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Marriage astrologyBhakoot Dosha: 2/12, 5/9 and 6/8 Rashi Positions Explained
Bhakoot looks at how far apart the two Moon signs are. It carries 7 of the 36 guna points, and three particular distances are read as dosha.
What bhakoot measures
Bhakoot, also called rashi kuta, is the seventh of the eight kutas in Ashtakoota guna milan and is worth 7 points. It compares the Moon sign (rashi) of the two partners by counting from one to the other. Count from the bride's Moon sign to the groom's, then from the groom's to the bride's. The pair of numbers you get describes the relationship.
Because counting is done both ways, the results always come in pairs that add to 14, or are the same number. If one Moon is 6th from the other, the other is 8th from the first. You can find both Moon signs in your janam kundli, and the kundli matching tool does the counting for you.
The positions
- 1/1 (same sign), 3/11, 4/10 and 7/7: these are treated as favourable and receive the full 7 points.
- 2/12 (dwirdwadasha): traditionally linked to money and family expenses.
- 5/9 (navapanchama): traditionally linked to children and to differing outlooks.
- 6/8 (shadashtaka): traditionally linked to health, conflict and longevity concerns.
Pairs in 2/12, 5/9 or 6/8 receive 0 points, and this is called bhakoot dosha.
Why 6/8 is weighted most
The 6th house in Vedic astrology governs disputes, illness and obstacles, and the 8th governs longevity, sudden events and hidden matters. When each Moon sits in one of these houses from the other, the tradition reads it as two minds that find each other difficult. That is why shadashtaka gets more attention than the other two. Several traditions treat 5/9 as mild, and some go further and consider 5/9 acceptable or even good, since the 5th and 9th are trines, which are normally favourable houses. Opinion on 2/12 is mixed: some astrologers take it lightly, others weigh it close to 6/8.
The cancellations
The main rules for cancelling bhakoot dosha rest on the lords of the two Moon signs.
Same sign lord
If both Moon signs are ruled by the same planet, the dosha is widely held to be cancelled. Two classic examples of 6/8 pairs with a shared lord are Aries and Scorpio (both ruled by Mars) and Taurus and Libra (both ruled by Venus). Capricorn and Aquarius, both ruled by Saturn, form a 2/12 pair, and Sagittarius and Pisces, both ruled by Jupiter, sit in a 4/10 relationship that is already favourable.
Friendly sign lords
If the two Moon sign lords are natural friends, many astrologers treat the dosha as cancelled or much reduced. Natural friendship here follows the Parashari scheme: for example, the Sun, Moon, Mars and Jupiter are friendly to one another, and Mercury, Venus and Saturn form another friendly group. Some astrologers apply this rule only to 2/12 and 5/9, and are stricter with 6/8.
Other supporting factors
Some practitioners also look at whether the navamsa lords of the two Moons are friendly, whether nadi is clear, and how strong graha maitri (the friendship kuta) is. A high graha maitri score often goes together with bhakoot relief, because both depend on the same sign lords.
Bhakoot and graha maitri together
Bhakoot and graha maitri are closely linked. Graha maitri scores the friendship between the Moon sign lords directly, while bhakoot scores the distance between the signs. When bhakoot fails but the lords are the same or friendly, graha maitri usually scores well, which is the textual basis for the cancellation. When both fail together, the tradition considers the mismatch more meaningful.
How to read it
Bhakoot dosha is a reading about two Moons, which in Vedic astrology stand for the mind and emotional nature. It says something about how two temperaments meet. It does not say anything about the rest of either chart, and a full matching always looks at the 7th house, Venus, the navamsa and the dashas of both people. In South Indian porutham matching, the comparable check is rasi porutham, with its own counting rules. For the other heavy kutas, see our pages on nadi dosha exceptions and gana dosha, or the broader guide on how kundli matching works.
See it in your own chart
The free marriage tool applies these rules to your kundli and shows its working.
Read my chart Janam kundliQuestions people ask
Which bhakoot positions are considered dosha?
The 2/12, 5/9 and 6/8 relationships between the two Moon signs score 0 and are called bhakoot dosha. The 1/1, 3/11, 4/10 and 7/7 relationships score the full 7 points.
Why is 6/8 shadashtaka taken more seriously?
The 6th and 8th houses govern conflict, illness and longevity in Vedic astrology, so the tradition reads this pairing as the most difficult. Many astrologers treat 5/9 and sometimes 2/12 more leniently.
Is bhakoot dosha cancelled if the rashi lords are the same?
Yes, this is the most widely accepted cancellation. Aries and Scorpio, or Taurus and Libra, form 6/8 pairs that share a lord and are usually treated as cancelled.
Do friendly rashi lords cancel bhakoot dosha?
Many astrologers accept friendly lords as a cancellation or a strong reduction. Some apply this only to 2/12 and 5/9 and remain cautious with 6/8.
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