Glossary
Every classical term DestinIQ uses, defined without Sanskrit jargon. Bookmark this page and tap any term wherever it appears in the product to jump straight to its definition.
The 36-point classical match score. Each of the 8 koots scores a different axis of compatibility, weighted by classical importance.
Varna assesses how the partners’ basic temperaments meet — whether one of you is wired to lead and the other to support, or whether you’re both leaders / both nurturers. The classical four-tier system maps Moon signs to Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra archetypes. Out of 1 point in the 36-point Ashtakoot.
Vashya looks at the magnetic pull between partners — who naturally influences the other. Healthy compatibility means you can each move the other; failure shows up as one partner always conceding or one always pushing. Out of 2 points in the 36-point Ashtakoot.
Tara measures whether being together feels auspicious or quietly tense. Computed from the count of Nakshatras between the two Moons, it’s a classical proxy for whether your timing rhythms reinforce or drain each other. Out of 3 points in the 36-point Ashtakoot.
Yoni is the most direct read on physical and instinctive compatibility — the “animal” read of attraction and intimacy. The classical system maps each Nakshatra to one of 14 animal pairs (Lion, Cow, Snake, etc.) and scores friendly / neutral / hostile pairings. Out of 4 points in the 36-point Ashtakoot.
Graha Maitri (literally “planetary friendship”) measures whether your minds click — whether conversation and daily decisions feel easy. Computed from the friendship/enmity between the lords of the two Moon signs. A high score means you’ll find each other interesting for years; a low score signals chronic “we just don’t see things the same way” fatigue. Out of 5 points in the 36-point Ashtakoot.
Gana classifies each Nakshatra into one of three temperament classes — Deva (calm, principled), Manushya (balanced, practical), or Rakshasa (intense, fiery). Mismatches don’t doom a marriage but they predict friction over emotional style: how arguments are conducted, how stress is expressed, how affection is shown. Out of 6 points.
Bhakoot reads the household-and-emotional fit between the two Moon signs — specifically the angular relationship between them. Some pairings (like 1-7 or 3-11) flow; others (especially 6-8 and 9-5) drain energy slowly in domestic life. Out of 7 points in the 36-point Ashtakoot. A separate Bhakoot dosha flag fires when the angular relationship is the problematic 6-8 or 9-5 axis.
Nadi is the highest-weighted koot in the 36-point system. It maps each Nakshatra to one of three constitutional types (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) and flags when both partners share the same Nadi — classically a concern for the health of children. Modern astrologers treat it as one factor among many; cancellations apply when Moon signs match or Nakshatra distance is large.
Chart imperfections classical texts flag in marriage decisions. All three on this list have well-defined cancellation rules — a "present" dosha is not always a problem in practice.
Manglik (Mangal Dosha) is flagged when Mars sits in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th, or 12th house from Lagna, Moon, or Venus. Reads as “this person brings combat energy into relationships.” Severity depends on which house Mars sits in — 7th and 8th are strongest. Three classical cancellation rules: (1) both partners are Manglik (Bhom Dosha Parihaar — the most cited rule), (2) Mars in own sign (Aries / Scorpio) or exalted (Capricorn), or (3) Jupiter or Moon conjuncts Mars. When cancelled, the practical impact is nullified.
Nadi Dosha fires when both partners share the same Nadi (Vata, Pitta, or Kapha). Classical texts flag it as a progeny-health concern. Cancellations apply when Moon signs are identical, when Nakshatras differ enough, or when Moon-sign lords share a navamsa. Modern practice treats it as one input among many rather than a hard veto.
Bhakoot Dosha is flagged when the two Moon signs sit in a 6-8 (mutual difficulty) or 9-5 (mutual frustration) relationship. The pattern manifests as slow domestic-life drain rather than overt conflict. Cancellations apply when the Moon-sign lords are friends, when the lords share a navamsa, or when both Moons sit in the same sign.
The structural pieces of a Vedic birth chart — what they are and why your birth time matters for them.
The Lagna (Ascendant) is the zodiac sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the exact moment of birth. It anchors the chart’s 12 houses and is considered the seat of the self, body, and personality. It changes roughly every two hours — which is why an accurate birth time matters for any chart-grounded reading.
Rashi refers to the zodiac sign the Moon occupied at the moment of birth. In Vedic astrology, this is what people mean by “your sign” — Western astrology uses the Sun sign instead. The Moon governs mind, emotion, and inner life, which is why so much of Vedic compatibility (Guna Milan, Tara, Bhakoot, Nadi) is computed from the two partners’ Moon signs.
A Nakshatra is one of 27 lunar mansions — 13°20′ slices of the zodiac. Where the 12 Rashis give you broad strokes, the 27 Nakshatras give finer-grained reads on personality, instinct, and timing. The Moon’s Nakshatra at birth is used to compute Guna Milan, Mahadasha periods, and many classical predictive techniques.
The Navamsa (D9) is the 9th harmonic divisional chart — each sign is divided into 9 parts of 3°20′ each, and a planet’s D9 sign is read as its “deeper truth.” It is the classical marriage chart: surface chemistry shows in the natal chart, but Navamsa shows what survives once novelty fades — typically year 5-7 onward. A Vargottama planet (same sign in natal and D9) is considered especially strong and stable.
How Vedic astrology predicts when something happens, not just whether it happens. Periods, sub-periods, and the major Saturn transit.
A Mahadasha is the “major period” of a planet — a multi-year stretch when that planet’s themes dominate the native’s life. The Vimshottari Dasha system, the most widely used, runs 120 years total across 9 planets, with each planet getting a fixed-length sub-period (e.g. Sun 6 years, Moon 10, Saturn 19). The starting Mahadasha at birth is determined by the Moon’s Nakshatra. Inside each Mahadasha, the Antardasha (sub-period) refines the read further.
An Antardasha is a sub-period nested inside a Mahadasha, run by a different planet. The Antardasha sequence within a given Mahadasha starts with the Mahadasha lord itself, then proceeds through the other 8 planets in standard Vimshottari order. The same Mahadasha can play very differently depending on which Antardasha is active — Saturn Mahadasha during Jupiter Antardasha is structurally different from Saturn during Mars.
Sade Sati is Saturn’s 7.5-year transit through three signs — the sign before the Moon’s natal sign, the Moon sign itself, and the sign after. The middle 2.5 years (Saturn directly over the Moon) is the most-discussed peak. Classical texts flag it as a pressure-period for restructuring and discipline. Many Vedic astrologers treat the full 7.5 years as a structural arc rather than a curse — what survives Sade Sati tends to be what truly belongs in the life.
Concepts the compatibility engine uses behind the scenes — how the math is named in classical texts.
Ashtakoot — also called Guna Milan — is the 36-point classical compatibility score used in arranged marriage decisions across India. It’s the sum of 8 individual koots (Varna 1, Vashya 2, Tara 3, Yoni 4, Graha Maitri 5, Gana 6, Bhakoot 7, Nadi 8). Verdicts: 32+ excellent, 24-31 good, 18-23 acceptable, below 18 poor. It’s a starting filter, not a verdict — doshas, D9 fit, and chart-level dynamics matter at least as much.
Guna Milan literally means “quality matching.” In practice it’s a synonym for the 36-point Ashtakoot system — the same 8 koots, the same scoring. See Ashtakoot for the full breakdown.
A Vargottama planet sits in the same sign in both the natal Rashi chart and the Navamsa (D9). Classical texts treat it as exceptionally stable — its themes will play out cleanly and the planet behaves consistently across surface and depth. In compatibility, Vargottama planets in either partner’s chart are considered green flags for long-term durability.
DestinIQ computes all of this from your real birth chart — Swiss Ephemeris precision, no generic horoscope vibes.