What to Check in Kundli Before Marriage: The 6-Point Checklist in Priority Order

Priority order: (1) Nadi dosha check, (2) Bhakoot score, (3) Gana match, (4) Manglik from 3 charts, (5) total guna score band, (6) Nadi dosha cancellation conditions if Nadi dosha was flagged. A score above 18 with no active Nadi dosha covers the minimum threshold most traditional families accept. Here is what each check involves and what to do when one fails.

Start here. Not with the total. And not with random remedies.

Why the order matters

Most guides list all 8 kootas as equally important. That framing is wrong. Nadi dosha at 0 out of 8 points collapses more matches than any score improvement can recover. The order is the actual insight most families miss. A 22/36 score with no Nadi dosha and no Manglik usually proceeds. A 28/36 with active Nadi dosha often does not. The dosha check comes before the score band for that reason.

Numbers matter. But sequence matters more.

Check 1: Nadi (8 out of 36 points)

Both partners in same Nadi - Aadi, Madhya, or Antya - means Nadi dosha and a score of 0 here. This is the single highest-weight koota in Ashtakoot matching. In Parashari tradition, Nadi maps to ancestral lineage, so same Nadi raises a shared-ancestry and genetic-compatibility concern. That is why families ask for this first.

Here is the complication most guides miss. Nadi dosha has 6 classical cancellation conditions:

1. Different Nakshatra despite same Nadi.
2. Same Nakshatra but different Rashi.
3. Same Nakshatra but different pada (quarter).
4. Same Nakshatra Lord.
5. Same Rashi but different Nakshatra.
6. Specific Parashari benefic-house exceptions.

Automated tools usually flag presence first. They often stop there. But a flagged Nadi dosha is not the end of the process. Before anyone talks about the final score, confirm whether one of these cancellation conditions applies and write down which one it is. Families ask for that line later.

Check 2: Bhakoot (7 out of 36 points)

Bhakoot comes next because it sits just below Nadi in weight and is tied to the Moon-sign relationship. The Rashi pair positions that usually score 0 are 6-8, 5-9, 2-12, and 3-11 from each other. So yes, Aries-Scorpio, Taurus-Sagittarius, and similar pairs can get blocked here.

Most automated scoring already shows the Bhakoot result. What you still need to verify is the exact Rashi pair that caused the zero and whether Rashi lord friendship between those two signs creates a partial cancellation. This is tradition-specific, not universal. Some pandits accept it. Some do not.

Check 3: Gana (6 out of 36 points)

Gana is the temperament layer. Dev + Dev gives 6 points. Manav + Manav gives 6. Rakshasa + Rakshasa also gives 6. Dev + Manav gives 5 points. Manav + Rakshasa gives 0. Dev + Rakshasa gives 1.

The pairing most families flag is Rakshasa with Dev or Manav. But Gana alone is rarely the final dealbreaker. It gets heavier when other kootas are also weak. Seen alone, it is usually a caution sign, not the final verdict.

Check 4: Manglik from 3 charts, not 1

Mars in houses 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, or 12 from the ascendant (Lagna) creates the standard Manglik flag. Popular tools stop there. Traditional Parashari practice does not. It checks Mars from Lagna, from the Moon, and from Venus. If Manglik appears from all 3 references, the concern is serious. From 2 of 3, it is moderate. From 1 of 3, it is mild.

This explains why two tools can give different answers on the same chart. One may be checking Lagna only. The other may be checking all three references. That is not a small difference. It changes the severity reading.

The "double Manglik cancels" rule is not universal

Both partners being Manglik neutralizes the dosha in most traditions. But some regional traditions accept this only when Mars severity is comparable in both charts. Ask which tradition your pandit follows before treating this as automatic cancellation. Write that down too.

Check 5: Total guna score band

Below 18 means concern. Roughly 8 in 10 traditional families want a strong counter-argument before moving ahead. A score from 18-24 is acceptable. Most families proceed if doshas are addressed. A score from 25-32 is good and sits in the standard approval range. A score of 32 or above is excellent, but uncommon in real matching.

The score alone does not tell the whole story. Two couples can both have 22 out of 36 and still face very different decisions. A 22/36 with no Nadi dosha and full Gana reads very differently from a 22/36 with active Nadi dosha and Gana mismatch. That is why score comes fifth, not first.

Check 6: Nadi cancellation conditions (only if Check 1 flagged Nadi dosha)

This check matters only when Check 1 flagged Nadi dosha. If Nadi was already clean, stop there and move ahead. If it was flagged, test these 6 classical conditions clearly:

1. Different Nakshatra despite sharing the same Nadi.
2. Same Nakshatra but different Rashi (sign).
3. Same Nakshatra but different pada (quarter of the Nakshatra).
4. Same Nakshatra Lord (ruling planet of both Nakshatras is the same).
5. Same Rashi but partners are in different Nakshatras.
6. Benefic planets in specific houses per Parashari exception rules.

If any one condition applies, cancellation holds in most traditions. But do not stop at the word "cancelled." Document the exact rule that applies. Both families ask. And a pandit reviewing the match later will ask the same question.

The checklist in one place

Run it yourself, then get the certificate

This checklist covers 6 points, and all 6 can be screened free at /check. Enter birth details for both partners and get the score plus dosha flags. That is enough for the first pass. But the free result does not document cancellation conditions. The Rs149 certificate does. It writes the 6 checks clearly, including the dosha cancellation condition that families and pandits usually ask to see before the final marriage decision.

Frequently Asked Questions