The 36-point guna score is the sum of eight separate checks called kootas. Each one compares a different quality of the two Moon positions. This guide gives the short version of each, in the order the tradition lists them, so you can read your own result line by line.
The summary
| Koota | Max | What it compares | Scores zero when | |---|---|---|---| | Varna | 1 | Temperament grade | Girl's varna is higher than boy's | | Vashya | 2 | Mutual influence and control | The two Moon signs sit in unrelated groups | | Tara | 3 | Birth stars, counted both ways | Both directions fall on an inauspicious count | | Yoni | 4 | Instinctive and physical fit | The two yoni animals are natural enemies | | Graha Maitri | 5 | Friendship of the two Moon-sign lords | The lords are enemies | | Gana | 6 | Nature: Deva, Manushya, Rakshasa | Deva with Rakshasa, or some Manushya pairings | | Bhakoot | 7 | Relationship between the two Moon signs | Signs 2-12, 6-8 or 5-9 apart | | Nadi | 8 | Pulse type: Adi, Madhya, Antya | Both share the same Nadi |
Varna (1 point)
Varna sorts each Moon sign into one of four temperament grades. It is the lightest koota and is read as ego compatibility. The boy's grade must be equal to or higher than the girl's to score the point. It is the clearest example of the classical asymmetry, and the one most modern users disagree with. Treat it as a single point and move on.
Vashya (2 points)
Vashya groups the signs into five types (human, quadruped, water, wild and insect) and asks who tends to influence whom. Full points mean the pair fall in the same group, and partial points mean one group sits comfortably with the other. The reading is about balance in who leads decisions.
Tara (3 points)
Tara counts from one person's nakshatra to the other's and divides by nine. The remainder says whether the count is favourable. It is done both ways, boy to girl and girl to boy, and each direction earns 0 or 1.5 points. So Tara can score 0, 1.5 or 3. It is also where calculators disagree most, because some treat the second direction differently. Our result shows both counts.
Yoni (4 points)
Each nakshatra has an animal symbol, such as horse, elephant, cat or cow. Same animal scores 4. Friendly animals score 3 or 2. Natural enemies, such as cat and rat or cow and tiger, score 0. Yoni is the traditional proxy for physical and instinctive compatibility. It reads like a folk table and should be weighed as one.
Graha Maitri (5 points)
Each Moon sign has a ruling planet. Graha Maitri checks whether the two lords are friends, neutral or enemies. Two friends or the same lord earn the full 5, and friend with neutral gives 4. Enemies give 0. This is the koota most associated with mental wavelength and everyday understanding, which is why it carries 5 points. It also feeds the Bhakoot cancellation rules.
Gana (6 points)
Every nakshatra belongs to a Gana: Deva (gentle), Manushya (human, balanced) or Rakshasa (strong-willed, blunt). Same Gana scores 6. Deva with Manushya is acceptable, and Rakshasa paired with Deva or Manushya loses most or all points depending on who is who. A Gana mismatch is read as a difference in temperament, and it is one of the three doshas that have cancellation rules.
Bhakoot (7 points)
Bhakoot looks at how the two Moon signs sit relative to each other. Positions 2-12, 6-8 and 5-9 are the three unfavourable axes, and they score 0. Every other relationship scores the full 7. It stands for emotional bond and household prosperity. Because it is the second heaviest koota and creates a named dosha, a Bhakoot result is worth reading in full. Each of the 36 unfavourable sign pairs has its own page, such as Mesh and Vrishabh.
Nadi (8 points)
Nadi has the highest weight. Each nakshatra is assigned one of three Nadis (Adi, Madhya or Antya), and the pair scores 8 when the two differ and 0 when they match. Tradition links it with health and the wellbeing of children. A same-Nadi pair triggers Nadi dosha and loses all 8 points, which can drag a good-looking match below 18. The dosha has well-known exceptions, such as the same Moon sign with different nakshatras.
How to use the table
- Look at the three heaviest kootas first: Nadi (8), Bhakoot (7) and Gana (6). Together they hold 21 of the 36 points, and they are where the three doshas live.
- Check Graha Maitri (5), which is the best single guide to day-to-day understanding in the tradition.
- Treat Varna (1), Vashya (2) and Tara (3) as supporting detail.
- Read the total last. A score of 24 with Nadi dosha asks for more care than a score of 20 with no dosha.
For the method as a whole, see how kundli matching works. For a score you already have, our pages on 18 out of 36 and 24 out of 36 show where those points are typically lost.
Where to go for dosha depth
This guide stays at summary level on purpose. The full rules for Nadi, Bhakoot, Gana and Manglik dosha, with each exception and who it applies to, are set out in dosha parihar explained and on the Nadi dosha and Manglik dosha pages, for families reading these in detail.
Try your own
Run the matching form to see each koota scored for your pair, along with the named rule when a dosha is cancelled. Birth details are never kept on our servers.