Navagraha mantras: nine simple mantras for peace in a hard time

When several things go wrong together, people say "grah kharab chal rahe hain". The traditional answer is Navagraha shanti, calming the nine planets. You can do a simple version at home in ten minutes.

The nine mantras and their days

• Sun (Surya), Sunday: Om Suryaya Namah. For confidence, health habits, father and government work.
• Moon (Chandra), Monday: Om Chandraya Namah. For peace of mind, sleep and mother.
• Mars (Mangal), Tuesday: Om Mangalaya Namah. For courage, property, debt and anger.
• Mercury (Budh), Wednesday: Om Budhaya Namah. For study, speech and business.
• Jupiter (Guru), Thursday: Om Gurave Namah. For wisdom, marriage, children and wealth.
• Venus (Shukra), Friday: Om Shukraya Namah. For love, comfort and harmony.
• Saturn (Shani), Saturday: Om Shanaishcharaya Namah. For work, patience and relief in Sade Sati.
• Rahu, Saturday: Om Rahave Namah. For confusion, fear and sudden trouble.
• Ketu, Tuesday: Om Ketave Namah. For detachment, focus and spiritual growth.

Which one should you chant?

Chant the mantra of the planet whose dasha or antardasha is running, and the one linked to your problem. In Sade Sati or Dhaiya add Saturn’s mantra. If you do not know your dasha, the Moon’s mantra on Mondays and Saturn’s on Saturdays are safe for everyone.

How to chant

• Sit in a clean, quiet place, facing east in the morning.
• Chant 108 times with a mala, or 11 times if you are short of time.
• Keep the same time each day. Regularity matters more than number.
• Start on the planet’s own day.

Navagraha shanti at home

Once a week, light a lamp and chant each of the nine mantras 11 times in the order above. Many families do this on Saturday evening or Sunday morning. Visit a Navagraha temple when you can.

A mantra steadies the mind first. A steady mind makes better decisions, and that is how the planets start to look kinder.