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Ashtakoot matching: the 8 kootas, 36 gunas and how many should match
How kundli matching scores two charts: each of the eight kootas, how its gunas are given, what the total means, and a worked example from the book.
In short
Ashtakoot matching scores two charts on eight kootas (Varna, Vashya, Tara, Yoni, Graha Maitri, Gana, Bhakoot and Nadi), read from each person's Moon sign and nakshatra, for a total of 36 gunas. By K. S. Charak's bands, 24 to 36 gunas is an excellent match, 12 to 24 average, and under 12 generally not recommended; strict adherence is not needed when the two charts are otherwise favourable (p. 452).
What are the 8 kootas and their gunas?
| Koota | Gunas | Read from | What it looks at | How the points are given |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Varna | 1 | Moon sign | Outlook and work | 1 when the groom's varna is the same as the bride's or higher. |
| Vashya | 2 | Moon sign | Mutual attraction and give-and-take | 2 when both Moon signs are in the same group; less as the groups differ. |
| Tara | 3 | Nakshatra | Wellbeing and fortune together | Counted from each one's nakshatra to the other's: 1½ each way, unless the count falls on a bad tara. |
| Yoni | 4 | Nakshatra | Physical closeness | 4 for the same animal yoni; 0 for enemy animals. |
| Graha Maitri | 5 | Lords of the Moon signs | Friendship and understanding | 5 when the two sign lords are the same or friends; less as friendship drops. |
| Gana | 6 | Nakshatra | Temperament | 6 for the same gana (Deva, Manushya or Rakshasa); less across them. |
| Bhakoot | 7 | Moon signs, counted apart | Family life and prosperity | 7, unless the Moon signs are 2/12, 6/8 or 5/9 apart (then 0). |
| Nadi | 8 | Nakshatra | Health and children, traditionally | 8 for different nadis; 0 for the same, unless the Moons share a sign but not a star, or a star but not a sign (p. 460). |
K. S. Charak, Elements of Vedic Astrology, ch. XXVII pp. 452-460. The tables are read with the bride's sign or star in the rows and the groom's in the columns.
How many gunas should match?
| Gunas matched | Charak's reading (p. 452) |
|---|---|
| 24 to 36 | Excellent match |
| 12 to 24 | Average ("only mediocre") |
| Under 12 | Generally not recommended |
Many families also use 18, half of 36, as a minimum. That is a custom, not the book's band.
A worked example from the book
The groom's Moon is in Moola nakshatra (Sagittarius); the bride's in Uttara Bhadrapada (Pisces). Astrojar's engine gives the same 24 gunas as the book (p. 462).
| Koota | Groom | Bride | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varna | Kshatriya | Brahmin | 0 of 1 |
| Vashya | Manava | Jalachara | ½ of 2 |
| Tara | 1½ of 3 | ||
| Yoni | Shwana (dog) | Gau (cow) | 2 of 4 |
| Graha Maitri | Jupiter | Jupiter | 5 of 5 |
| Gana | Rakshasa | Manushya | 0 of 6 |
| Bhakoot | Sagittarius | Pisces | 7 of 7 |
| Nadi | Adya | Madhya | 8 of 8 |
| Total | 24 of 36 |
What else is checked besides the gunas?
The guna score looks only at the two Moons. A full match also checks Mangal dosha (kuja dosha) on both sides, and each person's 7th house and its lord, the house of marriage. Gana and the other nakshatra kootas need the Moon's exact position, so they need the date, time and place of birth, not the date alone.
Questions about ashtakoot matching
What is ashtakoot matching?
Ashtakoot ("eight kootas") matching compares two birth charts on eight factors, all read from the Moon sign and the nakshatra of the Moon. The factors carry 1 to 8 gunas each, 36 in all (K. S. Charak, Elements of Vedic Astrology, p. 452).
How many gunas should match for a successful marriage?
By K. S. Charak's bands, 24 to 36 gunas is an excellent match, 12 to 24 an average one, and under 12 is generally not advised (p. 452). Many families use 18, half of 36, as their own minimum.
Is 18 gunas a good match?
18 sits in the book's average band (12 to 24). It is not a bad match: Charak says strict adherence is not necessary when the two charts are otherwise favourable (p. 452).
What is Nadi dosha, and is it cancelled?
Nadi dosha is scoring 0 of 8 in Nadi because both Moons are in the same nadi. It does not apply when the two Moons are in the same sign but different nakshatras, or the same nakshatra but different signs (p. 460).
What is Bhakoot dosha?
Bhakoot gives 0 of 7 when the two Moon signs are 2 and 12, 6 and 8, or 5 and 9 apart. It is one koota of eight.
Do love marriages need kundli matching?
Charak notes that the scriptures hold a marriage of true mutual love needs no matching of charts (p. 450). Many couples still check it for their families.
Does a high guna score guarantee a good marriage?
No. Ashtakoot is the traditional check; Astrojar has not measured it against how marriages turned out, so it reports the score with Mangal dosha on both sides and the 7th house, never as a promise.
Keep learning
- Mangal dosha (kuja dosha) Meaning, how to check it, and cancellations.
- 7th house in astrology Marriage, partners and the 7th lord.
- Moon in astrology The Moon sign and nakshatra the kootas are read from.
- Kundli Matching Report Both charts matched: the 36 gunas and Mangal dosha on both sides.
- More from the Astrojar blog Guides to reading your own chart, with sources.
- Star matching for marriage Free tool: the 36 gunas from two birth nakshatras, with the same tables.
- Zodiac sign compatibility The points two Moon signs decide, and Bhakoot dosha.
Sources
- K. S. Charak, Elements of Vedic Astrology, ch. XXVII pp. 450-462 (matching the traditional way; the koota tables, p. 460 the Nadi exceptions, p. 462 the worked example).
- BPHS ch. 11 sl. 8 (the 7th house: spouse and marriage).
Page numbers follow the edition of K. S. Charak's Elements of Vedic Astrology that Astrojar's engine was built from.
This is the traditional reading of the classical texts, given for learning and reflection. It is not a prediction for you, and not medical, legal or financial advice.
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