Ashtakoot Guna Milan Explained: The 8 Kootas, 36 Points and What Scores Mean
Ashtakoot Guna Milan scores two Moon nakshatras across eight kootas worth 36 points. Learn what each koota measures, what the 18-point rule means, and why the total is only a starting point.
Ashtakoot Guna Milan is the traditional Indian method for comparing two horoscopes before marriage. It scores the couple’s Moon positions across eight factors called kootas, which add up to 36 points. This guide explains what each koota measures, what the 18-point rule means, and why the total is only a starting point. A worked example you can check by hand follows.
What Guna Milan actually uses
Guna Milan compares only the Moon: the Moon’s nakshatra and the Moon’s sign for each person. Nothing else in the chart enters the score. Because the Moon moves about 13° a day, an accurate birth time matters, since a few hours can move the Moon into a different nakshatra. Classical texts list more compatibility tests than these eight, such as Rajju and Vedha, but the eight-koota system is the one most calculators use.
The eight kootas and their points
- Varna (1 point): spiritual temperament and ego balance.
- Vashya (2 points): mutual attraction and influence.
- Tara (3 points): birth-star harmony, linked in tradition to wellbeing.
- Yoni (4 points): physical and instinctive compatibility, described through animal symbols.
- Graha Maitri (5 points): friendship between the lords of the two Moon signs, read as mental rapport.
- Gana (6 points): temperament, classed as Deva, Manushya or Rakshasa.
- Bhakoot (7 points): emotional, family and financial harmony, taken from the distance between the two Moon signs.
- Nadi (8 points): health and lineage, based on one of three Nadi types.
The weights run from 1 to 8 and add up to 36. Gana, Bhakoot and Nadi together carry 21 of the 36 points, which is why traditional sources give those three extra attention.
What the score is said to mean
Sources use slightly different bands, but the common reading is that 18 out of 36 (50%) is the conventional minimum, 18 to 24 is average, 25 to 32 is good, and above 32 is excellent. Scores below 18 are traditionally discouraged. A perfect 36 is uncommon, and nothing in the system claims it guarantees a happy marriage.
A worked example
Suppose one partner’s Moon is in Pushya nakshatra (sign Cancer) and the other’s is in Hasta nakshatra (sign Virgo).
Nadi. The 27 nakshatras are assigned to the three Nadis in a repeating zigzag: Adi, Madhya, Antya, Antya, Madhya, Adi, and so on. Under the standard table Pushya is Madhya and Hasta is Adi. Different Nadis mean the full 8 points. If both had the same Nadi, the score would be 0 and the combination would be called Nadi dosha.
Bhakoot. Cancer is the 4th sign and Virgo the 6th. Counting from Cancer to Virgo gives the 3rd, and counting back gives the 11th. The pairings that score zero are 6/8, 5/9 and 2/12, so 3/11 passes and earns the full 7 points.
These two heavy kootas already give 15 of the 36 points. The other six still need lookup tables, and some depend on the source. For instance, the Moon (lord of Cancer) treats Mercury (lord of Virgo) as a friend, while Mercury treats the Moon as an enemy, so Graha Maitri scores below the maximum.
What the number cannot tell you
A total can hide a problem. Many easy points in the small kootas can add up to a high score even when Nadi or Bhakoot is zero, so look at the breakdown before the sum. Guna Milan also ignores the seventh house, Venus, the Navamsa chart and the dashas, which is why many astrologers check those separately. Cancellation rules for Nadi and Bhakoot dosha differ between sources.
No scientific study has shown that Guna Milan scores predict whether a marriage lasts. Treat it as a cultural tradition and a conversation prompt, not a test a person can fail.
Using it sensibly
- Use a low koota as a topic to discuss, for example talking about communication styles if Graha Maitri is low.
- Weigh it alongside shared values, plans and how you treat each other.
- Do not reject a person on a score alone, and do not accept pressure to buy expensive stones or rituals. No remedy is required by the system itself.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Guna Milan score?
Traditionally 18 or more is acceptable, 25 to 32 is good and above 32 is excellent, though the bands vary by source.
Does 36 out of 36 guarantee a good marriage?
No. The score compares two Moon positions and says nothing about the rest of the chart or about the people.
Which koota matters most?
Nadi (8 points) and Bhakoot (7 points) carry the most weight, followed by Gana (6 points).
Do I need exact birth times?
Yes, ideally. The Moon changes nakshatra roughly every day, so an hour or two can change a result near a boundary.
Really practical advice, exactly what I needed.