Kundli matching
What kundli matching actually measures.
Ashtakoota scores eight kootas out of 36 points — and all eight are derived from one point in each chart: the Moon. Here is what that measures, and what it leaves out.
The eight kootas, and their weights
These are the engine's own maxima, not a general description of the system. The eight sum to 36.
| Koota | Max | Computed from |
|---|---|---|
| VarnaA four-fold ordering derived from the Moon’s sign. Scores 1 only when the groom’s rank is not below the bride’s. | 1 | A four-fold ordering derived from the Moon’s sign. Scores 1 only when the groom’s rank is not below the bride’s. |
| VashyaGroups the twelve signs into five classes and scores the pair’s relationship between those classes. | 2 | Groups the twelve signs into five classes and scores the pair’s relationship between those classes. |
| TaraCounts the distance between the two Moon nakshatras in both directions and scores the remainders. | 3 | Counts the distance between the two Moon nakshatras in both directions and scores the remainders. |
| YoniMaps each Moon nakshatra to one of fourteen animal symbols and looks the pair up in a fixed matrix. | 4 | Maps each Moon nakshatra to one of fourteen animal symbols and looks the pair up in a fixed matrix. |
| Graha MaitriFriendship between the two Moon-sign lords, by the classical friend/neutral/enemy table. | 5 | Friendship between the two Moon-sign lords, by the classical friend/neutral/enemy table. |
| GanaSorts each Moon nakshatra into deva, manushya or rakshasa and scores the combination. | 6 | Sorts each Moon nakshatra into deva, manushya or rakshasa and scores the combination. |
| BhakootThe angular distance between the two Moon signs; certain distances score zero outright. | 7 | The angular distance between the two Moon signs; certain distances score zero outright. |
| NadiA three-fold classification of the Moon nakshatra. Same nadi scores zero; different nadi scores all 8. | 8 | A three-fold classification of the Moon nakshatra. Same nadi scores zero; different nadi scores all 8. |
| Total | 36 |
What it does not measure
This is the part most matching pages leave out, and it is the reason to read a score rather than obey it.
Every one of the eight kootas is computed from a single point in each chart — the Moon. The Sun, the ascendant, the seventh house, planetary strengths and both dashas are not inputs to the 36 points.
The score is a lookup, not a model of two people. Two charts with the same pair of Moon positions score identically regardless of everything else in either chart.
Mangal dosha is reported separately: Mars in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th or 12th house counted from the ascendant or from the Moon. This engine applies the pair-level neutralisation when both charts are affected, and does not yet apply the finer classical cancellation rules — those are pending jyotishi review, and the report says so rather than assuming them.
Nothing here measures compatibility in the ordinary sense: shared values, circumstances, or how two people treat each other. Ashtakoota does not have that information and neither do we.
The longer version, including where the classical sources disagree, is in is kundli matching accurate?
Questions, answered
Is a 36-point score accurate?
It is exact in the sense that the arithmetic is deterministic and reproducible — the same two Moon positions always give the same total. Whether that total predicts a marriage is a different question, and one this engine does not claim to answer. What we show is the score, its eight components, and what each component is computed from.
What counts as a good score?
The engine bands totals as it goes: 28 and above, 24 and above, 18 and above, and below 18. Those bands are conventional, not derived from outcome data, and the report labels them as bands rather than verdicts.
Why does nadi carry 8 of the 36 points?
That weighting is classical and this engine follows it rather than inventing its own. It means a single three-way classification of the Moon’s nakshatra moves nearly a quarter of the total, which is worth knowing when you read a score.
Do you check mangal dosha?
Yes, from both the ascendant and the Moon, and it is reported separately from the koota total rather than folded into it. Fine-grained cancellation rules are not yet implemented, and the report states that rather than quietly assuming either way.
What does a matching report cost?
50 credits, shown on the button before you click. Both charts are cast free.
See the eight scores, not just the total
A matching report breaks the 36 points down koota by koota and reports mangal dosha separately. 50 credits, shown before you click — see pricing.