Guna Milan (Ashtakoota) Explained: All 8 Kootas and 36 Points

In short: Guna Milan, or Ashtakoota ("eight groups"), compares the Moon signs and Moon nakshatras of two people across eight factors worth 1 to 8 points, for a total of 36. Most families treat 18 as the customary minimum. Two kootas, Nadi (8) and Bhakoot (7), carry almost half the points, and each has a "dosha" with widely listed exceptions. The score is a traditional first screen based on the two Moons only. It says nothing about the rest of either chart, and nothing about the two people, who decide far more than any number.

Where Guna Milan comes from

The eight-koota method is set out in late medieval muhurta literature, most influentially the Muhurta Chintamani of Rama Daivajna (completed around 1600 CE), in its section on marriage. The classifications — which nakshatra belongs to which animal, gana and nadi — are close to uniform across modern Indian almanacs. The point tables for some mixed pairs (Vashya, Gana, and some Yoni pairs) are not: different panchangs print slightly different values. Sunyra's matching tool uses the tables published by saravali.de, and says so in every result.

South India often uses a different system, the ten poruthams (Dina, Gana, Mahendra, Stree-Deergha, Yoni, Rasi, Rasyadhipati, Vasya, Rajju, Vedha), with pass/fail checks rather than points. Many of the ideas overlap.

The eight kootas at a glance

Notice the order: the factors grow in weight from 1 to 8. Varna can swing the total by a single point; Nadi by eight.

1. Varna (1 point)

Each Moon sign is given a varna by element: water signs Brahmin, fire signs Kshatriya, earth signs Vaishya, air signs Shudra. The point is given when the groom's varna is equal to or higher than the bride's. In modern use Varna is read only as a symbolic match of outlook — work-orientation, spiritual temperament — and many astrologers openly set aside its hierarchical framing. With one point at stake it rarely decides anything.

2. Vashya (2 points)

Signs are grouped by the creature they are pictured as: quadruped (Aries, Taurus, the second half of Sagittarius, the first half of Capricorn), human (Gemini, Virgo, Libra, the first half of Sagittarius, Aquarius), water (Cancer, Pisces, the second half of Capricorn), wild (Leo) and insect (Scorpio). Same group scores 2; other pairs score between 0 and 2 according to the table used. It is read for mutual attraction and who tends to influence whom.

3. Tara (3 points)

Count the nakshatras from one partner's Moon to the other's, and divide by nine; the remainder gives a tara ("star") from 1 to 9. The 3rd (Vipat, danger), 5th (Pratyari, obstacle) and 7th (Vadha, harm) taras are counted as inauspicious. The count is done in both directions, and each direction that lands on a good tara earns 1.5 points. Tara is read for the couple's general wellbeing.

4. Yoni (4 points)

Each of the 27 nakshatras is linked to one of fourteen animals — horse, elephant, sheep, serpent, dog, cat, rat, cow, buffalo, tiger, deer, monkey, mongoose and lion — each with a male and a female star. The same animal scores 4, friendly animals 3, neutral 2, unfriendly 1, and "sworn enemies" (cow and tiger, horse and buffalo, elephant and lion, dog and deer, serpent and mongoose, cat and rat, monkey and sheep) 0. Yoni is traditionally read for physical and instinctive compatibility.

5. Graha Maitri (5 points)

The lords of the two Moon signs are compared by the natural friendships of BPHS (ch. 3): 5 points if the lords are the same or mutual friends, 4 for friend and neutral, 3 for both neutral, 1 for friend and enemy, 0.5 for neutral and enemy, 0 for mutual enemies. It is read as mental affinity — whether the two minds naturally like each other. Our Moon sign compatibility pages list it for every pair of signs.

6. Gana (6 points)

Nakshatras are of three temperaments: deva (divine — gentle, idealistic), manushya (human — balanced, worldly) and rakshasa (often translated "demonic", better read as fierce or independent). Same gana scores 6; deva with manushya scores well; rakshasa with either of the others scores low in most tables. The word "rakshasa" is alarming, but it describes a temperament — strong-willed and self-directed — not a moral defect.

7. Bhakoot (7 points)

Bhakoot looks at how far apart the two Moon signs are. Pairs that are 2/12, 5/9 or 6/8 from each other score 0 — the Bhakoot dosha. All other pairs score 7. Traditional manuals associate the three dosha pairs with different strains (2/12 expenses, 5/9 progeny, 6/8 friction), though the reasoning varies by text.

Exceptions. Many authorities count Bhakoot dosha as cancelled when the two Moon signs have the same lord, or lords who are mutual friends. Some add Graha Maitri of 5, or a strong Nadi score. Sunyra reports these exceptions next to the score rather than silently adjusting it.

Interestingly, the 5/9 pair is a trine — signs of the same element — which Western astrology counts among the easiest connections. It is a good example of how the two traditions weigh things differently.

8. Nadi (8 points)

The 27 nakshatras are divided into three nadis — Adi (vata), Madhya (pitta) and Antya (kapha) — in a zig-zag order. If both Moons are in the same nadi, the score is 0: Nadi dosha. Different nadis score the full 8.

Nadi is the heaviest koota and the one families worry about most, because traditional texts link it to the health of the couple and their children. It is important to be clear: Nadi is a traditional classification, not a medical test. It has no known connection to genetics or health, and no one should make medical or family-planning decisions on its basis. Anyone with real health questions should speak to a doctor or genetic counsellor.

Exceptions commonly listed in matching manuals include: both Moons in the same nakshatra but different padas or different signs; the same sign but different nakshatras; or the same Moon-sign lord. These vary between authorities. Our tool notes when one may apply but does not change the score.

What does the total mean?

Commonly quoted bands, not classical rules:

Two cautions apply. First, a high score built on the low-weight kootas can hide a Nadi or Bhakoot dosha; read the breakdown, not just the total. Second, the score uses the two Moons only. A full match also compares the two charts: the 7th houses and their lords, Venus, the navamsa, Mangal dosha with its cancellations, and the dashas each person will be running in the years ahead.

Why the score is not the match

Thousands of happy marriages have low Guna Milan scores, and high scores have never prevented unhappy ones. The tradition itself treats Ashtakoota as a first screen. Sunyra presents it because many families use it and deserve an accurate account of what it measures. It should never be used to break a relationship that is otherwise sound, or to override two adults' choice.

FAQ

What is a good Guna Milan score? 18 is the customary minimum; above 25 is usually called good. The breakdown matters more than the total.

Is Nadi dosha always a problem? No. Matching manuals list several exceptions, and Nadi is a traditional classification with no medical meaning.

Why does my score differ between websites? Because published tables for Vashya, Gana and some Yoni pairs differ, and because tools differ in ayanamsa and in whether they apply exceptions. Sunyra names the tables it uses.

Does Guna Milan use the ascendant? No. It uses only the Moon's sign and nakshatra. That is why it should be read alongside the full charts.

Is Guna Milan used for same-sex couples or friendships? The classical method assigns bride and groom roles in Varna, Vashya and Gana. Some astrologers adapt it; the Moon-based kootas such as Tara, Yoni, Graha Maitri, Bhakoot and Nadi can be read for any two people.

Written by Sunyra Editorial. Astrology is a tradition of interpretation; read this as guidance, not a forecast. Disclaimer.

Last reviewed 20 October 2026