Kundli Milan: What the 36 Gunas Actually Check
"Your match is 28 out of 36." What does that actually mean? Here are the eight checks behind the number, in plain words.
Where the 36 comes from
Ashtakoot Milan compares two people's Moon sign and Moon nakshatra. It checks eight areas (koota), and each area has its own maximum, adding up to 36.
The eight checks
- Varna (1 point): the temperament and work approach of each person.
- Vashya (2 points): how naturally the two influence and adapt to each other.
- Tara (3 points): how the birth stars support each other, often linked with wellbeing.
- Yoni (4 points): physical and instinctive compatibility.
- Graha Maitri (5 points): the friendship between the two Moon-sign lords. This is read as mental and emotional ease.
- Gana (6 points): basic nature: gentle, active or intense. Matching natures mean fewer clashes.
- Bhakoot (7 points): how the two Moon signs sit relative to each other, linked with shared life, family and finances.
- Nadi (8 points): the biggest check. Traditionally tied to health and family line, and the reason same-Nadi matches get extra attention.
What score is "good"?
Most sources treat 18 out of 36 as the minimum for a match to be considered acceptable. Higher scores, around 25 and above, are described as strong. These are traditional rules of thumb, not laws.
What the score can't tell you
- It does not look at the rest of the chart: the 7th house, Venus, Mars, or the dasha each person is in.
- It does not know whether you two communicate well, share values or want the same life.
- It uses only the Moon, so the birth time matters. A wrong time can change the Moon sign or nakshatra, and the whole score with it.
How to use it sensibly
Treat the score as a conversation starter. Look at which areas are strong and which need care, then talk about those areas in real life. A low Nadi or Gana score points to a topic to understand together, not a closed door.
Shubhly's Kundli Milan works out the Moon positions from the real sky and shows each of the eight areas, so you can see where a match is easy and where it asks for patience.