Ashtakoot Gun Milan is the classical Vedic kundli matching system, scoring compatibility between two charts across eight kootas (categories) totaling 36 points. Per classical Vedic texts including the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra and Phaladeepika, the eight kootas evaluate complementary dimensions of compatibility — temperament, dominance, longevity, sexual harmony, friendship of ruling planets, behavioral nature, financial and progeny prospects, and genetic compatibility.
The eight kootas and their weights
The 36-point Ashtakoot system distributes weight across eight categories:
- Varna (1 point): spiritual or work-ethic compatibility
- Vashya (2 points): mutual attraction and dominance
- Tara (3 points): birth-star compatibility for health and prosperity
- Yoni (4 points): sexual and instinctual harmony
- Graha Maitri (5 points): mental compatibility based on Moon-sign ruling planets
- Gana (6 points): temperamental compatibility (Deva, Manushya, Rakshasa)
- Bhakoot (7 points): emotional and financial harmony based on Moon-sign distance
- Nadi (8 points): physiological and genetic compatibility based on nakshatra
Total: 36 points. A score of 18 or above is generally considered compatible per classical tradition. But the raw score is only the starting point — a Vedic astrologer reads which kootas scored low and why, and looks at house-level compatibility and Manglik status in both charts.
What about Manglik Dosha?
Manglik (Mangal) Dosha refers to Mars positioned in houses 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, or 12 from the Lagna. Per classical Vedic texts, an unmitigated Manglik condition in one partner is traditionally said to affect marital harmony or longevity. This matching tool checks the basic Manglik condition for both partners.
Important nuance: classical Vedic texts describe many cancellation rules — Mars in its own sign or exaltation, Mars aspected by Jupiter, both partners having Manglik (one cancels the other), Manglik from the Moon and not from the Lagna, and others. The basic check identifies the raw condition; a complete cancellation analysis is a v1.1 feature we are validating before exposing publicly.
How to run a match
Birth date, exact time, and place for both partners in the form above. If you've already saved your own details on Steer, you only enter the second person. The more accurate the birth time, the more precise the Moon nakshatra (and therefore the Tara, Yoni, Gana, Bhakoot, and Nadi kootas).
All eight kootas and the Manglik check are scored for both charts, and neither person's birth details are uploaded anywhere.
Every koota's score with its reasoning and the 36-point total appear on the page, plus the Manglik check for both partners.
What you get, free
- Full 36-point breakdown, free. Every koota's score with the reasoning, plus the Manglik check for both partners — no signup.
- Accurate Moon-nakshatra calculations. The Moon-nakshatra-dependent kootas (Tara, Yoni, Gana, Bhakoot, Nadi) need an accurate Moon position from birth time; Swiss Ephemeris computes this to arc-second precision.
- Private by design. Neither person's birth details are uploaded to any server.
- Plain-language reasoning for every koota. Each koota's score comes with the reasoning behind it, so you can see exactly why a pair scored the way it did.
Want to explore either chart more deeply?
Your full match breakdown is on this page. To read either person's birth chart in plain language, Steer Astro in ChatGPT works on individual charts, free and unlimited.
Open Steer Astro in ChatGPTFrequently asked questions
Is a score under 18 a dealbreaker?
Not necessarily. The 18-point threshold is a guideline from classical tradition. Many real-world marriages have lower Ashtakoot scores alongside other strong compatibility factors (good Bhakoot, no Nadi dosha, no Manglik conflict, beneficial house overlay between charts). A Vedic astrologer reads the full qualitative pattern.
Does Nadi Dosha always block a match?
Nadi Dosha (both partners having the same Nadi) is traditionally considered the strongest negative in Ashtakoot. But classical texts describe several cancellation rules — when both partners are in the same rashi but different nakshatra padas, when Moon's nakshatra lords share friendship, and so on. Steer Astro reports the raw Nadi status; the full cancellation analysis is part of our v1.1 roadmap.
Are the two people's birth details stored or uploaded?
No. Neither person's birth details are uploaded to any server. If you've saved your own details on Steer, you only enter the second person — and you can clear saved details at any time.