Rasi Porutham: Which Rasis Match Best for Marriage?
"Which rasi should I marry?" is one of the questions we get asked most often. Almost always it comes with a list: someone read that Mesham and Magaram are perfect, another site says Rishabam should marry Meenam, and a relative insists that same-rasi marriages never work.
Here is the honest answer. Rasi compatibility is a real part of Tamil marriage matching, but it is one of the ten poruthams, not the whole picture. This guide explains how rasi porutham actually works, gives a compatibility table for all twelve rasis, and shows where it fits in a full match.
How Rasi Porutham Is Counted
Count from the bride's rasi to the groom's rasi, counting the bride's rasi as 1. The number you get decides the porutham:
| Count (bride to groom) | Relationship | Traditional view |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Samasaptamam (opposite signs) | Excellent: natural attraction and balance |
| 5 or 9 | Trine | Very good: shared values |
| 3 or 11 | Friendly | Good |
| 4 or 10 | Kendra | Acceptable |
| 1 | Same rasi | Acceptable if the nakshatras are different |
| 2 or 12 | Dwirdwadasam | Usually avoided; financial and family strain |
| 6 or 8 | Shashtashtakam | Avoided; friction and health concerns in traditional view |
Exceptions apply. When the lords of the two rasis are friends, or when both rasis are ruled by the same planet, many astrologers relax the 2/12 and 6/8 rule. For example, Mesham and Viruchigam (count 8) are both ruled by Mars.
Compatibility Table for All 12 Rasis
| Rasi | Best match (7th) | Very good (5th / 9th) | Usually avoided (6th / 8th) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mesham (Aries) | Thulam | Simmam, Dhanusu | Kanni, Viruchigam* |
| Rishabam (Taurus) | Viruchigam | Kanni, Magaram | Thulam*, Dhanusu |
| Mithunam (Gemini) | Dhanusu | Thulam, Kumbam | Viruchigam, Magaram |
| Kadagam (Cancer) | Magaram | Viruchigam, Meenam | Dhanusu, Kumbam |
| Simmam (Leo) | Kumbam | Dhanusu, Mesham | Magaram, Meenam |
| Kanni (Virgo) | Meenam | Magaram, Rishabam | Kumbam, Mesham |
| Thulam (Libra) | Mesham | Kumbam, Mithunam | Meenam, Rishabam* |
| Viruchigam (Scorpio) | Rishabam | Meenam, Kadagam | Mesham*, Mithunam |
| Dhanusu (Sagittarius) | Mithunam | Mesham, Simmam | Rishabam, Kadagam |
| Magaram (Capricorn) | Kadagam | Rishabam, Kanni | Mithunam, Simmam |
| Kumbam (Aquarius) | Simmam | Mithunam, Thulam | Kadagam, Kanni |
| Meenam (Pisces) | Kanni | Kadagam, Viruchigam | Simmam, Thulam |
* Same ruling planet (Mars for Mesham and Viruchigam; Venus for Rishabam and Thulam). Many astrologers accept these pairs despite the 6/8 count.
Why Rasi Alone Is Not Enough
In Tamil tradition, marriage matching uses ten poruthams based on the birth stars of both people:
- Dina porutham, for health and daily harmony
- Ganam porutham, for temperament
- Mahendra porutham, for progeny and prosperity
- Stree Dheergam, for the bride's well-being
- Yoni porutham, for physical compatibility
- Rasi porutham, for the family line
- Rasi Adhipathi porutham, for friendship of the rasi lords
- Vasya porutham, for mutual attraction
- Rajju porutham, considered the most important
- Vedhai porutham, for avoiding mutual affliction
A pair with excellent rasi porutham can still fail Rajju. A pair with a 6/8 rasi count can still match well on everything else. That is why a good astrologer looks at the full set, and then at the two individual horoscopes, especially the 7th house, Venus, Jupiter and any chevvai dosham.
You can run all ten poruthams instantly with our free marriage matching tool. Just enter both birth stars.
What About "Perfect Rasi Pairs" Lists?
Popular lists that pair rasis as "best couples" usually mix Western sun-sign ideas with Vedic Moon signs. Remember that in Tamil astrology your rasi is your Moon sign, not the sign of your birth month. Two people who "should" be perfect by a magazine list may not match at all by porutham, and the reverse is just as common.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is marrying someone of the same rasi bad?
Not necessarily. Same-rasi matches are accepted when the birth stars are different. Same rasi with the same nakshatra is handled with more caution, and depends on the specific star.
How many poruthams are needed for marriage?
Traditionally, 6 or more out of 10 is considered acceptable, with Rajju porutham treated as essential by many families.
Can love marriages ignore porutham?
Many families do check porutham even for love marriages, mainly for peace of mind. Mutual respect and understanding matter more than any single astrological factor.
Related Reading
About This Article
Written by: the Chanakya Astro editorial team, Madurai. We write our astrology and devotional guides from classical sources and from what we see in everyday practice, and we update them when facts change.
Sources: Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, Phaladeepika (Mantreswara) and Saravali (Kalyanavarma), as followed in Tamil jyothidam practice.
Last reviewed: November 2026. Found an error? Please tell us through our contact page. Read more about us.
Disclaimer: This is a general guide to traditional rasi compatibility. Marriage decisions should be based on the full horoscopes, family understanding and the couple's own judgement.
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