Almost every family asks for kundli milan before taking a rishta forward. The most common method is Ashtakoot guna milan, which compares the Moon's position in the two birth charts and gives a score out of 36. Knowing what the number is made of helps a family read it calmly.
Where the score comes from
At the moment of birth the Moon sits in one of twelve rashis and one of twenty-seven nakshatras. Guna milan compares the rashi and nakshatra of the boy and the girl on eight separate points, called kootas. Each koota carries a different weight.
The eight kootas
- Varna (1 point): outlook towards work and duty.
- Vashya (2 points): mutual influence and attraction.
- Tara (3 points): health and good fortune.
- Yoni (4 points): physical and emotional nature.
- Graha Maitri (5 points): friendship of the two Moon sign lords, which reflects thinking and companionship.
- Gana (6 points): temperament.
- Bhakoot (7 points): family life and prosperity.
- Nadi (8 points): health and children.
Together they add up to 36.
How families usually read the total
Traditionally 18 out of 36 is taken as the minimum. A score above 24 is considered good and above 32 excellent. A lower score does not by itself mean the match is unsuitable, and a high score is not a guarantee.
What the score does not include
Guna milan looks only at the Moon. It does not examine Manglik dosha, which depends on the position of Mars in the full chart, or the strength of other planets. Nadi and Bhakoot dosha also have traditional exceptions, called parihar, that only a full reading can apply.
Use it as a guide
The sensible way is to treat guna milan as one input. Check the score, note any dosha, and then show both kundlis to the family pandit. Gotra is a separate check; see gotra and nanihal gotra. And remember what elders have always said: the kundli is matched once, but the two families have to match every day.
You can try the free guna milan tool on this site with only the birth date and time of both.