Gana Porutham groups every nakshatra into one of three temperaments — Deva (divine), Manushya (human), or Rakshasa (demonic) — and compares the bride's and groom's Gana to judge how naturally their personalities and behaviour will get along. A Deva-Deva or Manushya-Manushya match is considered smooth, while a Deva-Rakshasa pairing is traditionally seen as more challenging, since the underlying nature of each partner is thought to pull in very different directions.

Mahendra Porutham looks specifically at the prospect of children and the continuation of the family line. It examines the star positions of both partners to judge how favourable the match is for having healthy children and for the family growing in a stable, prosperous way. This porutham is given particular attention by families who place high importance on progeny and long-term family planning as part of the marriage decision.

Stree Deergha Porutham focuses on the wellbeing and long life of the bride in particular. It is calculated from the distance between the bride's and groom's nakshatras and is traditionally seen as a mark of respect toward the bride's health, safety, and longevity within the marriage. A strong Stree Deergha result reassures the bride's family that the match supports her long-term welfare, not just the union as a whole.

Yoni Porutham checks physical and emotional compatibility by assigning each nakshatra an animal symbol representing its underlying nature. The bride's and groom's animal symbols are compared to see how naturally aligned or opposed their instincts and intimate compatibility are likely to be. Symbols from the same or friendly animal families are considered favourable, while natural enemy pairs — such as cat and rat — are seen as a sign of friction that may need addressing.

Rasi Porutham compares the moon signs, or Rasi, of the bride and groom to judge emotional depth and mental compatibility between them. Since the moon governs the mind and emotions in Vedic astrology, a favourable Rasi match is believed to support mutual understanding, patience, and a calm home environment. Certain Rasi combinations are considered especially harmonious, while others may indicate more effort will be needed to stay emotionally in sync.

Rasi Adhipati Porutham goes a step further than Rasi Porutham by examining the relationship between the ruling planets, or Adhipatis, of each partner's moon sign. The two ruling planets can be natural friends, neutral, or natural enemies to each other in Vedic astrology. A friendly or neutral planetary relationship supports harmony and cooperation in the marriage, while an enemy relationship between the ruling planets is traditionally seen as a source of underlying tension.

Vasya Porutham examines mutual attraction, control, and influence between the bride and groom based on their moon signs. It is traditionally used to understand which partner is likely to have more natural sway in the relationship, and whether that influence is balanced or one-sided. A well-matched Vasya result is thought to support a relationship where both partners feel valued and neither one dominates the household entirely.

Rajju Porutham is considered the single most important of the ten poruthams, as it is believed to directly affect the long life, health, and physical safety of the couple. It groups nakshatras into five Rajju categories, each linked to a part of the body, and checks whether the bride and groom fall into the same category. A Rajju match, or dosha, is taken very seriously in Kerala astrology and is rarely overlooked even when every other porutham matches well.

Vedha Porutham checks for specific nakshatra pairs that are traditionally believed to obstruct or oppose each other, even when the couple matches well on every other porutham. This is treated as an important dosha check, since a Vedha combination is thought to quietly work against the harmony the other nine poruthams point toward. Astrologers typically review Vedha carefully as one of the final checks before confirming a Jathaka match is genuinely favourable.