THE CHART DESK · EXPLAINER
how ashtakoota actually scores compatibility out of 36
"we're a 28 out of 36" gets said a lot, and almost nobody saying it can name the eight things being checked. here's what each koota actually measures, and how the number gets built.
ashtakoota, also called guna milan, is the traditional framework indian families use to check compatibility before marriage. it produces a single number out of 36, and that number gets treated like a verdict.
it isn't one test. it's eight separate ones, each checking something different, each worth a different number of points, and each built from the same two inputs: the moon sign and moon nakshatra of the two people being matched. knowing what each koota actually checks is the difference between reading a 36-point score and just reciting it.
THE QUICK CHECK
run all 8 checks
enter both birth details. we'll compute each koota separately and add them up — no single combined "vibe," eight specific answers.
This is a quick check, not a full matching session. Ashtakoota uses only moon sign and nakshatra, computed from birth date and time — birth place isn't needed for this specific calculation.
what ashtakoota is actually built from
every one of the eight kootas is derived from exactly two inputs per person: their moon sign (rashi) and their moon nakshatra, including which of the nakshatra's four padas it falls in. nothing else in the chart, not the sun, not the ascendant, not the other planets, feeds into the traditional 36-point score.
that's a deliberate design choice, not a limitation. the moon in Vedic astrology represents the mind, and ashtakoota is fundamentally a compatibility-of-temperament framework: how two minds are likely to run alongside each other, not a prediction about the relationship's outcome.
the eight kootas, and what each one is actually checking
| koota | max points | what it checks |
|---|---|---|
| Varna | 1 | Spiritual/work compatibility, based on each moon sign's assigned varna |
| Vashya | 2 | Mutual influence and control between the two temperaments |
| Tara | 3 | General wellbeing and luck, based on the nakshatra distance between the two |
| Yoni | 4 | Physical and sexual compatibility, via each nakshatra's animal symbol |
| Graha Maitri | 5 | Intellectual compatibility, via the natural friendship of the two moon-sign lords |
| Gana | 6 | Temperament match: deva (refined), manushya (balanced), or rakshasa (intense) |
| Bhakoot | 7 | Emotional and financial harmony, via the rashi distance between the two moons |
| Nadi | 8 | Health and genetic compatibility, via each nakshatra's assigned nadi |
1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8 = 36. the point values aren't arbitrary either: the tradition weights health and genetic compatibility (nadi) and emotional harmony (bhakoot) the heaviest, and treats spiritual alignment (varna) as the lightest single factor.
why nadi and bhakoot carry veto power in practice
most kootas are additive: a low score on one doesn't usually disqualify a match on its own. nadi and bhakoot are treated differently in traditional practice. nadi dosha, when both people share the same nadi, and bhakoot dosha, when the rashi distance between their moons falls into specific inauspicious pairings, are often treated as serious enough to override a good total score elsewhere.
this is exactly the kind of nuance a single number erases. a 30-out-of-36 with a nadi dosha and a 30-out-of-36 without one are not read the same way by a traditional astrologer, even though the headline number is identical. the total is a summary, not the whole reading.
what the score doesn't claim to measure
ashtakoota was built centuries ago as one input into arranged-marriage matching, alongside conversation, family background, and a dozen other non-astrological factors that were never meant to be replaced by a number. it measures temperamental and constitutional compatibility as the tradition defines it. it does not measure attraction, shared values, communication style, or any of the things that actually keep a relationship functioning day to day.
treating a 36-point score as a complete verdict on a relationship is a modern flattening of a system that was never built to stand alone.
the receipt
the eight kootas, their point values, and the specific reference tables (which sign carries which varna, which nakshatra carries which yoni and nadi, and so on) are the standard classical ashtakoota system, not a version we've simplified. the 36-point maximum is the direct sum of the eight individual maximums, not a separately chosen round number.
Ask Tota computes each koota independently from both people's moon sign and nakshatra, using Swiss Ephemeris and Lahiri ayanamsa, and shows all eight scores separately rather than only the total — so u can see exactly where a match is strong and where it isn't, the way the system was actually designed to be read.
faq
what is ashtakoota?
also called guna milan, it's a traditional vedic astrology framework that scores compatibility between two people out of 36 points, across eight separate checks (kootas) based on each person's moon sign and nakshatra.
what's considered a good ashtakoota score?
18 or above is commonly treated as an acceptable minimum, with scores in the mid-20s to low-30s generally read as favorable. the exact threshold varies by tradition and region.
what is nadi dosha?
when both people share the same nadi (one of three constitutional types assigned to each nakshatra), nadi koota scores zero, and this is traditionally treated as a significant concern regardless of the total score elsewhere.
does ashtakoota need the full birth chart?
no. all eight kootas are derived from just the moon sign and moon nakshatra of each person, which only needs an accurate birth date and time.
is a low ashtakoota score a dealbreaker?
traditionally it's one input among several, not a standalone verdict. it was designed to sit alongside other compatibility factors, not replace them.