Role of Ashtakoot in Horoscope Matching  

When parents plan the marriage of their children with a potential partner then they have very strong curiosity in their minds to know about the personnel, educational and professional background of the would be partner for knowing which the horoscope of both are studied which gives indication about the nature, health, personality, wealth, property, children and married life of the boy and girl.

The study of horoscopes of both is enough to get a clear idea of the real personality and background of boy and girl both so that before matching horoscopes we have a certain level of confidence about the strength of general good luck of both.

The mental, physical, intellectual and religious features of bride and groom should be matched necessarily to make the marriage successful. Matching one aspect of horoscopes is not enough because if other elements are not matched properly then marital relation can turn into a painful experience. We can succeed in arranging the marriages of our children without having any worry about the future of their married life if we carefully follow the rules created by ancient Rishis with the help of their divine vision, experience, the extensive investigation and research.

It is important to get the complete horoscopes matched. If horoscopes are not matching properly than they can be unhappy, divorce may happen, differences of opinion etc would be faced. So complete horoscope matching is very important for any marriage. Below said points should be kept in mind before match making:

• What is the strength of the horoscope on marriage front?
• Age of both person (longevity)
• Is there any Vidhur yog or Vaidvay yog?( widow hood yoga)
• Prosperity and other related stuff Matching
• Matching of malefic planets which affected marital houses in horoscope
• Matching of married life houses in horoscope
• Matchmaking of significant planet of marriage
• Dasha matching
• Transit matching
• Manglik dosha matching
• Ashtkoot matching Yog of Vishkanya
• Dosh samveyam
• Dasha sandhi
• If any problem is there, then what kind of problem? & their solutions with remedies Another important aspect of Marriage Compatibility is Manglik Match (Mars Consideration) which is believed to be important for success of married life and wellbeing of both male and female partner.

Horoscope matching has 4 integral parts -

• Planet Matching
• Element Matching
• Manglik Dosh Matching
• Gun Milan (Ashtkoot Matching)

If the horoscopes of the boy and girl contain the promise of happy married life and Navamsas (the divisional chart of marriage) of both are also strong and the majority of planets in the horoscopes of both of them have enough strength & Manglik Dosh Matching is perfect then that would lay the foundation of happy married life but all this won't help much if Ashtakoota matching is not given due importance.

When we are confident enough about the strength of horoscope then the next step afterwards is to check the compatibility which should be checked on all levels i.e. mental, physical, social behavior, family and wealth etc. If this matching is done perfectly and intelligently then marriage definitely proves successful. For this purpose ancient Rishis have created Ashtkoota Matching.

The 1st edition of the astrological text by the name "Horoscope matching" authored by Sh. Arun Bansal (1) in 2015 states that Ashtakoot matching matches eight important inherent qualities in human beings.

The beginning of 3rd chapter of the book Horoscope Matching elucidates that there are different phenomena of match making prevalent even in different parts of India. Somewhere there are Ashtakoota Milan or somewhere Duskoota Milan is in vogue while in some other parts Pakshi koot milan is the prominent system. However, the most accepted and widely practised method is Ashtakoota Milan. In Ashtakoota Milan, eight components are taken into account on the basis of which the compatibility between a prospective couple is decided.

Horoscope matching has 3 integral parts - Gun Milan (Ashtkoot Matching), Element Matching & Manglik Dosh Matching. Gun Milan is an ancient 8-fold Vedic test of horoscope matching between a man and woman's charts for marriage based only on the placement of one planet Moon.

The 1st edition of the astrological text by the name "The Art of Matching Charts" authored by Gayatri Devi Vasudev (2) in 2001 states that Ashtakoot matching is based on the Nakshatra occupied by the Moon in the two charts. The Moon is described as Manahkaraka and naturally this test looks at the mental compatibility of the two people. But it does not stop here. There are various levels of relating between the husband and wife apart from the mental. The Ashtakoota tests take a deeper look at the compatibility between the two- psychological, spiritual, physical, sub conscious and sometimes it would seem they take into cognizance compatibility at the level of blood also. Although modern medicine has evolved its own categories of blood groups and their matching, astrology also seems to take into this account at an even more subtle or refined level. For example, in many cases where the Nadi factor has not been properly match, the marriage has experienced still birth, miscarriage as well as abortions and birth of blue babies. This would empoyee the nadi factor takes cognizance of the physical matching or genetic compatibility between the couple at a level deeper than the modern concept of blood groups.

This test of koota agreement takes into account 8 factors ; Varna, VAshya, Tara, Yoni, Grahamaitra, Gana, Bhakoota or Rasi Kuta and Nadi.

The Natal Charts of the man and the woman are drawn and comparatively tested for compatibility in eight different ways. Each test has a score. While the maximum points that can be achieved under each test are different, the full 8-fold test can yield a maximum score of 36 points which judges how compatible you two are by seeing the zodiac signs and horoscopes. A score of 18 is deemed to be the minimum for a reasonable match. Marriages are not recommended for a result below 18.

If a couple scores less than 18 then the match should be rejected .If the score is 18 - 24, then the match is acceptable (average). If the score is 25 - 32 then the match is very good (above average). If the score is above 32 then technically the match is excellent but a lot of other factors have to be checked since both persons will be of same nature and that is not conducive to long-term relationship.

The 1st edition of the astrological text by the name "Horoscope matching" authored by Sh. Arun Bansal (3) (2015) states that if 18 or more gunas are found to be common between the boy and the girl, then match is considered to be compatible.

The total points allotted to each of the eight components are as follows :

Despite the saying "marriages are made in heaven", bulk of the people in India consult an astrologer or pundit to match the horoscope and check the compatibility of prospective girl and boy. As a result success rate of marriages in India is the highest as compared to the other nations of the world.

Summary of significance of various aspects in compatibility are as follows:

The 1st edition of the astrological text by the name "Horoscope matching" authored by Sh. Arun Bansal (4) (2015) states that every Koota has been assigned certain points or gunas which are as follows :

Ashtakoot and Relative Subject

This is a frequently asked question by the students of astrology as to why Varna has been allotted only 1 point or guna while Nadi has 8 points or gunas ? There is no clear cut and satisfactory answer to it as there is no mention and explanation regarding this in any astrological classics or text. But it is certain that there is mention and explanation of total 36 gunas and allotment of gunas to each of the eight components of Ashtakoota in scriptures. It is suggested that if there is minimum matching of 18 gunas in the horoscopes of a boy and a girl, it is go ahead for marriage. Higher the number of guna matching, higher will be the compatibility and mutual understanding. But it is ideal to have at least 21 gunas out of 36 if there is no similarity in their Ganas, Bhakoots and Nadis. Nadi symbolises the health and progeny. Health and progeny are the most essential component of married life and conjugal bliss. It has been rightly said that if health is lost, everything is lost.

This is due to this fact that Nadi has been allotted maximum 8 points or gunas that is ahead of all in Ashtakootas. Bhakoota indicates the nature of the prospective husband and wife, their likes and dislikes, their attraction towards each other which are essential for the two individuals of different family and different sex to stay together and have congenial relationship throughout the life. This is due to these considerations that Bhakoota has been considered second most important component of the Ashtakoota and allotted 7 points or gunas. Yoni represents the three natural gunas - Satoguna, Rajoguna and Tamoguna. Yoni matching reveals the nature of boy and the girl and from which group they belong, are they compatible to each other to lead their lives together happily or they will fight like cats and dogs and make the lives of each other and family miserable?

The Scoring System of Gun Milan

Ancient principles in the scoring system and the weight age given to various aspects are given as per the Vedic texts. However, we want you to understand the principles behind it completely.

If the score is 18 - 24, then the match is acceptable (average). If the score is 25 - 32 then the match is very good (above average). If the score is above 32 then technically the match is excellent but a lot of other factors have to be checked since both persons will be of same nature and that is not conducive to long-term relationship.

The system by which this test assigns scores is that when and if in a relationship, the horoscope chart of a woman rates higher and is superior in intellectual, mental or physical powers than the chart of the man's, then the test will fail and there will be a low score or a zero score. The highest score is also given in this test in a woman's ability to be a mother.

We encourage you to study this test very closely for its ability to point out the difference in personality and ego between two different people and their strengths and weakness in maintaining a nurturing, caring and growing relationship over time.

The FIRST Test: Mental Compatibility (Varna)

This test has a maximum value of 1 point and shows the basic potential of a person and the person's inherent skills and abilities. This also includes the personal egos of the partners and compatibility between their egos. A partnership in which the woman has higher intellectual and spiritual qualities will score low in this test.

The Second Test: Power compatibility (Vasya)

This test has a maximum value of 2 points and shows the power equation between the partners. It also reflects who will be the more dominant partner in the relationship.

The Third Test: Birth Star Compatibility (Tara)

Third test: This test has a maximum value of 3 points and indicates the health, well-being and compatibility of the partners after marriage. Birth Stars of both the partners.

The Fourth Test: Physical and sexual compatibility (Yoni)

This test has a maximum value of 4 points and shows sexual and biological compatibility, as well as mutual love and sexual inclinations of the partners reflecting attraction, love and Sexual joy.

The Fifth Test: Planetary Harmony (Grahamaitri)

This test has a maximum value of 5 points. It shows progeny prospects, mental qualities and mutual affection between the partners. It also shows one's outlook, objective, and intellectual level as well as spiritual plane of existence. It reflects the fundamental difference in daily behavior, attitude and norm by which the man and woman relate to each other. For the purposes of this test, the relationship between the different planetary lords of the Moon Sign in each partner's natal chart is compared. Vedic Astrology attributes the planets either to be natural friends, or enemies or neutral to each other.

The Seventh Test: Compatibility between Moon signs (Bhakut)

This test has a maximum value of 7 and is a crucial test to check overall prosperity in the growth of family, family welfare and economic prosperity after marriage.

The Eighth Test: Compatibility between Life forces (Nadi)

This test that has the highest value of 8 shows the pulse and nervous energy indicating the physiological and heredity factor. This test also measures the genetic compatibility between the couple to produce healthy progeny after marriage.

How to reach at the conclusion

Before reaching at any conclusion many other important factors should be taken into account other than Ashtakoota Matching. The most important aspect of any marriage is to spend life together for a long time. So, first of all it should be seen if there is any widow/widower yoga prominent in any of the horoscopes. If it is so then marriage is prohibited in spite of very good Ashtakoota matching points. Besides that the foremost consideration for matching should be the health of both, financial wellbeing, progeny etc.

Now the question arises, while matching the horoscope of a boy and the girl for the purpose of marriage, which matters should be taken into account, on which points one should pay more attention and which matters should be given priority? Should the marriage be permitted only on the ground of matching 18 points in Ashtakoot or the other points should also be considered along with Mangal Dosha. Unanimous view is, in Ashtakoot Matching if there are less than even 18 gunas but the other components are indicating harmony and equality of thought, in that case even if there are 15 matching points, the marriage may be harmonious, pleasant, good and everlasting.

We will discuss here about the components we should give priority while reaching at the conclusion and if there are less than 18 Matching Gunas then similarity of which points should be given precedence while permitting the marriage. In Ashtakoot Matching Gana, Bhakoota and Nadi are considered to be the most important and in total they have 21 points. While matching horoscope if the boy and girl don't have similarity and these three components of Ashtakoota are not matching then their resultant matching point will be 15 or less. The Astrologers are unanimous in the view that the marriage should not be permitted if the matching points are less than 18. But it has been experienced if the matching points are even less than 15 and if there are the following similarities in the horoscopes of a boy and a girl then the marriage is very successful and lucky.

Important Considerations

Lagna of boy and Girl are the same or belong to the same group

If the lagna of the boy and girl are the same then their thought, attitude and behaviour are found to be similar. There is coordination, love and mutual understanding between the two and each of them fulfill their family responsibilities with cooperation and coordination. So, under such circumstances if the matching gunas are even less than 15, marriage is considered to be permissible.

In the same manner, if the lagnas of both boy and girl belong to the same group then it is also considered to be very favourable. 12 signs have been divided into two groups. The sign lords belonging to same group are mutual friends and their qualities / nature are found to be similar. These two groups are as following :

Aries, Cancer, Leo, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Pisces

Taurus, Gemini, virgo, Libra, Capricorn, Aquarius

The first group is called Dev Group as its members are friendly to Dev Guru Jupiter. The Second group is called Rakshas Group as its members are friendly to the Rakshas Guru - Venus. Members of Dev Group are inimical to members of the Rakshas group. We should match Lagna & Rashi both for their respective Groups.

If the lagna of boy and girl belong to the same group then their lords will be mutual friends and thus their nature, attitude, qualities and like/dislike will be similar and their tendency will be to adjust and maintain cordial and friendly relation.

So, in this situation marriage is permissible even if there are only 15 matching gunas and the rate of success of such marriage is very high.

While deciding the time of marriage, it should be taken into account that the transiting Saturn should not be in the 7th house of either the boy or girl as transiting Saturn has the tendency to spoil the marriage. Other transiting evil planets don't pose much threat as they stay in the 7th house for a brief period in comparison to Saturn. So, the marriage should not take place if Saturn is transiting on 7th house. -(Reference- Horoscope Matching AIFAS)

Sign Lords of Boy and Girl are the same or Sign Lords are mutual friends

If the sign lords of both the boy and girl are the same or if the sign lords of both are mutual friends, in that case one should not consider the Bhakoota Dosha and its full 7 points should be allotted in match making and then judgement should be made.

Favourable Coming Dashas

There are good/bad effects of planets in the horoscope of every individual but the success/failure in any one's life depends upon the coming dashas. If a good dasha starts at appropriate time and the favourable dashas follow it then no one can stop a person to rise high. So while match making, if the present dasha of both boy and girl are favourable and coming dashas are also good then marriage is permissible even if the matching gunas are found to be only 15 and there are probabilities that such marriage will be highly successful. -(Reference- How To Match Horoscopes For Marriage by PVR Rayudu & Horoscope Matching AIFAS )

Nullification of Nadi Dosha

If there is Nadi dosha in the horoscope matching then the 5th house of both boy and girl should be judged. If the condition of 5th house and 5th lord are found to be strong in both the horoscopes then one should not consider Nadi Dosha and its full 8 points should be added in the horoscope matching and then the final judgement should be imparted. - (Reference- Horoscope Matching AIFAS Chapter 13)

Long life and good Yogas in both the horoscopes

If there are long life and the good yogas like Raj yoga, Gajakesari Yoga, Mahabhagya Yoga & Panchmahapurush Yoga etc. are present in both the horoscopes and the present as well as coming dashas are also very favourable, then even after matching 15 gunas, marriage is permissible and there are possibilities that such marriage will be highly successful.

Note : Always concentrate on the analysis of other party's horoscope while match making. Suppose your son/daughter is marriageable. If his/her planets and dashas are bad then you can't do anything. It will be better to analyze and judge the other party's horoscope. If the horoscope of the other party is good from all perspectives then finalize the marriage at once because his/her life will get a push through the counterpart and his/her life which is entangled in doldrums will be successful.

Final judgment should be made after taking into account the above conditions. If there are 15 matching gunas but one of the above conditions are fulfilled then marriage should certainly be permitted. But the marriage is not permitted under any circumstance if the matching gunas are less than 15. -(Reference Horoscope Matching AIFAS). In the same manner, marriage should not be permitted if the Mangal dosha is not getting nullified by any rule because such marriage can prove unlucky and disastrous. However, it has been seen that Mangal dosha normally gets cancelled in own or in partner's horoscope. So, ill effect is hardly there. However Mars in 7th house should be treated cautiously.