Tamil marriage matching (thirumana porutham) compares the bride's and the groom's birth stars and Moon signs on ten checks called poruthams: Dinam, Ganam, Mahendram, Stree Deergham, Yoni, Rasi, Rasyadhipathi, Vasyam, Rajju and Vedhai. Kalaprakasika (1917, ch. XIII, pp. 69–76) counts most of them from the bride's star to the groom's. It asks for agreement in at least five of the ten, and it puts Dinam and Rajju first.
☕ What porutham compares, and how
Each of the ten checks uses only two facts about each person: the birth star (janma nakshatra, the star the Moon was in at birth) and the Moon sign (janma rasi, the sign the Moon was in). Both come from the date, time and place of birth. The rest of the two horoscopes is not used in these ten checks.
The book counts most checks in one direction: from the bride's star to the groom's, counting both stars. Dinam, Mahendram and Stree Deergham all count this way, and Rasi reads the two Moon signs by which one comes first. So the two roles cannot be swapped: swap them and some answers change. That is how the book sets out the rules. It says nothing about which person is better or worse.
The book also says how to weigh the ten. Five are the chief checks: Dinam, Ganam, Yoni, Rasi and Rajju. Of these, Dinam and Rajju are first in importance. Overall, the two charts "must agree in respect of at least five" of the ten. One exception, about the two Moon signs and their lords, sets aside four of the checks.
Nava Panchangam now matches two charts by these ten poruthams: sign in and open Marriage matching at navapanchangam.com/matching for a Nava verdict. This page explains the rule as the book gives it.
The ten checks, and how the book weighs them
- Dinam: the groom's star counted from the bride's, in cycles of nine (p. 69)
- Ganam: each star's temperament, Deva, Manushya or Rakshasa (p. 72)
- Mahendram: the groom's star at certain steps from the bride's (p. 72)
- Stree Deergham: the groom's star well beyond the bride's (p. 72)
- Yoni: each star's animal symbol; some pairs are hostile (p. 73)
- Rasi: how many signs apart the two Moon signs are, each way (pp. 73–74)
- Rasyadhipathi: whether the lords of the two Moon signs are friends (pp. 74–75)
- Vasyam: whether one Moon sign attracts the other (p. 75)
- Rajju: five groups of stars; the two stars should not share a group (p. 75)
- Vedhai: thirteen sets of stars that obstruct each other (p. 76)
- Five chief checks: Dinam, Ganam, Yoni, Rasi and Rajju
- Of those, Dinam and Rajju come first in importance
- At least five of the ten should agree; with fewer, the book says to be guided by omens (sakunam)
- One exception about the two Moon signs sets aside Rajju, Vedhai, Ganam and Rasi
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to check porutham?
The birth star and the Moon sign of each person. Both come from the date, time and place of birth. The Moon moves through about one star a day, so near a change of star the birth time decides which star it is.
Why is porutham counted from the bride's star?
Because Kalaprakasika states its rules that way: count from the bride's star to the groom's, both included. Some checks, such as Rajju and Vedhai, give the same answer whichever way you count. Others, such as Dinam and Stree Deergham, do not, so the two roles cannot be swapped.
How many poruthams must match?
Kalaprakasika asks for at least five of the ten. It names Dinam, Ganam, Yoni, Rasi and Rajju as the five chief checks, and Dinam and Rajju as the most important of those. It does not ask for all ten.
Is porutham the same as Guna Milan?
No. Guna Milan (Ashtakoota) is a different method, with eight checks called kootas, scored in points; Muhurta Chintamani teaches it in its chapter on marriage. The ten poruthams are counted differently, and a porutham count does not convert into Guna Milan points or back.
Does Nava Panchangam check porutham?
Yes. Signed-in readers can match two charts at navapanchangam.com/matching: the ten poruthams as an essential match, or a full match that adds Chevvai, Nadi and the planets in each 7th house, with a Nava verdict. These pages explain each rule as the book gives it.
From the source
The book these pages follow, what they leave out, and one page for each porutham.
📖 Kalaprakasika, chapter XIII
These pages follow Kalaprakasika in N. P. Subramania Iyer's English edition of 1917, a South Indian book of muhurtha rules. Its chapter XIII, "To determine the suitability of a match" (pp. 68–79), gives the ten poruthams one by one, then how to weigh them. Star names are given here in today's usual spellings; the 1917 print spells them differently (Dhinam, Raju, Sravishta). Page numbers on these pages are the printed book's own.
✂️ What these pages leave out
The book attaches a one-line outcome to almost every check: for the couple, their children or their family. These pages explain how each check is counted and leave those outcome lines out. They also leave out a line ranking the checks by community, and a later section that answers questions about a marriage from the time the question is asked.