Navagraha

The nine grahas · Navagraha Devta · Graha Devta

Day: Each graha has his own weekday (Sunday…
21 Mantras

About

The Navagraha are the nine graha devtas who are honoured together: Surya, Chandra, Mangal, Budh, Brihaspati (Guru), Shukra, Shani, Rahu and Ketu. The word graha means "one who holds". The seven weekdays carry the names of the first seven, while Rahu and Ketu are called chhaya (shadow) grahas. Many temples, especially Shiv temples, have a Navagraha shrine where the nine stand together with Surya in the middle. At weddings, griha pravesh and other big pujas, families invite and honour the nine grahas at the start, and many people read the Navagraha Stotram of Ved Vyas in their daily prayers.

The story

Long ago the devtas and the asuras churned the ocean of milk together, with Mount Mandar as the churning rod and the serpent Vasuki as the rope. Many treasures rose from the waters, and at last Dhanvantari came up holding a pot of amrit, the nectar of immortality. The asuras snatched the pot, so Bhagwan Vishnu took the lovely form of Mohini and offered to share it out. She seated the devtas in one row and the asuras in another, and began serving the devtas first.

A clever asura named Svarbhanu, son of Simhika, dressed himself as a devta and quietly sat in their row, between Surya and Chandra. He had just taken a sip of amrit when Surya and Chandra recognised him and spoke up. At once Vishnu's Sudarshan chakra cut off his head. But the amrit had already reached his throat, so the head could not die. Brahma ji gave it a place among the grahas as Rahu, and in many tellings the body became Ketu.

The old story says Rahu never forgot that Surya and Chandra gave him away, and that is why he chases them at the time of an eclipse.

So the nine came to be honoured together: the seven grahas whose names we say every week in the weekdays, Surya, Chandra, Mangal, Budh, Brihaspati, Shukra and Shani, and the two shadow grahas, Rahu and Ketu.

How they are shown

In a Navagraha shrine Surya stands in the centre and the other eight surround him, as the Matsya Purana describes: Shukra in the east, Chandra in the south-east, Mangal in the south, Rahu in the south-west, Shani in the west, Ketu in the north-west, Brihaspati in the north and Budh in the north-east. Each has his own colour and vahan: Surya's chariot of seven horses, Mangal's ram, Budh's lion, Shani's crow. All wear crowns and bless with one hand. The arrangement shows the grahas as one family, with Surya, the giver of light, at its heart.

How to worship

Day

Each graha has his own weekday (Sunday for Surya, Monday for Chandra and so on); all nine are worshipped together on any auspicious day, especially at the start of a big puja.

Offerings

The Matsya Purana lists a simple cooked offering for each graha, such as rice with jaggery for Surya, kheer made with ghee for Chandra, curd rice for Brihaspati and khichdi with til for Shani, along with flowers and cloth in each graha's colour. Many families also offer navadhanya, nine kinds of grain.

How

Clean the puja place and sit facing east. Light a diya of ghee or til oil and offer flowers, akshat and a little sweet. With folded hands, remember the nine grahas, Surya first. Read the Navagraha Stotram once, or chant one graha's mantra 11 or 108 times on its weekday. End with a prayer for peace and good sense for the whole family, and share the prasad. A big graha-shanti puja with havan is done by a priest; at home, a simple daily prayer is enough.