In Ashtakoota matching most kootas give partial credit. Two do not. Nadi (8 points) and Bhakoot (7 points) are all-or-nothing, and together they are worth 15 of the 36 points. A couple who lose both can score at most 21 — barely above the customary minimum of 18 — however well everything else matches.
Nadi Dosha
Every nakshatra is assigned one of three nadis: Aadi, Madhya or Antya. The assignment runs back and forth through the list — Aadi, Madhya, Antya, Antya, Madhya, Aadi — so each nadi holds nine nakshatras:
| Nadi | Nakshatras |
|---|---|
| Aadi | Ashwini, Ardra, Punarvasu, Uttara Phalguni, Hasta, Jyeshtha, Mula, Shatabhisha, Purva Bhadrapada |
| Madhya | Bharani, Mrigashira, Pushya, Purva Phalguni, Chitra, Anuradha, Purva Ashadha, Dhanishta, Uttara Bhadrapada |
| Antya | Krittika, Rohini, Ashlesha, Magha, Swati, Vishakha, Uttara Ashadha, Shravana, Revati |
If both partners’ Moon nakshatras fall in the same nadi, the koota scores 0 of 8. That is Nadi Dosha. Matching manuals commonly gloss the three nadis with the three doshas of Ayurveda — vata, pitta and kapha — and read the koota for health and progeny.
When Nadi Dosha is cancelled
This site applies the two exceptions most widely repeated in the matching literature:
- Both Moons are in the same nakshatra but different padas.
- Both Moons are in the same rashi but different nakshatras.
Bhakoot Dosha
Bhakoot looks at how far apart the two Moon signs are. Count from one partner’s Moon sign to the other’s, then back. Three pairs of distances score 0 of 7:
| Distance | Name | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 2 / 12 | Dwirdwadash | Aries and Taurus |
| 5 / 9 | Navapancham | Aries and Leo |
| 6 / 8 | Shadashtaka | Aries and Virgo |
Every other distance — the same sign, 3/11, 4/10 or 7/7 — scores the full 7.
When Bhakoot Dosha is cancelled
- The two Moon signs have the same lord. Aries and Scorpio (both Mars) are 6/8 apart, as are Taurus and Libra (both Venus); Capricorn and Aquarius (both Saturn) are 2/12.
- The two lords are mutual friends by the natural friendships of the grahas.
How this site reports a cancellation
When an exception applies, the score is left as computed and the cancellation is listed directly beneath it. Authorities differ on whether a cancelled dosha should restore the points, so the site shows both facts and lets you weigh them.
Other authorities give further exceptions, and some accept fewer than these. Where a family follows a particular astrologer or regional tradition, that tradition’s rules are the ones that apply to them.