Kundli matching
Kundli matching: the 36 gunas, nadi, bhakoot and 10 porutham, explained
Kundli matching (guna milan) compares the Moon in two birth charts. Families have used it for centuries as a first screen before a marriage. It is not a verdict on a relationship, and it is far less mysterious than it is often made to sound. Here is exactly how it is scored.
In short
Ashtakoota compares the two Moon signs and birth stars across eight kootas worth 36 points. Eighteen is the traditional minimum, and nadi (8 points) and bhakoot (7) carry the most weight. South India uses 10 poruthams instead, with rajju often treated as essential. Across every possible pairing of Moon positions, 68% reach 18 gunas, a third have nadi dosha and about half have bhakoot dosha.
The eight kootas and their 36 points
Each koota compares one feature of the two Moons. Five read the birth stars or signs directly; graha maitri compares the planets that rule the two Moon signs. The points add up to 36.
| Koota | Points | Compares | Read for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varna वर्ण | 1 | Moon sign | Outlook and the way each partner approaches duty |
| Vashya वश्य | 2 | Moon sign | Mutual attraction and influence |
| Tara तारा | 3 | Birth star (nakshatra) | How the birth stars support each other |
| Yoni योनि | 4 | Birth star | Physical and instinctive compatibility |
| Graha Maitri ग्रह मैत्री | 5 | Lords of the Moon signs | Mental rapport and shared values |
| Gana गण | 6 | Birth star | Temperament |
| Bhakoot भकूट | 7 | Moon signs, counted from each other | Family welfare, prosperity and emotional harmony |
| Nadi नाड़ी | 8 | Birth star | Constitution and, traditionally, progeny |
| Total | 36 |
Tara counts from one birth star to the other in both directions: a remainder (out of nine) of 3, 5 or 7 scores nothing, anything else 1.5 points each way. Bhakoot scores 0 when the Moon signs are 2 and 12, 5 and 9, or 6 and 8 signs apart. Nadi scores 0 when both stars share the same nadi. Some tables rank the air signs above the earth signs for varna; the difference is at most one point.
How many gunas should match?
Traditionally, at least 18: half of 36. Above that there is no single standard. Popular sources call a score “very good” anywhere from 21 to 32, so the same total can sound average on one site and excellent on another.
We scored every possible pairing of the 108 Moon padas, groom by bride, with the app’s own matching code. The result puts the threshold in perspective: the average pairing scores 20.6, and 68% of all pairings reach 18.
Show the numbers
| Total | Pairings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 2.5 | 28 | 0.2% |
| 3 to 3.5 | 64 | 0.5% |
| 4 to 4.5 | 40 | 0.3% |
| 5 to 5.5 | 40 | 0.3% |
| 6 to 6.5 | 48 | 0.4% |
| 7 to 7.5 | 33 | 0.3% |
| 8 to 8.5 | 106 | 0.9% |
| 9 to 9.5 | 127 | 1.1% |
| 10 to 10.5 | 181 | 1.6% |
| 11 to 11.5 | 284 | 2.4% |
| 12 to 12.5 | 460 | 3.9% |
| 13 to 13.5 | 314 | 2.7% |
| 14 to 14.5 | 358 | 3.1% |
| 15 to 15.5 | 403 | 3.5% |
| 16 to 16.5 | 578 | 5.0% |
| 17 to 17.5 | 646 | 5.5% |
| 18 to 18.5 | 629 | 5.4% |
| 19 to 19.5 | 705 | 6.0% |
| 20 to 20.5 | 749 | 6.4% |
| 21 to 21.5 | 582 | 5.0% |
| 22 to 22.5 | 543 | 4.7% |
| 23 to 23.5 | 517 | 4.4% |
| 24 to 24.5 | 798 | 6.8% |
| 25 to 25.5 | 729 | 6.3% |
| 26 to 26.5 | 805 | 6.9% |
| 27 to 27.5 | 552 | 4.7% |
| 28 to 28.5 | 665 | 5.7% |
| 29 to 29.5 | 186 | 1.6% |
| 30 to 30.5 | 206 | 1.8% |
| 31 to 31.5 | 100 | 0.9% |
| 32 to 32.5 | 24 | 0.2% |
| 33 to 33.5 | 76 | 0.7% |
| 34 to 34.5 | 68 | 0.6% |
| 35 to 35.5 | 12 | 0.1% |
| 36 | 8 | 0.1% |
| Result, over all 11,664 pairings | Share |
|---|---|
| 18 gunas or more | 68% |
| 24 gunas or more | 36% |
| 28 gunas or more | 12% |
| Nadi dosha (0 of 8) | 33% |
| Bhakoot dosha (0 of 7) | 49% |
So a score of 18 is not a high bar, and a score of 30 is not a guarantee. What usually decides a traditional reading is which kootas failed: a pairing at 20 with no nadi or bhakoot dosha is often read more favourably than one at 26 with nadi dosha.
Nadi dosha and bhakoot dosha, and their exceptions
These two kootas carry 15 of the 36 points between them, and losing either is called a dosha. Both have exceptions that texts and regional practice describe differently. The ones most often cited:
| Dosha | When it occurs | Exceptions commonly cited |
|---|---|---|
| Nadi dosha | Both birth stars in the same nadi (Adi, Madhya or Antya): 33% of pairings | Both Moons in the same sign but different nakshatras; the same nakshatra but different Moon signs; the same nakshatra in different padas (in some traditions); Moon sign lords that are the same or friends |
| Bhakoot dosha | Moon signs 2/12, 5/9 or 6/8 apart: 49% of pairings | The two Moon signs share a lord, or their lords are mutual friends |
JyotishiVani shows each koota with its points and whether it agrees, so you can see exactly which part of a total is missing, rather than a single number.
Manglik dosha in matching
Many families also compare Manglik status, from the position of Mars. Definitions vary so much that, depending on the rule, between 42% and 88% of all people count as Manglik before any exceptions. The app shows both partners’ Manglik status next to the koota table, with the exceptions that apply. Read the full guide to Manglik dosha.
South India: the 10 poruthams
In Tamil Nadu, Kerala and nearby regions, matching checks ten agreements (poruthams) instead of adding points. Each is present or absent. Rajju is very often treated as essential, and vedha as a pair to avoid; how many of the ten a family looks for varies by region and community.
| Porutham | What it checks |
|---|---|
| Dina | Day-to-day harmony, from the count between the birth stars |
| Gana | Temperament (Deva, Manushya, Rakshasa) |
| Mahendra | Prosperity and the welfare of children |
| Stree Deergha | Well-being of the bride, from the distance between the stars |
| Yoni | Physical compatibility (the animal of each star) |
| Rasi | The relationship between the two Moon signs |
| Rasi Adhipathi | Friendship between the Moon sign lords |
| Vasya | Mutual attraction |
| Rajju | Longevity of the marriage; the same rajju is traditionally avoided |
| Vedha | Pairs of stars that obstruct each other |
Matching by name, and why the birth time matters
Matching “by name” guesses each person’s birth star from the first syllable of their name. That is a naming tradition, not a calculation, so it can disagree with the real position of the Moon. Matching by birth details uses the actual Moon.
The Moon moves about half a degree an hour. With a birth time uncertain by two hours either way, the Moon’s nakshatra changes in roughly one chart in six, its pada in about two in three, and its sign in about one in fourteen. JyotishiVani needs a time within about two hours for both people, and shows “Not settled because a birth time is uncertain” for any koota the uncertainty could change.
What a score can and cannot tell you
Kundli matching compares two Moons. It does not measure shared values, communication, kindness or commitment, and no score can promise or rule out a happy marriage. The app says so on the matching screen: matching is screening information, not a verdict on your relationship.
Kundli matching in the JyotishiVani app
- Choose a saved person (their details are stored only with consent) or add someone new.
- Pick your role in the classical tables and the system: Ashtakoota (36 gunas) or 10 porutham.
- See each koota with its points, what it compares and whether it agrees, and both partners’ Manglik check.
- Ask Vani about your match: what lowered the score, which exceptions apply, what the charts show beyond the Moon.
Questions about matching
How many gunas should match for marriage?
Traditionally at least 18 of the 36, half the total. Above 18 there is no single standard: popular sources call a score "very good" anywhere from 21 to 32. Across all 11,664 possible pairings of Moon padas, 68% reach 18, so the score alone says less than it seems; nadi and bhakoot are given particular weight.
Is 18 gunas good enough?
Eighteen is the traditional minimum, not a grade. A pairing at 18 with no nadi or bhakoot dosha is usually read more favourably than 25 with nadi dosha. The individual kootas, and both charts as a whole, matter more than the total.
What is nadi dosha, and can it be cancelled?
Nadi dosha is when both birth stars share the same nadi (Adi, Madhya or Antya), which scores 0 of the 8 nadi points. It occurs in exactly a third of pairings. Commonly cited exceptions include both Moons in the same sign with different nakshatras, the same nakshatra with different Moon signs, and Moon sign lords that are the same or friends. Texts and regions differ on which exceptions count.
Is kundli matching needed for a love marriage?
That is a family decision, not an astrological rule. Matching is a screening tradition: it compares the two Moons, not values, communication or commitment. JyotishiVani presents it as information to discuss, never as a verdict on a relationship.
Can kundli matching be done by name, or without a birth time?
Matching by name guesses each birth star from the first syllable of the name, so it can differ from the real Moon nakshatra. Matching by birth details is exact if the time is good to within about two hours: the Moon moves about half a degree an hour, and a two-hour error can change the nakshatra in roughly one chart in six. When a time is uncertain, the app marks the kootas that depend on it.
What is the difference between Ashtakoota and porutham?
Ashtakoota, used mostly in North India, scores eight kootas out of 36 points. Porutham, used in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and nearby regions, checks ten agreements, each simply present or absent, and treats some, especially rajju, as essential. The app lets you choose either.