Match by name and by date of birth: what you can (and can’t) match
Our tool matches by exact birth details, date, time, and place for both partners, because an authentic gun milan needs each person’s exact Moon nakshatra. Six of the eight kootas are computed from the Moon’s birth star, and the Moon changes nakshatra roughly every day, so the precise time and place are what make the score trustworthy.
The popular “gun milan by name” or “kundli matching by name” shortcut works differently: when the birth time is unknown, it estimates each person’s nakshatra from the first syllable of the name, the Namakshar. It is an approximation, not a substitute for full birth-chart matching, and should never be treated as equally accurate. A name does not contain a Moon position; it only points at a likely starting syllable.
You can also match by date of birth alone: the date narrows the Moon to a range of signs, but without the time it can’t pin the exact nakshatra, so the six star-driven kootas stay approximate. For a real 36-point score, give both partners’ full birth details. If you only have names or dates, treat the result as a rough indication and confirm it with the full chart later.
How this relates to South-Indian porutham
South Indian (Tamil and Kerala) tradition uses porutham, star and nakshatra matching, often called jathagam or thirumana porutham. Our tool uses the North-Indian Ashtakoota (gun milan) method, but the systems overlap. South Indian tradition also adds poruthams our Ashtakoota tool does not compute, such as Mahendra, Stree Deergha, and Vedha, so the two are related but not identical.
The 8 kootas of Ashtakoota
Spiritual compatibility & ego balance
Compares the four varna groups the twelve rashis fall into by element, read from each Moon rashi: Brahmin for water, Kshatriya for fire, Vaishya for earth, Shudra for air. Classical texts give the point when the groom's varna is equal to or higher than the bride's. Varna here is a grouping of zodiac signs and has nothing to do with anyone's caste, community, family or background.
Moon sign · RashiMutual attraction & influence
Groups the twelve rashis into five vashya classes (Chatushpada, Nara, Jalachara, Vanachara, Keeta), read from each Moon rashi. Compatible classes score the full 2 points.
Moon sign · RashiWellbeing & auspiciousness
Counts the nakshatra distance between the two birth stars in both directions and divides by 9; an auspicious remainder scores full.
Moon star · NakshatraPhysical & instinctive harmony
Maps each nakshatra to one of 14 animal yonis. Same animal scores 4; friendly pairs 3; neutral 2; unfriendly 1; natural enemies 0.
Moon star · NakshatraMental & intellectual friendship
Compares the friendship between the two Rashi LORDS (the planets ruling each Moon sign). Mutual friends score the full 5 points.
Moon sign · RashiTemperament & nature
Sorts each nakshatra into Deva (divine), Manushya (human), or Rakshasa (demonic) gana. Same gana scores 6; Deva-Manushya 5; the Deva-Rakshasa clash scores 0.
Moon star · NakshatraEmotional bond & shared direction
Measures the Rashi distance between the two Moon signs. The 6-8, 2-12, and 5-9 pairings score 0 and create Bhakoot Dosha.
Moon sign · RashiConstitution & progeny
Compares the three Nadis (Aadi/Vata, Madhya/Pitta, Antya/Kapha) from each Moon nakshatra. Different Nadis score the full 8; the same Nadi scores 0 and creates Nadi Dosha.
Moon star · NakshatraPer-dosha deep dives: Nadi, Bhakoot, Rajju, Gana & Mangal
Each major dosha below names only the astrological mechanic that causes it, the points it costs, the tradition-hedged meaning, and its specific cancellation (bhanga) conditions. A dosha is a flag to understand, not a verdict. Your result page computes the Nadi, Bhakoot and Mangal checks for your pair; Rajju and Gana are described here as tradition, and are not scored as named doshas.
Nadi Dosha
Arises when both partners share the same Nadi (Aadi/Vata, Madhya/Pitta, or Antya/Kapha), read from each Moon nakshatra.
In Vedic tradition, Nadi is associated with genetic constitution and the health of future children, a traditional belief, not a medical prediction.
Cancelled (Nadi bhanga) when the partners share the same Rashi but different Nakshatras, or when their two Rashi lords are mutual friends.
Bhakoot Dosha
Arises from the Rashi distance between the two Moon signs, specifically the 6-8, 2-12, and 5-9 pairings.
Traditionally linked to emotional bonding, harmony, and mutual support between partners.
Bhanga applies when the two Rashis share the same lord, or when the Rashi lords stand in a trine relationship to each other.
Rajju Dosha
Comes from the South-Indian Rajju porutham. It sorts the 27 nakshatras into five groups named for parts of the body, from the feet to the head, and flags the case where both partners' stars fall in the same group. It is not another name for Nadi, which sorts the same 27 stars into three groups; the calculation returns the two separately.
In Tamil tradition it is read as one of the most important checks for the stability of the marriage.
This calculator runs no cancellation check for Rajju. Classical practice reads it alongside the rest of the match rather than alone, and only Nadi, Bhakoot, Gana and Mangal carry the named bhanga conditions this tool checks.
Gana Dosha
Arises from a gana mismatch between the two nakshatras, most strongly the Deva-Rakshasa pairing.
Traditionally associated with differences in temperament and day-to-day nature.
Cancelled when Graha Maitri scores 4-5, the Rashi lords are friendly, the Nadi is favorable, or the total score exceeds 24.
Mangal Dosha (Manglik)
Occurs when Mars sits in houses 1, 2, 4, 7, 8 and 12 counted from the Lagna, and the same houses counted from the Moon. Those are the two reference points this calculator runs on each chart.
In tradition it is believed to affect marital harmony, a traditional belief, not a fixed outcome.
Well-known cancellation conditions include a Jupiter or Venus aspect on Mars, both partners being Manglik, or specific placements; confirm with the dosha calculator and an astrologer.
For the full single-chart screening on either side, including Sade Sati and the reasons behind each finding, run the Dosha calculator (Mangal & Kaal Sarp). This page compares doshas across two charts, which is a different job.
How the Ashtakoota system works
Ashtakoota, also written Ashtakoot, means “eight kootas” (eight factors). Each koota compares one dimension of two birth charts and awards a fixed maximum number of points; the eight maxima add up to 36. The total is your gun milan (also spelled guna milan), the headline number in any horoscope matching for marriage. Kundli milan and kundali milan are the same idea, the umbrella term for comparing two charts.
Four of the eight kootas (Varna, Vashya, Graha Maitri, Bhakoot) are read from the Moon rashi and carry 15 points; the other four (Tara, Yoni, Gana, Nadi) are read from the Moon nakshatra and carry 21. The nakshatra is far more specific than the sign, and it carries the majority of the points, which is why a real score needs the full birth star and why a sign-only or name-only estimate cannot stand in for it.
What your score means
Classical practice treats 18 of 36 as the baseline it starts from, and reads 18 to under 24 as ordinary, 24 to 32 as traditionally favourable, and above 32 as rare and highly auspicious. The boundaries are read from the lower edge, so a total of exactly 24 sits in the 24 to 32 band and exactly 32 sits there too, which matters because half points make a fractional total normal. Those are guidelines from the texts, and they are worth understanding rather than obeying. A gun milan total is eight comparisons run on two Moon positions, so it is blind to almost everything that actually decides how two people get on together, and no line here says whether a number is good enough to act on.
Kundli matching for love marriages
The same Ashtakoota method applies whether a match is arranged or a love marriage; it simply describes traditional compatibility themes between two charts. A lower score does not mean a love marriage can’t work, it points to areas worth understanding together. Many couples use the score as a conversation starter rather than a gate.
What if the score is low
A score below 18 is traditionally read as a caution, not a verdict, it does not mean a marriage will fail, and many couples with lower scores have harmonious marriages. Several doshas also have cancellation conditions that may already apply to your charts. Where tradition prescribes remedies, the Nadi Nivarana puja, donation of gold and grains, or the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra, these are traditional practices believed to support harmony, with no guaranteed outcome, belief-based practices, not a medical or fertility treatment.
Dashakoota vs Ashtakoota
Two systems coexist. Ashtakoota (8 kootas, 36 points) is the North-Indian standard and the method this tool uses. Dashakoota is a 10-aspect South-Indian system that adds factors such as Mahendra and Rajju on top of the core kootas. The porutham bridge above maps the overlap, but our tool scores the Ashtakoota eight, it does not compute all ten Dashakoota aspects.
Beyond the score
Gun milan is a starting point, not the whole picture. A full reading weighs each partner’s complete birth chart, their dasha periods, and current transits, the timing layers a single number can’t capture. For a marriage decision, a one-on-one consultation adds context this calculator cannot. You can talk to an astrologer directly from Wishastro.