Kundli matching: Guna Milan out of 36

The eight kootas

How the calculator reads a score

Eighteen and above is the conventional threshold for a match being considered acceptable. That is the whole of what the number is: a first screen built on one planet, and not a verdict on whether two people should marry. A score near the top is not a promise, and a score below 18 is a reason to look at both charts properly, not a reason to stop the conversation.

A score below 18 indicates significant differences in natural compatibility; classical guidance recommends a detailed chart analysis before proceeding.

Why scores collapse below 18

The two largest blocks, Nadi with eight points and Bhakoot with seven, each go to zero all at once on a technical grouping: the same Nadi in both charts, or certain distances between the two Moon signs. A couple can lose fifteen points that way without anything having been said about them as people, and the classical texts themselves discuss exceptions to both.

Manglik, checked separately

Mangal Dosha is not part of the 36 points. The calculator checks it for each person on its own, as Mars in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th or 12th house counted from the lagna. Traditions differ on which houses count and from where (some also count from the Moon or Venus), and tradition records exceptions, so two calculators can disagree. Where both charts carry it, tradition holds the matter settled between them.

What the score does not cover

Every koota is read from the two Moons. The score does not look at the 7th house in either chart, at Venus, at the periods each person is running, or at the practical things that decide most marriages. If a match is serious, have both charts read together.

It also depends on the birth times. The Moon stays in a nakshatra for around a day, so the nakshatra is usually safe, but if a time is off by hours the Moon's sign can change, and the score with it.

Questions people ask

Is a score below 18 a reason to refuse a match?

Not on its own. The two largest blocks of points, Nadi (8) and Bhakoot (7), are awarded on technical groupings that go to zero all at once, so a couple can lose fifteen points without anything being said about them as people. Find out which block was lost before treating the number as an answer.

Is a score of 30 or more a guarantee of a happy marriage?

No. A high score means two Moons that sit well together. It says nothing about the 7th house in either chart, about timing, or about the practical circumstances that decide most marriages.

Is Manglik dosha part of the 36 points?

No. It is checked separately, from where Mars sits in each chart. The calculator here reports it for each person, counting Mars in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th or 12th house from the lagna. Traditions differ on the houses and record exceptions, so a flag is a reason to have both charts looked at, not a verdict.

Do I need exact birth times for kundli matching?

For the score itself, approximate times are usually survivable, because the Moon stays in a nakshatra for around a day. For anything beyond the score, including the 7th house in either chart, you need accurate times.

Can kundli matching be done by name and date of birth alone?

Name and date alone give a rough score at best. Proper Guna Milan needs birth time and place for both people, because the whole method rests on the Moon's nakshatra.

Read more

• The 27 nakshatras
• The twelve rashis

• Kundli matching and the 36 point score, what it can and cannot settle
• Kundli matching for marriage, and what the 36 points can settle
• Kundli matching by name and date of birth, and what it can really check
• Manglik dosha, and what a manglik calculator actually checks