What Is Nakshatra Compatibility in Marriage?
When a proposal comes to an Indian home, the first question the elders ask is rarely about the job or the family name. It is "what is the star?" The birth star, or janma nakshatra, is the nakshatra the Moon occupied when a person was born, and in Jyotish the Moon is the mind. Two people whose Moons sit comfortably together tend to understand each other without much effort; two whose Moons clash can love each other deeply and still rub each other the wrong way every day.
Nakshatra compatibility puts that feeling into numbers through Ashtakoot milan, also called guna milan. Eight kootas are read from the two birth stars and the two Moon signs, each with its own weight, and together they add up to 36 gunas. The method comes down to us from Muhurta Chintamani and is still the first test families use, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. In South India the Dashakoot (ten porutham) system is often used instead, but the core is the same: the two Moons and their stars.
The calculator above follows exactly the same rules as our full kundli matching, so the score you see here is the score you will see there.
How to Check Nakshatra Compatibility by Date of Birth
If you do not know a birth star, choose "Date of Birth" for that person and enter the date and place. With the birth time, the Moon's exact position gives the star and its pada, and the result is precise.
Without a time, the calculation is still possible more often than people expect. The Moon spends roughly a day in each nakshatra, so on many dates it stays in one star from midnight to midnight. On those dates the match is the same whatever the hour, and the page shows it straight away. On a date when the Moon changed stars, the page tells you the exact time it moved and lets you pick the side of that line the birth fell on. Even a rough memory, "she was born in the evening", is usually enough to choose.
The pada matters less than people fear. Within one star the pada changes the score only when the star is split between two signs, as Krittika, Mrigashira, Punarvasu, Uttara Phalguni, Chitra, Vishakha, Uttara Ashadha, Dhanishta and Purva Bhadrapada are. For the other eighteen stars, all four padas give the same guna score.
Nakshatra Compatibility by Name
Every pada of every nakshatra has a sound, and a child is traditionally named with the sound of the pada the Moon occupied at birth: Chu, Che, Cho and La for the four padas of Ashwini, Ma, Mi, Mu and Me for Magha, and so on through all 108. Read backwards, a name points to a pada, and that is how name matching works. Choose "Name" for a person, type the name, and the page reads its first sound; if that sound belongs to more than one pada, as Ta, Na and Da do, it asks you to pick.
Use this only when birth details cannot be found. Many people today are not named by their nakshatra sound at all, and a name chosen for its meaning says nothing about the Moon. When the name was given by the family priest at the naming ceremony, it is a reasonable stand-in; otherwise, a date of birth without a time is far more reliable than a name.
The 8 Kootas of Nakshatra Matching
The kootas rise in weight from one point to eight. The light ones describe how two people get along day to day; the heavy ones, Bhakoot and Nadi, speak of family welfare, health and children, which is why a low score there worries astrologers more than a low score in Varna or Vashya.
The 8 Kootas of Ashtakoot Matching36 points in all | ||
|---|---|---|
| Koota | Points | What It Checks |
| Varna | 1 | Outlook and values, from the Moon sign's varna |
| Vashya | 2 | Mutual attraction and influence, from the Moon signs |
| Tara | 3 | Luck and wellbeing, counted from one star to the other |
| Yoni | 4 | Physical and instinctive nature, from the animal of each star |
| Graha Maitri | 5 | Mental friendship of the two Moon-sign lords |
| Gana | 6 | Temperament: Deva, Manushya or Rakshasa |
| Bhakoot | 7 | Family life and finances, from the distance between the Moon signs |
| Nadi | 8 | Health and children, from the nadi of each star |
Four of the eight, Tara, Yoni, Gana and Nadi, come from the nakshatras themselves. The other four come from the Moon signs, which is why two people born in the same star can still score differently when one has the Moon in the star's first pada and the other in its last, across a sign boundary.
What Your Guna Score Means
Tradition sets 18 of 36 as the line below which a match is not approved. Above it, the bands below are the ones most astrologers use. The number is a guide, not a verdict: I have seen 30-guna marriages fail and 19-guna marriages last fifty years, and the difference was always in the full charts.
Guna Milan Score ChartOut of 36 gunas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Gunas | Match | What It Means |
| 33–36 | Excellent | A rare and very strong match on the stars |
| 25–32 | Good | A sound match; go ahead after checking the full charts |
| 18–24 | Average | Acceptable, provided there is no uncancelled Nadi or Bhakoot dosha |
| 0–17 | Not Advised | Below the traditional minimum; most astrologers advise against it |
Nadi Dosha, Bhakoot Dosha and Gana Dosha
Three kootas can carry a dosha, and each has classical exceptions that cancel it. The result above tells you whether a dosha is present and whether it is cancelled.
Nadi Dosha
Every nakshatra belongs to one of three nadis: Aadi, Madhya or Antya. When both birth stars share a nadi, the Nadi koota scores 0 of 8, and tradition links this to health and children. It is cancelled when both Moons are in the same sign but in different stars, when both share a star but the Moons fall in different signs, when both share star and sign but sit in different padas, when the two stars have the same ruling planet, or when their ruling planets are natural friends.
Bhakoot Dosha
Bhakoot looks at how far apart the two Moon signs are. Signs 2 and 12, 5 and 9, or 6 and 8 from each other give Bhakoot dosha and 0 of 7 points. The dosha is cancelled when the two Moon signs have the same lord or lords who are friends, when the two Moons' navamsa signs have the same lord, or when the navamsa lords are friends and the nadis differ.
Gana Dosha
Gana sorts the stars into Deva, Manushya and Rakshasa temperaments. A Manushya woman with a Rakshasa man, or a Rakshasa woman with a Deva or Manushya man, gives Gana dosha. It is eased when the count from her star to his is 14 or more, when the Moon-sign lords or navamsa lords are the same or friends, or when both Moons share a sign without Bhakoot dosha. The cancellation softens the dosha but does not restore the points.
Nakshatra Compatibility Chart
The chart below gives the four best and three least compatible partners for every birth star, with the Ashtakoot score in brackets. Because some kootas are read from the woman's side, the score of a pair can differ by a point or so depending on who has which star; the chart shows the lower of the two, so it never flatters a match. Where a star is split between two signs, its padas are listed separately.
Best and Least Compatible NakshatrasScore out of 36 in brackets | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nakshatra | Best Matches | Least Compatible |
| Ashwini | Purva Ashadha (34), Bharani (33), Purva Phalguni (32), Uttara Ashadha, Pada 1 (31.5) | Hasta (8), Uttara Phalguni, Padas 2–4 (8), Chitra, Padas 1–2 (12) |
| Bharani | Uttara Ashadha, Pada 1 (34), Ashwini (33), Uttara Phalguni, Pada 1 (33), Revati (30.5) | Chitra (Padas 1–2: 3, Padas 3–4: 12.5), Dhanishta (Padas 3–4: 9, Padas 1–2: 10), Mrigashira, Padas 1–2 (14.5) |
| Krittika | Pada 1: Mula (31.5), Jyeshtha (29.5), Bharani (29), Ashwini (26.5) Padas 2–4: Chitra (Padas 1–2: 29.5, Padas 3–4: 28.5), Dhanishta (Padas 1–2: 29.5, Padas 3–4: 28.5), Shatabhisha (29.5), Jyeshtha (27.5) | Pada 1: Rohini (10), Shravana (11.5), Uttara Ashadha, Padas 2–4 (11.5) Padas 2–4: Uttara Ashadha, Pada 1 (5.5), Revati (13), Purva Ashadha (13.5) |
| Rohini | Mrigashira (Padas 1–2: 35, Padas 3–4: 32), Uttara Phalguni, Padas 2–4 (31), Ardra (29.5), Purva Bhadrapada, Padas 1–3 (29.5) | Ashlesha (10), Krittika, Pada 1 (10), Magha (10.5) |
| Mrigashira | Padas 1–2: Rohini (35), Shravana (32), Hasta (31), Ardra (30) Padas 3–4: Ardra (33), Swati (33), Rohini (32), Hasta (32) | Padas 1–2: Purva Ashadha (11), Mula (14), Bharani (14.5) Padas 3–4: Dhanishta (Padas 1–2: 7, Padas 3–4: 9), Anuradha (10), Pushya (11.5) |
| Ardra | Mrigashira (Padas 3–4: 33, Padas 1–2: 30), Swati (30), Rohini (29.5), Purva Phalguni (27.5) | Jyeshtha (2), Shatabhisha (9), Punarvasu, Pada 4 (12) |
| Punarvasu | Padas 1–3: Swati (34), Mrigashira (Padas 3–4: 31.5, Padas 1–2: 28.5), Rohini (27.5), Uttara Bhadrapada (26.5) Pada 4: Pushya (34), Ashlesha (28.5), Shravana (28), Bharani (27.5) | Padas 1–3: Jyeshtha (5), Vishakha, Pada 4 (9.5), Mula (11) Pada 4: Purva Bhadrapada, Padas 1–3 (7.5), Shatabhisha (7.5), Mula (8.5) |
| Pushya | Punarvasu, Pada 4 (34), Uttara Phalguni, Pada 1 (29.5), Ashwini (28.5), Ashlesha (28) | Dhanishta, Padas 3–4 (5), Purva Ashadha (10.5), Mrigashira, Padas 3–4 (11.5) |
| Ashlesha | Punarvasu, Pada 4 (28.5), Pushya (28), Dhanishta, Padas 1–2 (26), Chitra, Padas 1–2 (25.5) | Uttara Ashadha, Pada 1 (7.5), Revati (9), Rohini (10) |
| Magha | Jyeshtha (32), Purva Phalguni (30), Mula (29), Bharani (27) | Uttara Ashadha, Padas 2–4 (2.5), Shravana (3.5), Swati (10.5) |
| Purva Phalguni | Uttara Phalguni, Pada 1 (34), Ashwini (32), Uttara Ashadha, Pada 1 (32), Magha (30) | Dhanishta (Padas 1–2: 3.5, Padas 3–4: 10.5), Chitra (Padas 1–2: 7.5, Padas 3–4: 10.5), Mrigashira, Padas 1–2 (15.5) |
| Uttara Phalguni | Pada 1: Purva Phalguni (34), Bharani (33), Purva Ashadha (33), Uttara Bhadrapada (31.5) Padas 2–4: Swati (31.5), Rohini (31), Mrigashira (Padas 3–4: 29.5, Padas 1–2: 28.5), Uttara Bhadrapada (28) | Pada 1: Shatabhisha (9.5), Dhanishta, Padas 1–2 (10.5), Chitra, Padas 1–2 (13.5) Padas 2–4: Ashwini (8), Shatabhisha (8.5), Mula (11) |
| Hasta | Swati (33.5), Mrigashira (Padas 3–4: 32, Padas 1–2: 31), Pushya (27.5), Krittika, Padas 2–4 (27) | Ashwini (8), Shatabhisha (8.5), Mula (11) |
| Chitra | Padas 1–2: Vishakha (Padas 1–3: 33.5, Pada 4: 27), Krittika, Padas 2–4 (29.5), Hasta (27), Rohini (26) Padas 3–4: Vishakha, Padas 1–3 (34.5), Shatabhisha (33), Krittika, Padas 2–4 (28.5), Ardra (27) | Padas 1–2: Bharani (3), Purva Phalguni (7.5), Uttara Bhadrapada (10) Padas 3–4: Uttara Bhadrapada (3), Anuradha (6.5), Purva Ashadha (10) |
| Swati | Punarvasu, Padas 1–3 (34), Hasta (33.5), Mrigashira, Padas 3–4 (33), Purva Bhadrapada, Padas 1–3 (32) | Vishakha, Pada 4 (7), Magha (10.5), Revati (12) |
| Vishakha | Padas 1–3: Chitra (Padas 3–4: 34.5, Padas 1–2: 33.5), Shatabhisha (33), Dhanishta (Padas 3–4: 31.5, Padas 1–2: 29.5), Ardra (27) Pada 4: Jyeshtha (31.5), Mula (28.5), Chitra, Padas 1–2 (27), Anuradha (27) | Padas 1–3: Revati (5), Purva Bhadrapada, Pada 4 (10.5), Uttara Ashadha, Pada 1 (11) Pada 4: Swati (7), Punarvasu, Padas 1–3 (9.5), Shravana (11) |
| Anuradha | Revati (33), Purva Bhadrapada, Pada 4 (31), Ashwini (30.5), Uttara Phalguni, Pada 1 (30.5) | Chitra (Padas 3–4: 6.5, Padas 1–2: 11), Mrigashira, Padas 3–4 (10), Dhanishta, Padas 3–4 (11) |
| Jyeshtha | Magha (32), Vishakha, Pada 4 (31.5), Anuradha (30), Krittika, Pada 1 (29.5) | Ardra (2), Punarvasu, Padas 1–3 (5), Purva Bhadrapada, Padas 1–3 (10) |
| Mula | Krittika, Pada 1 (31.5), Magha (29), Vishakha, Pada 4 (28.5), Bharani (28) | Punarvasu (Pada 4: 8.5, Padas 1–3: 11), Hasta (11), Uttara Phalguni, Padas 2–4 (11) |
| Purva Ashadha | Uttara Ashadha, Pada 1 (35), Ashwini (34), Uttara Phalguni, Pada 1 (33), Purva Bhadrapada, Pada 4 (29.5) | Dhanishta, Padas 1–2 (7.5), Chitra (Padas 3–4: 10, Padas 1–2: 10), Pushya (10.5) |
| Uttara Ashadha | Pada 1: Purva Ashadha (35), Bharani (34), Purva Phalguni (32), Ashwini (31.5) Padas 2–4: Purva Bhadrapada (Padas 1–3: 30.5, Pada 4: 29.5), Uttara Bhadrapada (29.5), Bharani (27.5), Mrigashira, Padas 1–2 (27.5) | Pada 1: Krittika, Padas 2–4 (5.5), Ashlesha (7.5), Vishakha, Padas 1–3 (11) Padas 2–4: Magha (2.5), Krittika, Pada 1 (11.5), Vishakha, Pada 4 (12) |
| Shravana | Mrigashira, Padas 1–2 (32), Purva Bhadrapada (Padas 1–3: 29.5, Pada 4: 28.5), Uttara Bhadrapada (28.5), Punarvasu, Pada 4 (28) | Magha (3.5), Vishakha, Pada 4 (11), Krittika, Pada 1 (11.5) |
| Dhanishta | Padas 1–2: Shatabhisha (31), Krittika, Padas 2–4 (29.5), Vishakha, Padas 1–3 (29.5), Shravana (28) Padas 3–4: Shatabhisha (33), Vishakha, Padas 1–3 (31.5), Krittika, Padas 2–4 (28.5), Purva Bhadrapada, Padas 1–3 (28.5) | Padas 1–2: Purva Phalguni (3.5), Mrigashira, Padas 3–4 (7), Purva Ashadha (7.5) Padas 3–4: Pushya (5), Uttara Bhadrapada (6.5), Mrigashira, Padas 3–4 (9) |
| Shatabhisha | Chitra, Padas 3–4 (33), Vishakha, Padas 1–3 (33), Dhanishta (Padas 3–4: 33, Padas 1–2: 31), Krittika, Padas 2–4 (29.5) | Punarvasu, Pada 4 (7.5), Purva Bhadrapada, Pada 4 (8), Hasta (8.5) |
| Purva Bhadrapada | Padas 1–3: Swati (32), Uttara Ashadha, Padas 2–4 (30.5), Rohini (29.5), Shravana (29.5) Pada 4: Uttara Bhadrapada (33), Anuradha (31), Purva Phalguni (29.5), Purva Ashadha (29.5) | Padas 1–3: Punarvasu, Pada 4 (7.5), Jyeshtha (10), Ashlesha (12) Pada 4: Shatabhisha (8), Vishakha, Padas 1–3 (10.5), Chitra, Padas 3–4 (12) |
| Uttara Bhadrapada | Purva Bhadrapada, Pada 4 (33), Revati (33), Uttara Phalguni, Pada 1 (31.5), Uttara Ashadha (Pada 1: 29.5, Padas 2–4: 29.5) | Chitra (Padas 3–4: 3, Padas 1–2: 10), Dhanishta, Padas 3–4 (6.5), Vishakha, Padas 1–3 (12.5) |
| Revati | Anuradha (33), Uttara Bhadrapada (33), Ashwini (31), Bharani (30.5) | Vishakha, Padas 1–3 (5), Ashlesha (9), Swati (12) |
Nakshatra Compatibility: An Example from My Own Chart
My own birth star is Uttara Phalguni, pada 2, with the Moon just inside Virgo. Run through the calculator, the best scores for it come from Swati at 31.5, Rohini at 31, Mrigashira (padas 3–4) at 29.5 out of 36, and the lowest from Ashwini at 8 and Shatabhisha at 8.5.
Someone born in the same star, one pada later, would score 25 with me: the shared star gives Nadi dosha, but the different pada cancels it. This is why I never dismiss a same-star match without checking the padas, and why I never accept a high score without opening both charts. The stars tell you how two minds will meet; the rest of the kundli tells you what life will ask of them.
Nakshatra Matching vs Full Kundli Matching
Nakshatra matching looks only at the two Moons. It is quick, it needs no birth time in most cases, and it is the right first filter when many proposals have to be sorted. But a marriage is lived through the whole chart. A full kundli matching also checks Manglik dosha from Mars, the 7th house and its lord, Venus for the husband and Jupiter for the wife, and the Vimshottari dashas both people will run in the first years of marriage.
My advice is simple. Use nakshatra compatibility to decide which proposals deserve a closer look. Before a final yes, match the full kundlis, and if a Nadi or Bhakoot dosha remains uncancelled, have an astrologer read both charts together. For questions about timing, the marriage prediction by date of birth is the next place to look.
