Kundli Matching for Marriage: Guna Milan and Porutham Compared
The 36-point Ashtakoot Guna Milan used in the north and the 10 Porutham used in Tamil Nadu are different systems. What each measures, why they disagree, and which to trust.
There is no single method of horoscope matching in India. The north works with Ashtakoot Guna Milan, which scores eight factors out of a total of 36. Tamil Nadu and much of the south work with the ten Poruthams, which are assessed individually rather than summed. Both read the same two charts and both are legitimate — and because they weigh different things, they routinely disagree.
That disagreement is the single most common source of confusion in matching. A pair can score 28 out of 36 on Guna Milan and still fail a porutham that a Tamil astrologer treats as decisive. Neither result is a mistake. They are answers to different questions, and knowing which system produced a number is more important than the number.
Ashtakoot Guna Milan: eight kutas, 36 points
Guna Milan compares the bride’s and groom’s birth nakshatras and Moon signs across eight factors, each carrying a different maximum. The scores are added, and the convention is that 18 or above is acceptable.
| Kuta | Points | What it weighs |
|---|---|---|
| Varna | 1 | Broad temperament grouping |
| Vashya | 2 | Mutual influence and attraction |
| Tara | 3 | Birth-star compatibility and health |
| Yoni | 4 | Physical and instinctive compatibility |
| Graha Maitri | 5 | Friendship between the two Moon-sign lords |
| Gana | 6 | Temperament class — deva, manushya, rakshasa |
| Bhakoot | 7 | Moon-sign relationship; affects prosperity |
| Nadi | 8 | Constitutional type; the heaviest single factor |
Two of the eight dominate the arithmetic. Nadi alone is worth 8 points and Bhakoot 7, so a pair failing both starts 15 points down and can rarely recover to 18 — which is why Nadi dosha and Bhakoot dosha get discussed far more than the other six factors combined.
The ten Poruthams: assessed, not totalled
Tamil practice checks ten poruthams and reports each as agreeing or not. There is no score out of ten and no threshold, because the poruthams are not treated as interchangeable — some are considered essential and others advisory, and a single failure in the wrong place outweighs several passes elsewhere.
- Commonly treated as essential: Dina, Gana, Yoni, Rasi, Rajju.
- Commonly treated as supporting: Mahendra, Stree Deergha, Rasi Adhipathi, Vasya, Vedha.
- Rajju in particular is often treated as disqualifying on its own, in a way no single kuta is under Guna Milan.
Why the two systems disagree
| Guna Milan | 10 Porutham | |
|---|---|---|
| Output | A score out of 36 | Ten individual verdicts |
| Threshold | Conventionally 18+ | No threshold; weighted by which failed |
| Dominant factors | Nadi (8) and Bhakoot (7) | Rajju, Dina, Gana, Yoni, Rasi |
| Overlap | Yoni, Gana, Tara and Graha Maitri have porutham counterparts | Same four, judged differently |
| Doshas | Assessed separately from the score | Assessed separately from the poruthams |
Four factors genuinely appear in both — Yoni, Gana, Tara/Dina and Graha Maitri — but they are scored in one system and judged pass or fail in the other. The remaining factors do not correspond at all. A high Guna Milan score therefore carries no guarantee about the poruthams, and a clean porutham reading says nothing about the 36-point total.
The practical advice from most practitioners is to pick the system your families actually follow and read it properly, rather than running both and taking whichever answer you prefer. Running both and cherry-picking is the one approach that is definitely wrong.
Doshas are a separate question
Neither Guna Milan nor the poruthams include the dosha checks. Chevvai dosham — known as Manglik or Kuja dosha elsewhere — is assessed on its own, as is Rahu-Ketu placement, and so is Saturn’s current transit over either chart. A pair can score well and still be told to wait, on grounds that have nothing to do with either matching system.
Matching in Zodian
Zodian implements the Tamil system: the ten poruthams, reported individually, alongside the dosha checks that sit outside them.
- All ten poruthams, each with its own verdict rather than a combined percentage.
- Chevvai dosham for both charts, with the comparison — both clear, both affected, or a mismatch.
- Rahu-Ketu dosham assessed for each chart.
- Saturn transit over both charts, including Sade Sati, Ashtama Sani and Kantaka Sani.
- Dasa sandhi — whether either person is near a mahadasha boundary, which affects timing rather than compatibility.
Honest scope: Zodian does not compute Ashtakoot Guna Milan. It implements the Tamil ten-porutham system, which is what the app is built for. If your family follows the 36-point north Indian method, Zodian is not the tool for that particular reading — and we would rather say so than print a score from a system we have not implemented. Zodian runs free in beta on the web at zodian.in, on iOS via TestFlight, and on Android via the Play Store — the same profiles sync across all three.
Frequently asked questions
What is Guna Milan in kundli matching?
Guna Milan, or Ashtakoot, compares two charts across eight factors — Varna, Vashya, Tara, Yoni, Graha Maitri, Gana, Bhakoot and Nadi — carrying 1 to 8 points each for a total of 36. A score of 18 or above is conventionally treated as acceptable.
Is Guna Milan the same as porutham?
No. Guna Milan produces a score out of 36 and is used mainly in north India. The ten poruthams used in Tamil Nadu are reported individually with no total, and are weighted so that a single failure in an essential porutham can outweigh several passes. Four factors overlap between the systems; the rest do not.
How many gunas are needed for marriage?
The usual convention is 18 out of 36 or above. Below 18 is generally considered unfavourable, though most practitioners apply cancellation rules and read the doshas separately rather than treating the number as final.
Which is more accurate, Guna Milan or porutham?
Neither is more accurate — they measure different things and are both established within their own traditions. The sound approach is to use the system your families follow and read it fully, rather than running both and choosing the more favourable result.
Does a good matching score mean there is no dosha?
No. Chevvai dosham, Rahu-Ketu placement and Saturn transits are assessed separately from both systems. A pair can score well on Guna Milan or pass all ten poruthams and still have a dosha requiring attention.
Where can I check porutham matching free?
Zodian at zodian.in runs all ten poruthams with individual verdicts, plus Chevvai and Rahu-Ketu dosham checks and Saturn transit analysis for both charts — free during beta. It does not compute the 36-point Guna Milan.