Aṣṭakūṭa 8-fold gives you a number from 0 to 36. Necessary, not sufficient. Real compatibility analysis adds Maṅgalika check, Nāḍī assessment, Bhakūṭa specifics, D-9 Navāṃśa overlay, and Daśā compatibility for the next 20 years.
| Kūṭa | Pts | What it checks |
|---|---|---|
| Varṇa | 1 | Spiritual category alignment |
| Vaśya | 2 | Mutual influence + attraction |
| Tārā | 3 | Health + longevity for both |
| Yoni | 4 | Sexual / physical compatibility |
| Graha-maitrī | 5 | Mental friendship · Moon-sign rulers |
| Gaṇa | 6 | Temperament: Deva / Manuṣya / Rākṣasa |
| Bhakūṭa | 7 | Family + financial harmony |
| Nāḍī | 8 | Genetic / progeny health |
Total possible: 36 points. Score interpretation:
You can score 32/36 and still have a difficult marriage. The score is a baseline filter, not a verdict. Five additional checks matter:
Mars in 1/4/7/8/12 from Lagna or Moon increases marital tension. Mitigated when both partners are Maṅgalika. Single-Maṅgalika without remedy can be problematic.
Same-Nāḍī (Ādi-Ādi or Madhya-Madhya or Antya-Antya) traditionally costs 8 points. But specific same-nakṣatra-different-pada cases are exempt — must check the engine, not the rulebook.
7-point loss isn't just about Moon-sign distance. The 6:8 vs 5:9 vs 2:12 distances each have different specific themes (financial vs progeny vs general inauspicious).
The 9th divisional chart reveals true marriage themes. Rāhu-Ketu placement in D-9 of one partner often matches D-1 themes of the other — this is karmic alignment.
Both partners' next 20 years of mahā-daśā periods overlap. Compatible periods (Venus, Jupiter) vs. incompatible (Saturn, Rāhu) shape the marriage's actual experience.
Both partners' 7th-house lord placement reveals what each unconsciously seeks in a partner. Mismatched seeking patterns produce friction even with high Aṣṭakūṭa scores.
TRIKĀLA's Kundli Milan PDF includes all 8 kūṭas + 5 beyond-checks for both charts in one ₹499 report.
Match charts · ₹499 →INSTANT PDF · BOTH PARTNERS · 8 LANGUAGES