Guna Milan (Ashtakoota matching) is the classical Vedic method for assessing marriage compatibility. It compares the Moon’s position in both charts across eight factors — the kootas — for a maximum of 36 points.
The eight kootas and their points
- Varna (1 point): ego and work harmony.
- Vashya (2 points): mutual influence and magnetism.
- Tara (3 points): destiny and well-being (nakshatra compatibility).
- Yoni (4 points): physical and instinctive compatibility.
- Graha Maitri (5 points): mental and intellectual friendship of the Moon lords.
- Gana (6 points): temperament — Deva, Manushya, or Rakshasa.
- Bhakoot (7 points): emotional and financial flow between the Moon signs.
- Nadi (8 points): health and progeny — the highest-weighted koota.
How the score is read
A total of 18 or above is traditionally considered acceptable; 25–32 is very good. But the total is a starting point, not a verdict. Two specific kootas — Bhakoot and Nadi — can carry “doshas” (faults) that matter more than the headline number.
Why the total alone misleads
A couple can score 30/36 yet carry a Nadi dosha, or score 20/36 with every important factor intact. A good analysis reads the composition, checks for cancellations, and weighs Manglik status separately — rather than waving through a high number.
Beyond the kootas
Serious compatibility analysis also looks at the 7th house and its lord in both charts, Venus and Jupiter, the Navamsa (D9), and Manglik (Mangal dosha) status with severity-aware cancellation. Sivayan projects the eight kootas into eight lived dimensions — emotional, communication, attraction, stability, and more — so you see where the bond is strong and where it needs work.