Mesha (Aries) and Dhanu (Sagittarius) share rashi lords who are firm friends, but the rashi count gives a different result depending on which partner is the bride. This page explains the rashi-level results in both Sinhala porondam and Tamil porutham, and why the two birth stars ultimately decide the match.
Which Mesha and Dhanu are we talking about?
In Sri Lankan marriage matching, the rashi is the moon sign (chandra rashi), the sign the Moon occupied at birth in the sidereal zodiac used in Sri Lanka. It is not the sun sign printed in newspaper horoscopes, so someone who reads as Aries in a magazine may have a quite different chandra rashi.
At the rashi level, both the Sinhala porondam and Tamil porutham systems look at three items: the rashi count between the two signs, the friendship between the two rashi lords, and vashya. Each item is marked as obtained, partly obtained or not obtained. Because the count is taken from the bride's sign to the groom's, we look at Mesha and Dhanu in both directions.
What does the rashi count show in each direction?
When the bride is Mesha and the groom is Dhanu, counting from Mesha to Dhanu gives 9. With this count, the rashi item is obtained in both the Sinhala (rashi) and Tamil (rasi) systems.
When the bride is Dhanu and the groom is Mesha, counting from Dhanu to Mesha gives 5. In this direction, the rashi item is not obtained in either system.
This is why families should always note who is the bride and who is the groom when checking a pair of signs. The same two rashis can give a different rashi result simply because the count starts from the bride's moon sign. It is still only one item among many.
Are the rashi lords friends, and what about vashya?
Mesha is ruled by Mars and Dhanu by Jupiter. These two planets are mutual friends, so the rashyadhipathi item in Sinhala porondam and the rasi adhipathi item in Tamil porutham are obtained in both directions. This friendship between the ruling planets is often regarded as a pleasing feature of the pairing.
Vashya, which looks at a traditional sense of mutual attraction between signs, is not obtained for Mesha and Dhanu, whichever partner is the bride, and in both the Sinhala and Tamil systems.
These three rashi-level items form only part of the picture. Most of the matching items depend on the birth stars, which are examined next.
Why do the birth stars decide the real match?
Each rashi contains nine star quarters (nakshatra padas), so any pair of rashis gives 81 star-quarter combinations, each with its own result.
With the bride in Mesha, 25% of combinations reach 8 of 10 Tamil porutham; with the bride in Dhanu, none do. In both directions, 46% fall into the weaker range on Tamil scoring and 41% have rajju not obtained. Yet every one of the 81 combinations passes Sinhala porondam when the weekday item is set aside.
Outcomes therefore vary widely. Use the calculator with full birth details and, for marriage decisions, consult a family astrologer.
Read the Mesha horoscope and the Dhanu horoscope, or check two exact birth charts with the porondam calculator.