The Sri Lankan twenty porondam
Sri Lankan astrologers traditionally check 20 points, the visi porondam. The first ten, the dasa porondam, are the core of most readings.
- Nakath, Gana, Mahendra, Stree Deergha, Yoni
- Rashi, Rashyadhipathi, Vashya, Rajju, Vedha
- Vruksha, Ayu, Pakshi, Bhuta, Gothra
- Varna, Linga, Nadi, Dina, Graha
In practice most astrologers accept a match with more than half the points, and take a missing rajju or yoni very seriously. Gana, nadi and nakshatra matter too. Which porondam match counts for more than the bare number.
Ashta Koota — the 36-guna method
Indian astrology, and our free tool, use the Ashta Koota method: 8 kootas with a maximum of 36 points. 18 points (half) is the usual minimum for an acceptable match; above 24 is considered good.
| Koota | Points | What it looks at |
|---|---|---|
| Varna | 1 | temperament and outlook |
| Vashya | 2 | mutual attraction |
| Tara (Dina) | 3 | harmony of the birth stars |
| Yoni | 4 | physical compatibility |
| Graha Maitri | 5 | mental friendship of the sign lords |
| Gana | 6 | character (deva, manushya, rakshasa) |
| Bhakoot | 7 | distance between Moon signs — prosperity, children |
| Nadi | 8 | health and progeny |
| Total | 36 |
Nadi and Bhakoot dosha
If both partners have the same nadi, the nadi koota scores 0 (nadi dosha) — the heaviest koota, so it is taken seriously. Bhakoot dosha arises when the Moon signs are 2/12, 5/9 or 6/8 from each other. Tradition lists cancellations, such as friendly sign lords, but they should be judged from both full charts.
Porondam only compares the two birth stars and Moon signs. A decision like marriage should never rest on it alone — have both full charts read by a qualified astrologer.