36 gun milan: what the score really tells your family

The rishta looks right, the pandit says 22 out of 36, and now everyone at home has an opinion. Here is what that number really means.

4 min read

A groom holds the hand of his bride, her hands covered in mehndi and bangles

The rishta looks right. The boy is decent. The girl is happy. Both families have shared chai and samosas. Then an aunty asks the one question that changes the mood of the room: kundli mili kya?

Soon one number is being passed around the house. 22 out of 36. Is that good? Is it bad? Should we worry? Let us go through it slowly, in simple words.

The short answer: 18 out of 36 is the lowest score most families accept. 24 or above is good. But no marriage should be decided by this number alone.

What is 36 gun milan?

Before a wedding, we compare the birth details of the boy and the girl. We look at where the Moon was at the time of each birth. From this, eight things are checked about the couple.

Each of these eight things carries some points. Add them all up and the highest possible score is 36. That is all 36 gun means.

Think of it as a school report card with eight subjects. One low mark in one subject does not mean the child has failed.

Family hands together over the hands of a bride during an Indian wedding ritual

The eight things we check

Varna, 1 point	Do your ways of thinking and working suit each other?
Vashya, 2 points	Can you adjust to each other, or will both want control?
Tara, 3 points	Will your birth stars bring each other good luck and well-being?
Yoni, 4 points	Is there a natural physical attraction?
Graha maitri, 5 points	Will you be friends, not just husband and wife?
Gana, 6 points	Is your nature alike? Calm, practical or strong-headed?
Bhakoot, 7 points	Will love, money and family life grow together?
Nadi, 8 points	Health and children.

See how the marks go up as you read down the list. The last two, Bhakoot and Nadi, carry 15 points between them. That is why families worry about these two the most.

What does your score mean?

Below 18	Do not decide yet. The full kundlis must be seen.
18 to 23	Acceptable. Many families go ahead.
24 to 27	A good match.
28 to 32	A very good match.
33 to 36	Rare and excellent.

Now a word of truth. A score of 33 will not stop fights over in-laws or money. A score of 17 does not mean an unhappy home. The number tells you where to look. It does not tell you how your life will turn out.

What is nadi dosh, and should you be scared?

There are three nadis: Aadi, Madhya and Antya. Everyone is born under one of them. If the boy and the girl have the same nadi, it is called nadi dosh, and those 8 points become zero.

This is the one that scares families the most, because it is linked with health and children. So take a breath and read this carefully. Nadi dosh does not mean you will not have children. It does not mean the marriage must stop.

The dosh is also cancelled in some cases. For example, when both have the same rashi but different nakshatras, or the same nakshatra but different rashis. Many families never hear about this and say no to a good rishta for nothing.

Our score is low, but we love each other. What now?

This is the question most people really want to ask, so here is a straight answer. Do not end a good relationship because of one number. Do not ignore the number either.

Suppose a family in Indore gets a score of 17. The parents are worried. But the boy and girl respect each other and agree about work, money and family. The right next step is not to cancel. The right next step is to read both kundlis fully.

A full reading looks at much more than gun milan:

The 7th house, which is the house of marriage
Venus and Jupiter in both kundlis
Manglik dosh
The navamsa chart, which shows married life in more detail

And some things no kundli can tell you. Can these two talk calmly after a fight? Do they agree about money, children and living with parents? Ask these questions too.

Check your own score first. It takes two minutes and it is free.

Check kundli milan