Gun Milan, or Ashtakoota matching, is the traditional first step in comparing two horoscopes for marriage. It uses only the Moon sign and birth nakshatra of each person, and scores eight areas of compatibility for a total of 36 points.
The eight kootas
| Koota | Points | What it represents |
|---|---|---|
| Varna | 1 | Work and ego compatibility |
| Vashya | 2 | Mutual attraction and influence |
| Tara | 3 | Health and wellbeing |
| Yoni | 4 | Physical and intimate compatibility |
| Graha Maitri | 5 | Mental compatibility and friendship |
| Gana | 6 | Temperament |
| Bhakoot | 7 | Family welfare and finances |
| Nadi | 8 | Health of children and genes |
What score is good?
- Below 18: traditionally not recommended without detailed analysis
- 18 to 24: acceptable
- 25 to 32: very good
- 33 to 36: excellent
A high score does not guarantee a good marriage, and a lower score does not rule one out.
The important doshas
- Nadi dosha: both partners have the same Nadi, giving 0 of 8 points. It is taken seriously, but classical texts list several exceptions.
- Bhakoot dosha: certain Moon sign pairings (2-12, 5-9, 6-8 apart) give 0 of 7 points.
- Gana dosha: very different temperaments, such as Deva with Rakshasa.
The limits of Gun Milan
Gun Milan looks only at the Moon. A full compatibility check also looks at both lagnas, the 7th house, Venus, Manglik status and the dashas each person will run in the coming years. Use the score as a starting point for a conversation, not a verdict.
How the kootas are calculated
Each koota compares one property of the two birth nakshatras or Moon signs:
- Varna, Vashya, Bhakoot, Graha Maitri use the Moon signs and their ruling planets.
- Tara, Yoni, Gana, Nadi use the birth nakshatras.
For example, Gana sorts the 27 nakshatras into Deva (divine), Manushya (human) and Rakshasa (fierce) temperaments. Two people of the same Gana score the full 6 points.
North and South Indian matching
North India mostly uses Ashtakoota (36 points). South India often uses Dashakoota or Porutham, which checks ten factors such as Dinam, Ganam, Rasi, Rajju and Vedha, and treats Rajju (similar to Nadi) as especially important. The principles overlap, but scores are not directly comparable between the two systems.
Using Rekha's matching
Rekha calculates the 36-point Ashtakoota score, shows each koota, and checks Manglik status for both. On Premium plans it adds a plain-language explanation in your language.