Guides / Vedic compatibility
What is Ashta Koota?
Ashta Koota, or Guna Milan, scores eight factors from two Moon signs and Nakshatras, totaling 36 points.
Eight kootas from two Moons
Ashta Koota (Guna Milan) is the Vedic compatibility table used in matchmaking. It does not compare whole charts. It compares the two Moons: their signs, Nakshatras, and the traditional groupings that follow from those placements.
The eight kootas are Varna, Vashya, Tara, Yoni, Graha Maitri, Gana, Bhakoot, and Nadi. Each carries a maximum score. The eight scores add to 36.
Beside Western synastry
On Inner Light, Ashta Koota sits beside the Western aspect table. They answer different questions. Aspects describe angular relationships between two tropical charts. Guna Milan describes a lunar matching system from Jyotish. Both require enough birth data to place the Moon accurately; Guna Milan also needs birth time so the Nakshatra is not guessed from midnight.
Common questions
- Is 18 out of 36 a pass mark?
- Many popular summaries treat 18 as a minimum. That threshold is a later convention around the 36-point table, not a law of nature. The eight kootas are meant to be read as a profile, not only as a total.