Nakshatra compatibility

Nakshatra compatibility is the most widespread way in India of checking a couple before the wedding. It is called kuta milan, guna milan or ashta-kuta: "eight checks" that together give up to 36 points. All eight are calculated from the Moon of the bride and groom — from its sign and nakshatra — so the date and time of birth of both partners are enough for the calculation. Below are the calculation form, what each kuta means, how to read the total score and why a score alone is not enough.

The eight kutas and their points

• Varna (1 point) — by the Moon sign: spiritual level and mutual respect. The point is given if the groom's varna is not lower than the bride's.
• Vashya (2 points) — mutual influence and attraction: the signs are divided into groups (quadrupeds, humans, water signs, forest signs, insects), and some groups "submit" to others.
• Tara (3 points) — the well-being of the union: the nakshatras are counted from each other, and a count that falls on the 3rd, 5th or 7th of the nine taras takes the point away.
• Yoni (4 points) — nature, physical and everyday closeness: each nakshatra corresponds to an animal, and pairs of animals can be friendly, neutral or hostile.
• Graha maitri (5 points) — the friendship of the lords of the Moon signs: how closely the partners think and understand each other.
• Gana (6 points) — temperament: the nakshatras are divided into deva (gentle), manushya (human) and rakshasa (harsh, independent).
• Bhakut (7 points) — the mutual position of the Moon signs: family, prosperity, general well-being. The 2/12, 5/9 and 6/8 positions give zero and are called bhakut dosha.
• Nadi (8 points) — the weightiest kuta: health and offspring. The nakshatras are divided into three nadis; the same nadi for both gives zero and is called nadi dosha.

How to read the total score

By tradition, below 18 points out of 36 the union is not recommended without a detailed analysis; 18 to 24 is average compatibility and the union is acceptable; 25 to 32 is good; 33 and above is excellent. But the total is not the only thing that matters: even a high score with nadi dosha is examined separately, and a low score with strong birth charts is not yet a verdict.

Interestingly, the same nakshatra for both partners gives 28 points: almost all the kutas match completely, but nadi dosha cancels the weightiest of them. That is why tradition regards matching nakshatras as a reason to look closer rather than as an ideal sign.

An example

His Moon is in Cancer, in the nakshatra Pushya; hers is in Pisces, in Uttara Bhadrapada. Varna and vashya match fully (Cancer and Pisces are water signs of the same varna), tara gives all 3 points, yoni 3 out of 4, the sign lords, the Moon and Jupiter, are friends — 4 points, and gana gives 5 out of 6. But Cancer and Pisces stand in a 5/9 position to each other, so bhakut gives zero, and both nakshatras belong to the middle nadi — zero here too. The total is 18 points: formally the lower limit of "acceptable", but in essence two doshas, for which an astrologer will certainly look at the full charts and check the exceptions. The example shows well why one has to look at more than the sum.

Doshas and their exceptions

Nadi dosha and bhakut dosha are the two best-known reasons why an astrologer may advise against a marriage. But the classical rules provide exceptions for both. Nadi dosha is considered cancelled, for example, if the Moon sign is shared but the nakshatras differ, or the nakshatra is shared but the Moon signs differ. Bhakut dosha is softened by a common or friendly lord of the Moon signs. The calculator shows the dosha but does not apply the exceptions automatically: they are checked against the full charts.

Separately from ashta-kuta, manglik dosha is checked — the position of Mars in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th or 12th house. It occurs in a large share of charts and also has many exceptions; for more, see the article "Relationships and marriage in the birth chart".

Why a score alone is not enough

Ashta-kuta looks only at the Moon — at emotional and everyday compatibility. It knows nothing about the lagnas, the seventh houses, Venus, the navamsha or which dasha periods the partners are living through at the same time. An experienced astrologer uses kuta milan as a first filter and makes the decision on the basis of both full charts. So the calculation on this page is a reason to take a closer look at the couple, not a verdict.

For a detailed analysis, calculate a birth chart for each partner: the report shows the seventh house and its lord, Venus, the navamsha and the darakaraka, the significator of the spouse according to Jaimini. On the seventh house itself, see the article "The 7th house of the horoscope".

Time of birth and accuracy

The Moon passes through a nakshatra in about a day and through a sign in a little over two days. So for compatibility the time of birth of both partners matters: without it the nakshatra may turn out to be the neighbouring one, and the points will change. If the time is not known at all, the form calculates for noon — the result should then be taken as approximate. The calculation runs in "Surya Siddhanta" mode, like the birth chart on the site; calculators based on ephemerides with the Lahiri ayanamsha sometimes place a Moon near a boundary in the neighbouring nakshatra.

Compatibility and the wedding day

Kuta milan answers the question "are these two suited to each other", and muhurta the question "when is it best to marry". If the couple has decided, the next step is to choose an auspicious day: see the article "Wedding muhurta".