Gun milan by name
Marriage matching by name: type the boy’s and the girl’s names to see the rashi and nakshatra of each name and the full 36-point Ashtakoota guna milan, koota by koota, with notes on Nadi and Bhakoot dosha. It is an approximation for when birth details are not known; matching birth charts is better.
How name matching for marriage works
- Each first name’s opening syllable is found in the traditional table of 108 naming syllables (the avakahada chakra), the same table the rashi by name tool uses. That gives a nakshatra, a pada and a rashi.
- The nakshatra gives the yoni, gana and nadi; the rashi gives the varna, vashya and ruling planet (the tables below list them).
- The eight kootas compare those for the two names, and their points add up to a total out of 36.
With the made-up names Rohan and Meera: Rohan starts with Ro, which is Swati pada 3 in Tula rashi, and Meera starts with Mi, Magha pada 2 in Singh rashi. The kootas give Varna 0, Vashya 0, Tara 1.5, Yoni 2, Graha maitri 0, Gana 1, Bhakoot 7 and Nadi 0, a total of 11.5 of 36 (below the usual minimum).
The eight kootas of Ashtakoota milan
| Koota | Compares | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Varna | the varna of the two rashis | 1 |
| Vashya | the vashya class of the two rashis | 2 |
| Tara | the count between the two nakshatras, both ways | 3 |
| Yoni | the animal (yoni) of the two nakshatras | 4 |
| Graha maitri | the friendship of the two rashi lords | 5 |
| Gana | the gana of the two nakshatras | 6 |
| Bhakoot | the distance between the two rashis | 7 |
| Nadi | the nadi of the two nakshatras | 8 |
| Total | 36 |
- Varna: 1 point when the boy’s varna is the same as or higher than the girl’s.
- Vashya: 2 for the same class, less for others, from the classical table (girl’s row, boy’s column).
- Tara: count from each nakshatra to the other and divide by 9; a remainder of 3, 5 or 7 (Vipat, Pratyari, Vadha) scores 0, any other 1.5, for 3 in all.
- Yoni: 4 for the same animal, down to 0 for the enemy pairs: horse and buffalo, elephant and lion, sheep and monkey, serpent and mongoose, dog and deer, cat and rat, cow and tiger.
- Graha maitri: 5 when the two rashi lords are the same or friends of each other, down to 0 when they are enemies of each other.
- Gana: 6 for the same gana; a Rakshasa with a Deva or Manushya scores 0 or 1.
- Bhakoot: 0 when the rashis are 2/12, 5/9 or 6/8 from each other, otherwise 7.
- Nadi: 0 for the same nadi, otherwise 8.
Reading the guna milan score
| Total | Usually read as |
|---|---|
| 33 to 36 | Very good |
| 25 to 32.5 | Good |
| 18 to 24.5 | Acceptable |
| 0 to 17.5 | Below the usual minimum |
Nadi dosha and Bhakoot dosha
These two carry the most points, so a zero in either is called a dosha. The commonly cited exceptions for Nadi dosha are the same rashi with different nakshatras, the same nakshatra with different rashis or padas, and rashi lords that are the same or friends of each other. For Bhakoot dosha it is rashi lords that are the same or friends. The tool says which of them apply, but never adds the points back: texts and families weigh the exceptions differently, and an astrologer looks at them with the full charts.
Gana, yoni and nadi of the 27 nakshatras
| Nakshatra | Gana | Yoni | Nadi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashwini | Deva | Horse | Adi |
| Bharani | Manushya | Elephant | Madhya |
| Krittika | Rakshasa | Sheep | Antya |
| Rohini | Manushya | Serpent | Antya |
| Mrigashira | Deva | Serpent | Madhya |
| Ardra | Manushya | Dog | Adi |
| Punarvasu | Deva | Cat | Adi |
| Pushya | Deva | Sheep | Madhya |
| Ashlesha | Rakshasa | Cat | Antya |
| Magha | Rakshasa | Rat | Antya |
| Purva Phalguni | Manushya | Rat | Madhya |
| Uttara Phalguni | Manushya | Cow | Adi |
| Hasta | Deva | Buffalo | Adi |
| Chitra | Rakshasa | Tiger | Madhya |
| Swati | Deva | Buffalo | Antya |
| Vishakha | Rakshasa | Tiger | Antya |
| Anuradha | Deva | Deer | Madhya |
| Jyeshtha | Rakshasa | Deer | Adi |
| Mula | Rakshasa | Dog | Adi |
| Purva Ashadha | Manushya | Monkey | Madhya |
| Uttara Ashadha | Manushya | Mongoose | Antya |
| Shravana | Deva | Monkey | Antya |
| Dhanishta | Rakshasa | Lion | Madhya |
| Shatabhisha | Rakshasa | Horse | Adi |
| Purva Bhadrapada | Manushya | Lion | Adi |
| Uttara Bhadrapada | Manushya | Cow | Madhya |
| Revati | Deva | Elephant | Antya |
Lord, varna and vashya of the 12 rashis
| Rashi | Lord | Varna | Vashya |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mesh (Aries) | Mars | Kshatriya | Chatushpada |
| Vrishabh (Taurus) | Venus | Vaishya | Chatushpada |
| Mithun (Gemini) | Mercury | Shudra | Manava |
| Kark (Cancer) | Moon | Brahmin | Jalachara |
| Singh (Leo) | Sun | Kshatriya | Vanachara |
| Kanya (Virgo) | Mercury | Vaishya | Manava |
| Tula (Libra) | Venus | Shudra | Manava |
| Vrishchik (Scorpio) | Mars | Brahmin | Keeta |
| Dhanu (Sagittarius) | Jupiter | Kshatriya | Manava (first half), Chatushpada (second half) |
| Makar (Capricorn) | Saturn | Vaishya | Chatushpada (first half), Jalachara (second half) |
| Kumbh (Aquarius) | Saturn | Shudra | Manava |
| Meen (Pisces) | Jupiter | Brahmin | Jalachara |
Vashya classes: Chatushpada quadruped, Manava human, Jalachara water, Vanachara wild, Keeta insect. The tables follow the classical Ashtakoota tables as commonly printed; a few cells differ between texts, and the North-Indian naming syllables vary by region in a few places.
Related tools and guides
- Rashi by name and nakshatra by name: the lookup behind this tool, for one name.
- Nakshatra by date of birth: the real birth star, from the date and time of birth.
- Nadi dosha calculator: the nadi of two nakshatras on its own, from the star, the date of birth or the name.
- Nakshatra gana calculator: the gana, yoni animal and nadi of one nakshatra, and the Gana and Yoni kootas for two.
- Rajju dosha calculator: the rajju and vedha checks of South Indian porutham, from the star, date of birth or name.
- The 27 nakshatras explained: deity, symbol and ruling planet of each.
- Love calculator by name: FLAMES and name numbers, just for fun.
Frequently asked questions
What is gun milan by name?
It is Ashtakoota guna matching done from names instead of birth charts. Each name's first syllable is looked up in the traditional table of 108 naming syllables, which gives a nakshatra, pada and rashi, and the two are scored on the eight kootas for a total out of 36. Families use it when one or both birth times are not known.
Is marriage matching by name accurate?
It is only as good as the assumption behind it: that a person's name starts with the syllable of their birth nakshatra. That holds for many Indian names chosen at a naming ceremony, but not for a name picked for its sound or meaning. When the birth details are known, matching the two birth charts is more reliable, and an astrologer also weighs Manglik dosha and the charts as a whole.
How many gunas should match for marriage?
Most families look for at least 18 of 36. 18 to 24 is read as acceptable, 25 to 32 as good and 33 to 36 as very good. A high score with Nadi or Bhakoot dosha is still discussed with an astrologer.
Which is the boy and which is the girl in the calculation?
The classical tables are not symmetric for Varna, Vashya and Gana, so the order matters there: the tool scores them with the girl's row and the boy's column of each table, as the texts print them. Tara, Yoni, Graha maitri, Bhakoot and Nadi give the same points either way round.
What is Nadi dosha in name matching?
When both names fall in the same nadi (Adi, Madhya or Antya), Nadi scores 0 of its 8 points. The tool lists the exceptions commonly cited for it when they apply: the same rashi with different nakshatras, the same nakshatra with different rashis or padas, and rashi lords that are the same or mutual friends. Texts and families differ on these, so the score itself is not changed.
What is Bhakoot dosha?
Bhakoot looks at how far apart the two rashis are. When they are 2 and 12, 5 and 9, or 6 and 8 from each other, Bhakoot scores 0 of 7. It is commonly said to be cancelled when the two rashis have the same lord or lords that are mutual friends; the tool says when that is the case.
What if a name fits more than one syllable?
Some sounds are written two ways in Devanagari (Ta can be ट or त), and a name that starts with a cluster such as Pr or Shr only matches on its first consonant. The tool then shows a list of the possible syllables and uses the first one until you choose another. The Devanagari spelling, or the family's own reading of the name, decides which one is right.
Can I type names in Hindi?
Yes. Names in Devanagari are read from their first letter and vowel sign, the same way as names in English letters.
Are the names saved?
No. The match is worked out in your browser. The names are not stored, not added to the page address and not sent to analytics, and there is no share link.