Kundali
What a guna milan score really tells you
The 36-point Ashtakoot score is the most quoted number in matchmaking. Here is what it measures and what it leaves out.
Ask any family about a proposed match and the first question is usually the number: how many gunas matched? The Ashtakoot Guna Milan gives a score out of 36, and 18 is traditionally treated as the minimum acceptable figure.
The eight kootas
The score comes from eight comparisons, each based mainly on the Moon sign and nakshatra of the two people:
- Varna (1 point) compares temperament and outlook
- Vashya (2 points) looks at mutual attraction and influence
- Tara (3 points) is drawn from the birth stars and relates to fortune
- Yoni (4 points) concerns physical compatibility
- Graha Maitri (5 points) compares the friendship of the Moon sign lords
- Gana (6 points) compares nature: deva, manushya or rakshasa
- Bhakoot (7 points) relates to family welfare and prosperity
- Nadi (8 points) concerns health and progeny
What the score leaves out
Because every koota is based on the Moon, the score says nothing about the seventh house, Venus, Jupiter, Mars or the dashas each person will be running after marriage. A couple can score 28 and still face difficulties shown elsewhere in the charts, while a score of 16 can be acceptable when the charts support each other strongly.
A better question
Instead of asking "how many gunas?", ask "how do these two charts work together?". The guna score is a starting point. The full answer comes from reading both charts side by side.