In marriage issues, Indians rely on Kundali matching a lot. Those who never go to an astrologer in their whole life also once in a life time go to an astrologer for Kundali matching. It is so deep in the psyche and genes that people just do not go for a marriage alliance without getting a Kundali matching done. Even in love marriages which are approved by parents, people get the Kundali matching done.
People now a days consider that Kundali matching is only Ashtakoot/Guna Matching and nothing else. The higher the points gained more assured the happy life is (is the belief/myth).
The second myth is that people only ask for Mangal Dosha existence in the horoscopes to be matched with the belief that if it is there is one and not in the other, the one with the Mangal Dosha will become a widow or widower.
The joke here is not on the common man but on the astrologer which is one of most noble profession of utmost responsibility too. It can be understood that the common man would not know the wrong beliefs they have, because they do not know astrology.
Lets then break these myths.
Ashtakoot or Guna matching is actually matching of 8 criteria, which all are derived from the Janma Nakshatra (Moon Star/Asterism) and the division of the same as well as moon sign.
The 8 criteria for Ashta Koot or Guna matching are as follows
1. Varna – Matching of the castes 2. Vashya – Attraction 3. Tara – Longevity of either 4. Yoni – Nature and characteristics 5. Graha Maitri – Natural friendship 6. Gan – Mental Compatibility 7. Bhakoot – Relative influence of one on the other 8. Nadi – possibility of child birth
As per the chronology above, the numeric points given to each is also the same i.e. 1 to 8 which all comes to a total of 36. It is believed that maximum 36 points can be achieved which is a guarantee of a happy, trouble free, blissful long married life. Minimum points allowed for marriage are 18, lesser than that, marriage is not suitable. This is but not the only and last thing to check for marriage compatibility, it is one of the tools.
This system was actually devised in the earlier days, when most Indians were never in a position to cast their natal Ascendant horoscope, for want of finances to pay to the Brahmin to cast the horoscope. Thus learned sages and scholars had devised this Ashtakoot system as it was always easy for the Brahmin, who always knows the sign and Nakshatra that moon is transiting through and thus the common man would just consult him and get to know the sign his child is born in and thereby name it, based on the letters assigned to each sign of the zodiac. So, then in future, when these poor people referred to a brahmin for Kundali matching, based on the first letter of the name, the Brahmin can easily identify the Nakshatra and sign both of them are born in and instantly calculate the Ashtakoot and thus suggest about the marriage.
As most Indians since ages never had recourse to the Ascendant horoscope, they started believing that ashtakoot or guna matching is the only tool to match the horoscopes and so such heavy reliance on it.
Those privileged in those ancient days, to be able to have their ascendant horoscopes cast, had the benefit of getting the horoscopes matched properly, based on ashtakoot and the ascendant horoscope.
The ascendant based horoscope matches the nature, tastes and hobbies and its similarity or differences based on the relations between the ascendants and their lords, it matches the true attraction towards each other based on the Venus signs and the relation between each other’s moons, it matches the emotional and mental compatibility based on the moon sign and the relation between each other’s moons. It also includes Mangal Dosha and child birth related issues based on the lords of the fifth house and their strengths.
The ascendant based horoscope matching is more important as it entails all the twelve signs, the true lordships of the planets concerned, where as Ashtakoot matching is only based on the moon – the sign and the nakshatra it is in.
This article does not suggest that ashtakoot / Guna matching is not important, it is, but it is not the only system of Kundali matching/synastry.
Cheers
Rikhav Khimasia