01Where the 36 comes from
Every koota is computed from just two data points per person: the Moon's nakshatra and its sign. That is the system's elegance — and its limit — because two Moons are not two charts. The weights are a built-in verdict on what matters: ego ranks lowest at 1, constitution highest at 8.
02The eight kootas, weighted 1 to 8
| Points | What it actually tests | |
|---|---|---|
| Varna | 1 | Temperament hierarchy — the lightest point on the board |
| Vashya | 2 | Mutual pull — who influences whom |
| Tara | 3 | Birth-star distance — well-being and fortune between the two |
| Yoni | 4 | Instinctive and physical fit — the nakshatra animal pairs |
| Graha Maitri | 5 | Friendship of the two Moon-sign lords — mental wavelength |
| Gana | 6 | Temperament class — deva, manushya or rakshasa |
| Bhakoot | 7 | Moon-sign geometry — flags the hostile 6-8, 2-12, 5-9 pairs |
| Nadi | 8 | Constitution and lineage — the heaviest test, and the most feared |
03Reading the total
The traditional score bandsOut of 36 · bands, not fate
✓Below 18 — traditionally not recommended; look deeper before proceeding.
✓18–24 — acceptable; the dosha kootas and full charts decide.
✓25–32 — very good; still check Nadi and Bhakoot.
✓33–36 — rare and excellent — and still not a guarantee.
04The two dosha kootas
Nadi dosha means both partners share the same nadi — Adi, Madhya or Antya — and the koota scores 0 of 8. Bhakoot dosha scores 0 of 7 when the Moon signs sit in a hostile 6-8, 2-12 or 5-9 pattern. Both have classical cancellations — same nakshatra with different padas can lift Nadi dosha, friendship between the sign lords can lift Bhakoot — so a raw zero is a flag, not a verdict.
05How the score is actually read
1
Total the eight kootas
The points land somewhere out of 36. Below 18 earns a pause — above 18 earns nothing automatic yet.
2
Check the dosha kootas
Nadi (0/8) and Bhakoot (0/7) are inspected regardless of the total. A 30 with Nadi dosha still stops the room.
3
Apply the cancellations
The classical pariharas are checked before any rejection — many feared zeros dissolve here.
4
Open the full charts
Venus, the 7th houses, mangal dosha, dasha timing. A 36/36 with a broken Venus is still a hard marriage.
The score is where the analysis begins — never where it ends.
06Score myths vs the shastra
✕ The fear
18 out of 36 is a pass mark — cross it and the match is safe.
Nadi dosha means the marriage cannot happen.
36 out of 36 means a perfect marriage.
✓ What the shastra says
18 is the floor for further enquiry, not a certificate. A 20 with Nadi dosha uncancelled is weaker than a 17 with clean doshas and strong 7th houses.
The texts that define Nadi dosha also define its cancellations — same nakshatra with different padas among them. Check the pariharas before fearing the zero.
Guna Milan sees two Moons and nothing else. A full score with an afflicted Venus or 7th house is still a hard marriage — the number opens the analysis, it doesn't close it.