Short answer: Gun milan, or ashtakoota matching, compares the Moon signs and nakshatras of two people across eight kootas: Varna 1, Vashya 2, Tara 3, Yoni 4, Graha Maitri 5, Gana 6, Bhakoot 7 and Nadi 8, a total of 36 points. Eighteen is usually treated as the minimum, but which koota scored zero matters more than the total.
Where the 36 points come from
Every gun milan calculation starts from a single point in each chart: the Moon, with its sign and its nakshatra. Nothing else in the kundli enters the sum. Each of the eight kootas looks at that pair of Moons from its own angle, and the points rise with the weight tradition gives each one, from a single point for Varna up to eight for Nadi.
The points also stop at the wedding day. After it, two people share one home, and in Vastu the Moon, the planet every koota is built on, rules the north-west. How each partner’s Moon sits often shows in where each one finds rest.
| Koota | Points | What it compares | In plain words |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varna | 1 | The varna of the two Moon signs | Outlook towards work and duty |
| Vashya | 2 | The vashya group of the Moon signs | Mutual pull, and who gives way |
| Tara | 3 | Nakshatra count from each to the other, divided by 9 | How each birth star supports the other |
| Yoni | 4 | The animal symbol of each nakshatra | Instinctive and physical comfort |
| Graha Maitri | 5 | Friendship between the lords of the two Moon signs | Mental wavelength, ease of understanding |
| Gana | 6 | Deva, Manushya or Rakshasa gana of each nakshatra | Basic nature and reactions |
| Bhakoot | 7 | How far apart the two Moon signs are | Family life and shared prosperity |
| Nadi | 8 | Adi, Madhya or Antya nadi of each nakshatra | Traditionally linked with health and children |
| Total | 36 |
Each koota in a few lines
- Varna (1): the twelve signs fall into four varnas. The point is given when the groom’s varna is equal to or higher than the bride’s. It is the lightest koota, and it rarely changes my view.
- Vashya (2): signs are grouped as human, four-legged, water-dwelling, wild and insect. The same group earns full marks; some pairs earn half or one.
- Tara (3): count the nakshatras from the bride’s star to the groom’s, and back, and divide each count by nine. Remainders of 3, 5 and 7 are considered unhelpful. Each direction carries 1.5 points.
- Yoni (4): every nakshatra has an animal. The same animal scores four; natural enemies, such as cat and rat or snake and mongoose, score zero.
- Graha Maitri (5): checks whether the rulers of the two Moon signs are friends, neutral or enemies. A low score here is worth talking about, because it speaks to everyday understanding.
- Gana (6): the same gana scores in full. Deva with Rakshasa scores the least.
- Bhakoot (7): Moon signs that fall 2nd and 12th, 5th and 9th, or 6th and 8th from each other score zero, which is called Bhakoot dosha. Cancellations exist, for example when the same planet rules both Moon signs.
- Nadi (8): the same nadi for both scores zero, which is Nadi dosha. Tradition takes it seriously, and it also lists exceptions, such as the same Moon sign with different nakshatras.
How the total is usually read
| Score | Common reading |
|---|---|
| Below 18 | Traditionally not advised |
| 18 to 24 | Acceptable |
| 25 to 32 | Good |
| 33 to 36 | Very good, and rare |
That is the convention you will see in every app and printout. It is a reasonable starting point. It is also where many families stop, which is where my caution begins.
Why 18 is not a rule
The 18-point line is a convention that software has turned into something that looks like law. Two reasons make me careful with it. First, the breakdown says more than the total. A 20 can hide a zero in Nadi or Bhakoot, while a 17 may still carry full marks in both. Second, a zero may be cancelled by a classical exception that the app never checks.
There is a bigger limit too. All eight kootas look only at the Moon. The 7th house, Venus, the Navamsa and the dashas of both people sit outside the table. That is why I read the table first and the two whole charts after it, which is what a kundli matching reading with me covers. How I judge the timing of marriage from the full chart is on marriage timing astrology.
Gun milan and Manglik are separate checks
Mars is not part of the 36 points. Manglik status comes from the houses Mars occupies, and it has its own cancellations. A couple can score 30 and still need a look at Mars, or score 19 with no Manglik question at all. I explain that on the Manglik dosha page.
Before you trust a score
- Confirm both birth times; near a nakshatra boundary, a wrong time can change the Moon’s star. If a birth time cannot be found at all, the rashi from the name is only a fallback
- Read the koota-wise breakdown, not only the total
- Note any zero in Nadi or Bhakoot and ask whether an exception applies
- Check Manglik status for both people separately
- Then read both full charts and the running dashas
गुण मिलान हिंदी में
गुण मिलान में आठ कूट होते हैं: वर्ण 1, वश्य 2, तारा 3, योनि 4, ग्रह मैत्री 5, गण 6, भकूट 7 और नाड़ी 8, कुल 36 गुण। परंपरा में 18 से कम गुण ठीक नहीं माने जाते, पर कुल अंक से ज़्यादा यह मायने रखता है कि किस कूट में शून्य आया और क्या उसका परिहार है। ये सभी कूट सिर्फ़ चंद्रमा से निकलते हैं, इसलिए पूरी कुंडली देखना भी ज़रूरी है।
Two Moons, one home: where gun milan meets the house
A koota table compares two Moons on paper. What it cannot tell you is how those two people will live under one roof. When I study both charts with the plan of the home you will share, I can see which directions each partner’s running dasha leans on, and whether the bedroom and the kitchen help or strain that.
Take a Bhakoot zero, with Moon signs 6th and 8th from each other. In the house, I would look closely at the north-west and at the south-west bedroom where the couple sleeps, before suggesting simple changes to placement and use. My gun milan reading remains the natural first step. If the home is already chosen, the Astro-Vastu consultation that covers both charts and the house gives the complete picture.
Have your score read
If you have a printout and want to know what it really says, send me both sets of birth details. I go through the koota table and the two charts on a video call, online or at my Begur studio by appointment. A two-chart reading is priced on request, and the written report reaches you within 48 hours. Book a gun milan reading, or see how a consultation with me works. For one chart on its own, my kundli analysis page explains the steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 18 gun enough for marriage?
By convention, 18 is the lowest acceptable score. Whether it is enough for your match depends on where the points were lost. Eighteen with healthy Nadi and Bhakoot scores reads very differently from eighteen with a zero in either, so I always look at the breakdown and both full charts.
What is a good gun milan score?
Anything from 25 up is usually called good, and 33 or more is rare. A high score is pleasant to see, yet it measures only the two Moons. I have no reason to call a match good or weak until I have read both charts and the dashas you will each run.
Is gun milan the same as porutham?
They share a purpose but not a method. Gun milan is the North Indian ashtakoota with eight kootas and 36 points. Porutham, used across much of South India, checks ten factors, some of which overlap with the kootas. Both work from the Moon nakshatras of the couple.
Does gun milan use the ascendant or the Sun sign?
Neither. Every koota is worked out from the Moon sign and Moon nakshatra of each person. That is why an accurate birth time matters even for gun milan: the Moon moves through roughly one nakshatra a day, so a few hours can change the result near a boundary.
Can a low gun milan score be overlooked?
A low total is a reason to look closer, not an automatic no. If the missing points are in the lighter kootas, or a zero is cancelled by a classical exception, the picture can be quite workable. I read it case by case and tell you honestly what I see.