Ashtakoot System of Horoscope Matching

Ashtakoot System is normally and traditionally used to match the horoscopes of to-be Bride & Grooms. Basically in India, it is kind of ritual to go through matching of horoscope based on Ashtakoot System and decide whether proposed Bride & Groom are compatible to each other or not. Though I am not against Horoscope Matching but I don’t have any specific love towards Ashtakoot System of Horoscope Matching. I follow my own rules to match horoscopes where I 1st look at individual charts and see if person is capable to carry a relation for a long time and then if I find that both sides have relationship capacity then I go to next step of horoscope matching, that too my own way. The steps I follow for matching horoscope are here - http://astrosaxena.com/horoscopematch. 

 

Somehow, I feel that if person is not capable to be in relationship for a long term, then there is no point in matching horoscope. Even if horoscopes somehow get matched in such a situation, then relation will be dependent on that party who has better capacity of being in relation. I think it is unfair on one party to drag the relation all the way when other party is not even capable to be in relations. Ashtakoot Score is the last thing I see in horoscope matching and it never has any impact on my decision of matching/not matching of charts. 

 

Let’s 1st understand how Ashtakoot System works, or I should say doesn’t work.

 

Ashtkoot gives 8 criteria on which horoscopes are matched and every criteria is given points. Total points are 36 and anything above 18 is considered as workable match and normally people go ahead with such marriage.

 

But I have seen cases where Ashtkoot had given 30+ and even 36 out of 36 matches (at least 5 incidents I remember in family and relatives ) but either Marriage was not manifested or it proved to be a stressful union. So actually, it is just a formality to look at Ashtkoot Numbers and holds no value for me. 

 

Ashtakoot is the way of chart matching and if charts are not supporting marriage and relations individually, this system can be as useless and as misleading it can be. Now, let’s look at the various components of Ashtakoot System. Actually, the categories are more than 8, but 1st 8 are traditionally seen for match making. Significance of various aspects in compatibility are as follows:

 

• Varna: this factor represents the spiritual development of the partners. – 1 point.
• Vasya: this factor describes the degree to influence the other partner – 2 points.
• Dina or Tara: this factor measures the number of Nakshatras between the Moon positions of the partners – 3 points.
• Yoni: this factor measures sexual compatibility – 4 points.
• Graha Maitri: this factor reflects the mental compatibility and affection. This score is about friendship – 5 points. 
• Gana: this one is about the temperament and it's adviced to have the same temperament as your partner – 6 points. 
• Rasi: this Kuta describes the relationship between the Moon signs (and Nakshatras) of the partners – 7 points. 
• Nadi: this factor is about progeny and children. In some ways it also relates to health issues between the partners – 8 points. 

So, if we calculate all the maximum points for all the criteria, the sum total will be 36 points. That’s how, total Guna points are 36 points and people try to match charts on the basis of 36 points bar.

 

Other not considered criteria are - 

• Mahendra: Promotes attachments, increase in longevity. 
• Stree – Dergha: Service to husband. 
• Rajju: Felicity and duration of married life. 
• Vedha – Varga: Mutual repellence and enmity. 
• Varga: Mutual friendship/enmity judged from their names. 
• Yujja: Type of mutual love – from one side – both sides. 

Now, we need to understand the system of Ashtkoot matching and why it is irrelevant now? How it can give 30+ points matching but still partners may not be compatible and marriage never got manifested or it may be a stressful union?

 

So, this system was developed in Ancient times and used so far with the idea of balanced horoscope match. If guy has a drawback in a chart then it should be strength in girl’s chart and vice versa. I have no problem with the rule but with its application. What if a girl has an excellent chart for marriage and guy has nothing for marriage, or vice-versa? Ashtakoot will show a good match because all the drawbacks of one partner are covered by other partner but can you imagine the life of that partner with good chart after marriage? At all times, he/she will be doing all the compromises because other side has no capacity of being in Marriage. So, unnecessarily or I should say courtesy Mr Ashtakoot, one side had to suffer a bad marriage despite his/her chart being good for marriage and other side had no worries in married life despite having a trashed horoscope for marriage. So, idea was fine with Ashtakoot but application is somewhat impractical. 

 

And it used to work fine since times immemorial to the dawn of 21st Century but not after that because a huge welcome change has happened that girls became financially dependent. Now, it has to be marriage between 2 equals. You can’t expect a girl to go through a trashed married life just for the sake of financial security which husband is providing and which used to happen till 20th century. So here now, Ashtakoot fails in 21st century on practical grounds. So far, one side was accommodating (mostly girls in 99% cases) but things have changed. Now, we have to look at strength of both charts for marriage purpose individually, social setup both are living-in and then decide if they will be in good marriage or not. Check marriage related houses, house lords and condition of Jupiter and Venus. It is unfair to say that one person will adjust whole of life for the drawback of another person’s chart. 

 

My purpose is also same that couple should be able to live a balanced life after marriage, but that balance should not tilt towards one person too much. Balance should actually be balance. So, if a girl has an average Jupiter, I will look for a guy with good Jupiter. Likewise, with Venus. A drawback from one’s chart can be looked to be fulfilled by other’s chart but it cannot be the case that all the drawbacks of one’s chart should be fulfilled by other’s chart. This is unfair.

 

Another important concept comes here is about Nadi Dosha. 

 

Nadi is the process of eighth Koot matching which is to check the compatibility with the life partner. This has the maximum points in the complete process of matching. Of the total, 36 points are more than 22% i.e. 8 points are based on the Nadi match. There are 3 types of Nadis are categorized on the basis of the Nakshatra occupied by the moon. Each nadi represent ‘Prakriti’ of an individual that is his or her body constitute. As per Ayurveda, there are three different Prakritis- Vaat (wind) , Pita (bile) & Kapha (phelgm). All the Nakshatras that represent Vata (wind) denote Adi (start) Nadi . All Nakshatras that represent Pitta (bile) denote Madhya (middle) Nadi. All Nakshatras that represent Kapha (Phelgm) denote Antya (end) Nadi . The Nakshatras based classification of Nadi are as follows –

 

Adi Nadi (Vata)	Madhya Nadi (Pitta)	Antya Nadi (Kapha)
Aswini	Bharani	Kritika
Ardra	Mrigasira	Rohini
Punarvasu	Pushya	Aslesha
Uttaraphalgunia	Poorvaphalguni	Magh
Hasta	Chitra	Swati
Jyehsta	Anuradha	Visakha
Moola	Poorvashadha	Uttarashadha
Satabisha	Dhanshita	Sravana
Poorvabhadrapada	Uttarabhadrapada	Revati

 

The compatibility is based on the Nakshatra occupied by Moon in proposed Male and female’s chart. The Nadi match judges the compatibility between two charts. The Nadi mismatch between two is also called Nadi Dosha. In horoscope matching nadis of same type get zero count. (it is called Nadi dosha). It points out to blood incompatibility due to which unhealthy children may be born. It can also impact partner or own health due to same Prakriti. 

 

So finally, when it comes to matching horoscopes, always look at both charts individually. Analyse marriage related houses, planets, karakas and house lords. Analyse Dasha for Marriage. All this has to be done in each chart individually. When you are satisfied that “both” sides have at least got an average chart for Marriage, then start looking at criteria of matching horoscopes - http://astrosaxena.com/horoscopematch and see how their charts are filling each other’s drawbacks. Then we can say that we have done good enough horoscope. After that, if you like, check Ashtakoot Matching Scores. If they don’t give good scores but charts are matching through the way I stated above, then at least I won’t bother about scores. 

 

What if charts are matching through this way but Nadi Dosha is there? It will never happen. Please feel free to send me the charts if you find any such case. 

 

Hope this helps and is understandable. 

Thanks,

Swami Premanand Bharti