Marriage is a relationship between two souls who become one, who promise to stay committed to each other for their whole life and stay at each other’s side in their good and bad times or ups and downs. Horoscope matching has been considered as one of the most important aspects of marriage for ages.  The two individuals, after the union of marriage, spend their entire life together and it is essential to know if the marriage match is a good one or not. Astrology has a sound base to prove that horoscope matching is a necessary step before getting married.  There are many aspects of marriage and married life that can be predicted with the help of horoscope matching. One of the important reasons for horoscope matching is that it defines the success of the alliance. 

Horoscope matching involves matching the birth charts of the two individuals planning to get into wedlock.  A birth chart is the map of the alignment of the celestial bodies, planets, and nakshatras during the time of one’s birth.  The important tool for horoscope matching is Guna or Koota compatibility.  Guna melanam is done by several methods, of those, Dasakoota (10 points) method in South India or Ashtakoota (8 points) method in North India are more prevalent.  In these methods mainly calculations are based on Moon position in the charts of the to-be bride and groom. As the name indicates, the focus is on ten or eight important points that look over different important aspects of married life.  Each koota is assigned with numeric points, which when added becomes a sum of 36 points.   It is very rare to get 36 points.  If the score is below 18 points it is considered a bad match. 18-22 a fair match, 23-25 a good match, 26-28 a better match and above 28 very good match.  However, this is just one tool, and other tools also need to be judged before finalizing an alliance. 

The points that are covered in Koota compatibility are:

1. Dinam (Dinath Ayushyam Arogyam) – The presence of Dina koota agreement ensures that the husband and wife remain healthy and free from diseases, will enjoy comforts and a long lease of life.
2. Ganam (Shobanam Ganam Evacha) – This koota ensures compatible sex life. It is the matching of the human minds and their temperaments.
3. Yoni (Yonitho Dhampathy Sneham) – This agreement confers mutual love between husband and wife. This is another koota that has two ways of looking.  This also ensures Sexual compatibility.
4. Rasi (Rasinam Vamsavruddhi Kuruth)- This ensures the continuation of one’s family through the birth of children. Along with that it also indicate the mentality and attitude.
5. Rasyadhipathy ( Santhanam Rasiyadhipathy) – This koota indicates children.
6. Rajju ( Rajju Mangalya Vrithysyath) This koota ensures happiness to the woman after marriage and also long life of the husband.
7. Vedha (Vedhaya Sohanasanam) – This koota ensures happy and prosperous married life by warding off all pitfalls and hurdles.
8. Vasya (Vasyath Anniyonnia Vashyam) -This koota ensures mutual love and attachment.
9. Mahendram (Mahendram Puthira Vrithisyath) - This koota ensures more children.
10. Stree Dheergam (Stree Deergath Sarva Sampathha) – This koota ensures wealth and prosperity.

The other important tools/parameters for horoscope matching along with koota compatibility are:

1. Kuja dosha (Manglik dosha)
2. Arudha pada of lagna and 7^th house
3. Upapada lagna
4. Placement of malefic planets like Saturn, Rahu, Ketu, Mars etc. in 7^th, 8^th, 12^th 2^nd, 5^th and 4^th
5. Navamsa chart
6. Dasas (Dasa sandhi)

With the times changing, the number of love marriages is increasing rapidly.  And the question arises whether horoscope matching is essential for love marriages as well.  The thing about love marriage is, the two individuals have known each other for a long period of time and they know how compatible they are with each other.  They know their preferences, their choices, and even the lifestyle of the partner.  Though love is an important pillar for the constitution of a successful marriage many other criteria need to be fulfilled too.  Marriage horoscopes could help any marriage with predictions about one’s married life like happiness of the marriage, life span of individuals as well as marriage, children, finances, the possibility of differences leading to divorce, relationship with either side of family members, etc.

An astrologer goes into detail about all these above points along with the cancellation of doshas if any, in both the charts. An Astrologer even recommends any shanti required to reduce the bad impacts in married life.

Therefore, Horoscope matching is extremely important.  And with proper horoscope matching, the quality of couple’s married life can be made better and certain problems can be avoided. Getting the marriage compatibility done by an experienced astrologer is highly recommended to avoid any mistakes, as marriage is a very important part of one’s life.

* This is the first article in the series about “Marriage Astrology” 

                               …. Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavantu ….