What is guna milan?
Guna milan (also called ashtakoota) is the classical way of matching two horoscopes for marriage. It compares the two Moons — their signs and nakshatras — under eight headings, the kootas, and adds the points up to 36. Eighteen or more is traditionally acceptable; 24 and above is good; 28 and above very good.
The eight kootas
- Varna (1). Temperament by the Moon sign's class.
- Vashya (2). Mutual influence between the two signs.
- Tara (3). The count between the two nakshatras, both ways.
- Yoni (4). Instinctive compatibility by the nakshatra's animal.
- Graha maitri (5). Friendship between the two Moon-sign lords.
- Gana (6). Deva, manushya or rakshasa nature of the nakshatras.
- Bhakoot (7). The distance between the two signs.
- Nadi (8). The pulse of the nakshatras; the same nadi is the heaviest dosha.
Why two figures can appear
The texts list exemptions (parihara): a Nadi or Bhakoot dosha does not stand when, for instance, the two Moon-sign lords are friends or the two Moons share a sign but not a nakshatra. AstralMandala shows the plain count and, where an exemption applies, the read with that koota scored in full — so you see both what a plain calculator would say and what an astrologer would.
And Kuja dosha?
Mars in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th or 12th house from the lagna, the Moon or Venus. It is read for both charts, with its own cancellations; when both carry it, or one balances the other's, it does not count against the match.
Questions
Do we both need an account?
No. Neither of you needs one; the link carries the birth details in a code and the server computes the match each time it is opened.
Can I read the match in full?
Yes — sign up free, save the other person, and the two charts are read together: lagnas, 7th houses, the dashas you are both in. 1 match question a day is free.
Is the birth time needed?
The kootas read from the Moon, which moves about 13° a day, so a date and place are usually enough. Kuja dosha needs the lagna and so the time; without it, that part is read from the Moon.