Many families like to look at numbers alongside the kundli. Mulank, Bhagyank and the Lo Shu grid are popular because they need only a date of birth, and they are easy to explain at the dinner table. This article explains how we calculate them, how to read a pair of grids together, and why we keep numerology clearly separate from Vedic Guna Milan.
First, an important distinction
Numerology is not part of Vedic Ashtakoota matching. The 36-guna score comes from the Moon's sign and nakshatra, worked out from date, time and place of birth. Numerology works only with the digits of the birth date and the letters of a name. The two systems come from different traditions and use different logic.
That is why our numerology match appears as a separate section, with its own heading, and never changes the guna score. If you want the traditional Vedic result, use the free Guna Milan and read the 36 Guna guide.
Mulank and Bhagyank
- Mulank (root number) is the sum of the digits of the day of birth, reduced to a single digit. Someone born on the 23rd has Mulank 2 + 3 = 5.
- Bhagyank (destiny number) is the sum of all digits of the full date of birth, reduced to a single digit.
In the common Indian approach, each number is associated with a planet:
| Number | Planet | Number | Planet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun | 6 | Venus |
| 2 | Moon | 7 | Ketu |
| 3 | Jupiter | 8 | Saturn |
| 4 | Rahu | 9 | Mars |
| 5 | Mercury |
To compare two numbers, we look at how the associated planets regard each other under a published friendship table: friendly, mostly friendly, neutral, mixed or challenging. The table we use is shown on the methodology page so that anyone can check it.
The Lo Shu grid
The Lo Shu is an ancient 3 × 3 magic square in which every row, column and diagonal adds up to 15. Its layout is:
| Left | Middle | Right |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 9 | 2 |
| 3 | 5 | 7 |
| 8 | 1 | 6 |
To build a person's grid, we place each digit of the date of birth in its box. Zeros are ignored because the grid has no place for them. Following a widely used convention, we also add the Mulank and Bhagyank to the grid. Some numbers then appear more than once, and some boxes stay empty. Rows, columns and diagonals that are fully filled are called complete planes (for example the mental plane 4-9-2 or the will plane 9-5-1).
Reading two grids together
Here is an illustrative example with made-up dates.
- Person A, born 23-08-1994: digits 2, 3, 8, 1, 9, 9, 4, Mulank 5, Bhagyank 9. Present: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9. Missing: 6, 7.
- Person B, born 17-06-1996: digits 1, 7, 6, 1, 9, 9, 6, Mulank 8, Bhagyank 3. Present: 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9. Missing: 2, 4, 5.
Notice that B has 6 and 7, which A lacks, and A has 2, 4 and 5, which B lacks. We call these complementary numbers: what one partner brings that the other does not. In this example no number is missing for both. When a number is missing in both grids, we simply point that out as something the pair may wish to be aware of.
Name numbers
Some families also look at the number of a name. By default we use the Chaldean letter values on the Latin spelling of the name (a Pythagorean option is available). For a name written in Devanagari, the spelling is first written in English letters, and you confirm it, because different spellings give different numbers. That sensitivity to spelling is one more reason to treat a name number lightly.
How to use numerology sensibly
- Treat it as a light, conversational layer, not as a decision tool.
- Never let it override the Vedic result or, more importantly, what you know about each other.
- Remember that a "challenging" pair of numbers is a description from a traditional table, not a prediction.
- Use the complementary numbers as a gentle way to talk about strengths each person brings.
In short
Mulank, Bhagyank and the Lo Shu grid are simple and transparent, and that is part of their charm. Used in the right spirit, they can open friendly conversations. They are a separate system from Vedic Guna Milan, and we present them that way. Try the numerology match, and see common questions in the FAQ.