kundali matching (Gun Milan)