Quick answer
A kundli is a Vedic birth chart: a map of where the nine planets were, across the 12 houses and signs, at the exact time and place of your birth. It also gives your nakshatra (one of 27 lunar mansions) and your dasha periods. For marriage, kundli matching compares two charts on 8 factors worth 36 gunas in total, and a score of 18 or more is traditionally considered acceptable.
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The document every Indian family seems to have
In many Indian homes, there’s a kundli tucked away in a cupboard for every child, often handwritten by a family pandit decades ago. It comes out at key moments: choosing a name, starting school, and above all, when marriage talks begin.
Yet most people have never been shown how to read their own. This guide walks through what a kundli contains, the terms you’ll hear most often, and how kundli matching for marriage actually works, so the next conversation with an astrologer makes a lot more sense.
What a kundli needs and shows
A kundli needs your date of birth, exact time of birth and place of birth. It shows your ascendant (lagna), the signs and planets in each of the 12 houses, your Moon sign (rashi) and your nakshatra. Without the birth time, the houses can’t be calculated reliably. Read about the 12 houses.
Why the birth time matters so much
The ascendant changes roughly every two hours, and with it the whole arrangement of houses. Two babies born in the same hospital on the same day, a few hours apart, can have very different charts. Even a difference of a few minutes can matter when the ascendant is close to changing sign.
If your birth time is uncertain, check your birth certificate or hospital records first. Some astrologers offer birth time rectification, working backwards from major life events, but it is never as reliable as a recorded time.
Nakshatras
The zodiac is also divided into 27 nakshatras of 13°20′ each. Your birth nakshatra is where the Moon was when you were born. It is used for naming (the first syllable of a name), for matching and for working out your dasha periods.
Each nakshatra is further split into four quarters (padas), and each pada has its own syllable. That’s where the naming syllables families are given come from. If you’re choosing a name, our guide to baby name numerology explains how to combine the nakshatra syllable with numerology.
Vimshottari dasha
The dasha system divides life into planetary periods totalling 120 years: Ketu 7 years, Venus 20, Sun 6, Moon 10, Mars 7, Rahu 18, Jupiter 16, Saturn 19 and Mercury 17. Your first dasha depends on your birth nakshatra, and each period is believed to bring the themes of its planet to the fore. An Astrology dasha calculator works out your periods from your birth details.
Each main period (mahadasha) is divided into sub-periods (antardashas) of all nine planets, which is why an astrologer may say you’re in “Saturn–Mercury” or “Venus–Rahu”. The first planet sets the overall theme for years; the second colours the months.
Kundli matching (kundli milan): the 36 gunas
- Varna: 1 guna
- Vashya: 2
- Tara: 3
- Yoni: 4
- Graha Maitri: 5
- Gana: 6
- Bhakoot: 7
- Nadi: 8
The eight factors (ashtakoota) add up to 36. A score of 18 or more is traditionally considered acceptable, and astrologers also check doshas such as Mangal dosha. Numerology offers a different kind of match that needs only names and dates of birth; see numerology matching for marriage.
Reading a matching score sensibly
A guna score is a starting point, not a verdict. A couple with 28 gunas isn’t guaranteed a happy marriage, and a couple with 17 isn’t doomed. Astrologers look at which factors scored low: a zero in Nadi, for example, is taken much more seriously than a low score in Varna. They also compare the two full charts, especially the 7th house and Venus.
Mangal dosha is another term that causes a lot of worry. It refers to Mars sitting in certain houses, usually the 1st, 4th, 7th, 8th or 12th (some traditions include the 2nd). It is very common, and astrologers recognise many conditions that cancel it, including when both partners have it. If it comes up, ask for the full reasoning before drawing conclusions.
For a quick, date-of-birth-only view of how two people get on, you can also try the free Love Compatibility Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many gunas should match for marriage?
Traditionally, 18 out of 36 or more is considered acceptable, along with a check for doshas such as Mangal dosha.
Can a kundli be made without the birth time?
Only partly. The planets’ signs can be found, but the houses and ascendant need the exact time. Numerology needs only the date of birth.
How many nakshatras are there?
27, each covering 13°20′ of the zodiac.
Is Mangal dosha a reason to cancel a marriage?
Not by itself. Mangal dosha is very common, and astrologers recognise several conditions that cancel or reduce it, including when both partners have it. It is read alongside the rest of both charts.
What is the difference between mahadasha and antardasha?
A mahadasha is a main planetary period lasting several years. Each mahadasha is divided into antardashas, shorter sub-periods of each of the nine planets.