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Short answer
The 10 poruthams are Dinam, Ganam, Mahendram, Stree Deergham, Yoni, Rasi, Rasi Athipathi, Vasiyam, Rajju and Vedhai. Each gives a yes or no from the bride's and groom's birth stars and Moon signs. Rajju and Vedhai must match. With both passing, Navatara rates 7 or more of 10 as a good match and 5 or 6 as average.
On this page
- What do you need to check the 10 poruthams?
- What is the rule for each of the 10 poruthams?
- Which poruthams must match?
- How do you check porutham by hand? A worked example
- How do Tamil and Kerala practice differ?
- How do the 10 poruthams compare with Gun Milan?
- Can a couple with the same birth star marry?
- What can the poruthams not tell you?
- What else do families ask about porutham?
- How can you check your own two stars?
The 10 poruthams (pathu porutham, also called dasa porutham or thirumana porutham) are ten checks on the bride's and groom's birth stars and Moon signs that families in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and much of South India use before fixing a marriage. Each check gives a plain yes or no, two of them (Rajju and Vedhai) must pass, and the rest are counted. Below is the exact rule for every one, the same rules Navatara's free check and WhatsApp service use, so you can work out any pair by hand and see why an answer is what it is.
What do you need to check the 10 poruthams?
Only two facts for each person: the birth star (nakshatra) and the Moon sign (rasi). Both come from where the Moon was at birth. The Moon changes star about once a day, so the date and place usually settle both; the birth time matters only on a day when the Moon moved into a new star or sign. If you do not know your star, the birth star finder works it out.
Most checks start from a count. Take the bride's star as 1 and count forward to the groom's star. The 27 stars in order are Ashwini, Bharani, Krittika, Rohini, Mrigashira, Ardra, Punarvasu, Pushya, Ashlesha, Magha, Purva Phalguni, Uttara Phalguni, Hasta, Chitra, Swati, Vishakha, Anuradha, Jyeshtha, Mula, Purva Ashadha, Uttara Ashadha, Shravana, Dhanishta, Shatabhisha, Purva Bhadrapada, Uttara Bhadrapada and Revati. Ashwini to Bharani is 2; Bharani to Ashwini is 27. Rasi and Vasiyam use the two Moon signs instead, counted the same way from the bride's sign.
What is the rule for each of the 10 poruthams?
The last column shows how many of all 11,664 bride and groom pairs of star quarters (padas) pass each check, computed with the same code as our free match check.
| Porutham | What it is read for | It matches when | Passes for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dinam (Dina) | Health and day-to-day harmony | The star count is 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 or 27 (the count divided by 9 leaves 2, 4, 6, 8 or 0) | 55.6% |
| Ganam (Gana) | Temperament | Both stars have the same gana, or one is Deva and the other Manushya | 55.6% |
| Mahendram (Mahendra) | Growth of the family and children | The star count is 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22 or 25 | 29.6% |
| Stree Deergham (Stree Deergha) | The bride's well-being | The star count is more than 13 | 51.9% |
| Yoni | Physical and emotional closeness | The two star animals are not a sworn-enemy pair | 92.9% |
| Rasi (Rashi) | Harmony of the two Moon signs | The sign count is not 2, 6, 8 or 12, and the pair is not the same sign with the same star | 63.5% |
| Rasi Athipathi (Rashi Adhipati) | Friendship of the two sign lords | The lords are the same, or neither treats the other as an enemy | 63.9% |
| Vasiyam (Vashya) | Mutual attraction | One sign is in the other's vasiyam list | 23.6% |
| Rajju | Long life of the marriage | The two stars are in different Rajju groups (must match) | 79% |
| Vedhai (Vedha) | Freedom from obstacles | The two stars are not a Vedhai pair (must match) | 95.9% |
The lists behind the rules
Gana of each star. Deva: Ashwini, Mrigashira, Punarvasu, Pushya, Hasta, Swati, Anuradha, Shravana, Revati. Manushya: Bharani, Rohini, Ardra, Purva Phalguni, Uttara Phalguni, Purva Ashadha, Uttara Ashadha, Purva Bhadrapada, Uttara Bhadrapada. Rakshasa: Krittika, Ashlesha, Magha, Chitra, Vishakha, Jyeshtha, Mula, Dhanishta, Shatabhisha.
Yoni animal of each star. Horse: Ashwini, Shatabhisha. Elephant: Bharani, Revati. Sheep: Krittika, Pushya. Serpent: Rohini, Mrigashira. Dog: Ardra, Mula. Cat: Punarvasu, Ashlesha. Rat: Magha, Purva Phalguni. Cow: Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Bhadrapada. Buffalo: Hasta, Swati. Tiger: Chitra, Vishakha. Deer: Anuradha, Jyeshtha. Monkey: Purva Ashadha, Shravana. Mongoose: Uttara Ashadha. Lion: Dhanishta, Purva Bhadrapada. The seven sworn-enemy pairs are horse and buffalo, elephant and lion, sheep and monkey, serpent and mongoose, dog and deer, cat and rat, cow and tiger.
Sign lords that do not agree (Rasi Athipathi fails). Sun and Venus, Sun and Saturn, Moon and Mercury, Moon and Venus, Moon and Saturn, Mars and Mercury, Mars and Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury, Jupiter and Venus. Every other pair of lords passes, and so do two signs with the same lord.
Vasiyam list of each sign.
| Sign | Its vasiyam signs |
|---|---|
| Mesha | Simha, Vrishchika |
| Vrishabha | Karka, Tula |
| Mithuna | Kanya |
| Karka | Vrishchika, Dhanu |
| Simha | Tula |
| Kanya | Vrishabha, Meena |
| Tula | Makara, Kanya |
| Vrishchika | Karka |
| Dhanu | Meena |
| Makara | Mesha, Kumbha |
| Kumbha | Mesha |
| Meena | Makara |
Rajju groups. Siro (head): Mrigashira, Chitra, Dhanishta. Kanta (neck): Rohini, Ardra, Hasta, Swati, Shravana, Shatabhisha. Udara (stomach): Krittika, Punarvasu, Uttara Phalguni, Vishakha, Uttara Ashadha, Purva Bhadrapada. Kati (waist): Bharani, Pushya, Purva Phalguni, Anuradha, Purva Ashadha, Uttara Bhadrapada. Pada (feet): Ashwini, Ashlesha, Magha, Jyeshtha, Mula, Revati.
Vedhai pairs. Ashwini and Jyeshtha, Bharani and Anuradha, Krittika and Vishakha, Rohini and Swati, Ardra and Shravana, Punarvasu and Uttara Ashadha, Pushya and Purva Ashadha, Ashlesha and Mula, Magha and Revati, Purva Phalguni and Uttara Bhadrapada, Uttara Phalguni and Purva Bhadrapada, Hasta and Shatabhisha, and any two of Mrigashira, Chitra and Dhanishta. Both gates are explained at length in Rajju and Vedha explained.
Which poruthams must match?
Rajju and Vedhai. Tradition reads them as being about the bond itself, while the other eight describe its comforts: temperament, affection, family growth. So most families treat the two as gates, and Navatara's verdict follows the same rule:
- If Rajju or Vedhai fails, the match is not recommended, whatever else passes.
- If both pass and 7 or more of 10 match, it is good.
- If both pass and 5 or 6 match, it is average, and you are told which checks are weak.
- If both pass but fewer than 5 match, it is not recommended.
One detail is easy to miss: with the standard tables above, every Vedhai pair is also a same-Rajju pair. So in practice a pair that passes Rajju also passes Vedhai, and both gates pass for 79% of all pairs. Families still name both, because the classical texts list them as two separate checks.
Across all pairs, 35.2% are a good match, 38.2% average and 26.7% not recommended. Vasiyam (23.6% of pairs) and Mahendram (29.6%) pass least often, so missing them is ordinary and rarely a reason to stop. All ten match for only 0.4% of pairs, so waiting for all ten is not realistic. For the scoring question in detail, read how many poruthams should match.
How do you check porutham by hand? A worked example
Take a Pushya bride and an Ashwini groom. The bride's star is Pushya (Moon in Karka) and the groom's is Ashwini (Moon in Mesha). Counting from Pushya, the 8th star, forward to Ashwini gives 21. Counting from Karka to Mesha gives 10.
| Porutham | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Dinam | 21 divided by 9 leaves 3 | No |
| Ganam | Pushya and Ashwini are both Deva | Yes |
| Mahendram | 21 is not in the list | No |
| Stree Deergham | 21 is more than 13 | Yes |
| Yoni | Sheep and horse are not enemies | Yes |
| Rasi | A sign count of 10 is allowed | Yes |
| Rasi Athipathi | Moon and Mars are not enemies | Yes |
| Vasiyam | Neither sign is in the other's list | No |
| Rajju | Pushya is Kati, Ashwini is Pada | Yes |
| Vedhai | Not a Vedhai pair | Yes |
The same pair, run through the code of our free check:
| Porutham | Result |
|---|---|
| Dina | Does not match |
| Gana | Matches |
| Mahendra | Does not match |
| Stree Deergha | Matches |
| Yoni | Matches |
| Rashi | Matches |
| Rashi Adhipati | Matches |
| Vashya | Does not match |
| Rajju (must match) | Matches |
| Vedha (must match) | Matches |
| Total | 7 of 10 poruthams match · Good |
Rajju and Vedhai both pass and 7 of 10 match, so on the stars this is a good match. Now change only the groom to Purva Ashadha. Pushya and Purva Ashadha are both Kati Rajju, and they are also a fixed Vedhai pair, so both gates fail and the match is not recommended however the other eight turn out. That is why the gates are read first.
How do Tamil and Kerala practice differ?
The ten checks are shared across Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and both treat Rajju and Vedhai as essential. The differences are in the details around them:
- Kerala gives papasamyam great weight. Families there compare the malefic planets in both full horoscopes (papasamyam), and a pair with good poruthams can still be declined if one chart is far heavier. This is the same idea as dosha balance (dosha samya); read dosha samya explained.
- Some Tamil panchangams allow a Rajju exception. They split each Rajju group into ascending and descending stars and accept a same-group pair when one ascends and the other descends. Navatara's check does not apply this automatically.
- Ganam and Stree Deergham have softer readings in some households. Some accept a Rakshasa and Manushya pair when the count is large, and some treat a lower Stree Deergham count as a middling pass.
- Same-star pairs are handled differently. Some families accept a shared star when the Moon signs or quarters differ; in Navatara's check the shared star fails Rajju.
- Some lists are longer than ten. Certain panchangams add checks such as Nadi or the tree of each star. The ten here are the core set that Tamil panchangams follow, as set out in Kalaprakasika.
Navatara follows the Tamil Nadu panchangam practice and names the rule behind every answer, so you can compare it with what your family's astrologer uses. Our tables are listed on the editorial standards page.
How do the 10 poruthams compare with Gun Milan?
North Indian kundli matching (Ashtakoot Gun Milan) scores eight kootas out of 36 points instead of giving ten yes or no answers. Six checks overlap: Dinam is close to Tara, Ganam to Gana, Yoni to Yoni, Rasi to Bhakoot, Rasi Athipathi to Graha Maitri and Vasiyam to Vashya. The poruthams add Mahendram, Stree Deergham, Rajju and Vedhai; Gun Milan adds Varna and Nadi. So the two systems can disagree on the same couple. See Gun Milan or 10 poruthams? and the 27-star compatibility table.
Can a couple with the same birth star marry?
The classical texts treat same-star couples (eka nakshatra) as a special case rather than a simple yes or no. Commonly cited rules say a same-star match is acceptable for some stars when the two are in different quarters (padas), with the bride's quarter coming first, and is avoided for others. The lists of allowed and avoided stars differ between references, so families usually follow the rule their own astrologer uses.
Navatara's check is strict on one point: a same-star couple is always in the same Rajju group, so Rajju does not match, and the match is not recommended on the star check alone. The rest of the two charts can still be read. You can see the result for any star on the nakshatra compatibility table.
What can the poruthams not tell you?
The poruthams compare two stars, not two lives. They are guidance, not guarantees. They do not look at Mangal dosha (check it on the Mangal dosha page), the balance of doshas in both charts, or the running periods that decide timing. For a proposal you are serious about, both full kundlis should be compared. And if your question is why marriage is taking time rather than whether this proposal fits, start with marriage delay instead. No puja is needed to "fix" a porutham result, and Navatara never sells one.
What else do families ask about porutham?
Thirumana porutham ethanai irukka vendum? (How many should match?) Rajju and Vedhai must match. With both passing, Navatara rates 7 or more of 10 as good and 5 or 6 as average. All ten match for only 0.4% of pairs, so no family needs to wait for that.
Which is the most important porutham? Rajju, followed by Vedhai. Families read Rajju as the check for the long life of the marriage, which is why it is looked at first.
Can a couple with the same birth star marry? The same star puts both in one Rajju group, so Rajju fails in Navatara's check. Some families accept particular same-star pairs; ask for the full check of both horoscopes before deciding.
Do we need the birth time for porutham? Usually not. The birth star and Moon sign are enough for all ten, and the date and place usually fix both. The time is needed only if the Moon changed star or sign on the day of birth, and always for the full horoscopes, Mangal dosha and timing.
Is porutham the same as kundli matching? It is the South Indian form of it. Both compare birth stars, but the poruthams give ten yes or no answers with two gates, while Gun Milan adds up 36 points.
What if Rajju does not match? On the stars alone, the match is not recommended. Some regional exceptions exist; read can we marry if Rajju does not match and ask for the full check before deciding.
How can you check your own two stars?
Put both stars into the free match check and all ten results appear in seconds, Rajju and Vedhai first. When a proposal is serious, forward both horoscopes to your personal astrologer on WhatsApp: the ten poruthams, both charts' doshas and dosha balance (dosha samya), with a clear answer and the reasons. A proposal check is ₹199, all taxes included, and every price is on the prices page and shown in the chat before you pay. Talk free, pay only when sure.
Check two birth stars right here
Sources
Classical texts and references consulted for this guide. Every worked example is calculated with the same code as our free tools.
- Kalaprakasika: the South Indian poruthams (marriage chapter)
- Muhurta Chintamani (Vivaha Prakarana)
- Thirukanitha panchangams of Tamil Nadu: the porutham tables
- Navatara star-pair statistics, computed from the site's matching code (navatara-star-match-2026.csv)
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