Vedic astrology · नवग्रह
Navagraha: the nine planets, their mantras and where they are today
The beej mantra and Navagraha stotra verse of each graha, its weekday, colour, gemstone and dasha years, its sign today, and the remedies commonly suggested.
The nine grahas at a glance
| Graha | Weekday | Colour | Ratna | Mahadasha | Sign today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surya (Sun) | Sunday | Gold, orange | Ruby | 6 years | Tula तुला |
| Chandra (Moon) | Monday | White, cream | Pearl | 10 years | Mesha मेष |
| Mangal (Mars) | Tuesday | Red | Red Coral | 7 years | Karka कर्क |
| Budh (Mercury) | Wednesday | Green | Emerald | 17 years | Tula तुला (retrograde) |
| Guru (Jupiter) | Thursday | Yellow | Yellow Sapphire | 16 years | Karka कर्क |
| Shukra (Venus) | Friday | White, light pink | Diamond or White Sapphire | 20 years | Tula तुला (retrograde) |
| Shani (Saturn) | Saturday | Dark blue, black | Blue Sapphire | 19 years | Meena मीन (retrograde) |
| Rahu (राहु) | None of its own | Blue, grey | Hessonite | 18 years | Kumbha कुंभ |
| Ketu (केतु) | None of its own | Light green, white | Cat’s Eye | 7 years | Simha सिंह |
Colours follow the site’s planet table, the one the numerology calculators use. Today’s sign is at 6:00 am IST; degrees, nakshatras and the next sign changes are on planet positions today.
What navagraha means
Navagraha means the nine grahas. A Vedic birth chart is built from where these nine are: each sits in a sign, a house and a nakshatra, and that is how a chart links each part of life with a graha.
The Sun and Moon are the lights, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn are the five visible planets, and Rahu and Ketu are the shadow grahas. Each is linked with a weekday, a colour, a gemstone and a number, and each has its own period in the Vimshottari dasha.
The navagraha mantra (a prayer to all nine)
ब्रह्मा मुरारिस्त्रिपुरान्तकारी भानुः शशी भूमिसुतो बुधश्च।
गुरुश्च शुक्रः शनिराहुकेतवः सर्वे ग्रहाः शान्तिकरा भवन्तु॥
Romanised: brahmā murāris tripurāntakārī bhānuḥ śaśī bhūmisuto budhaś ca /
guruś ca śukraḥ śani-rāhu-ketavaḥ sarve grahāḥ śānti-karā bhavantu
Meaning: May Brahma, Vishnu (Murari) and Shiva (destroyer of the three cities), and the Sun, the Moon, Mars (son of the Earth), Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu, all the grahas, bring peace.
The beej mantras of the nine grahas
Each graha’s page has its beej mantra, its Navagraha stotra verse with meaning, the commonly suggested japa count and simple remedies.
- Suryaॐ ह्रां ह्रीं ह्रौं सः सूर्याय नमःOm hrāṃ hrīṃ hrauṃ saḥ sūryāya namaḥ
- Chandraॐ श्रां श्रीं श्रौं सः चन्द्राय नमःOm śrāṃ śrīṃ śrauṃ saḥ candrāya namaḥ
- Mangalॐ क्रां क्रीं क्रौं सः भौमाय नमःOm krāṃ krīṃ krauṃ saḥ bhaumāya namaḥ
- Budhॐ ब्रां ब्रीं ब्रौं सः बुधाय नमःOm brāṃ brīṃ brauṃ saḥ budhāya namaḥ
- Guruॐ ग्रां ग्रीं ग्रौं सः गुरवे नमःOm grāṃ grīṃ grauṃ saḥ gurave namaḥ
- Shukraॐ द्रां द्रीं द्रौं सः शुक्राय नमःOm drāṃ drīṃ drauṃ saḥ śukrāya namaḥ
- Shaniॐ प्रां प्रीं प्रौं सः शनैश्चराय नमःOm prāṃ prīṃ prauṃ saḥ śanaiścarāya namaḥ
- Rahuॐ भ्रां भ्रीं भ्रौं सः राहवे नमःOm bhrāṃ bhrīṃ bhrauṃ saḥ rāhave namaḥ
- Ketuॐ स्रां स्रीं स्रौं सः केतवे नमःOm srāṃ srīṃ srauṃ saḥ ketave namaḥ
Where the navagraha are used
The rashifal and horoscope are read from the grahas’ transits, the dasha times their periods, and your Janam Kundli shows the nine at your birth. Lal Kitab remedies for each graha are on Lal Kitab remedies, and the gemstone calculator shows the stone of your Mulank.
Mantras are given in their commonly published form; japa counts and remedies are those commonly suggested in the tradition, not a promise of any result.
Questions about the navagraha
What are the navagraha?
Surya (Sun), Chandra (Moon), Mangal (Mars), Budh (Mercury), Guru (Jupiter), Shukra (Venus), Shani (Saturn), Rahu and Ketu. The first seven are bodies you can see in the sky; Rahu and Ketu are the two points where the Moon’s path crosses the Sun’s. Graha means “one that seizes”, something that takes hold of life.
What is the navagraha mantra?
The best known prayer to all nine together is: ब्रह्मा मुरारिस्त्रिपुरान्तकारी भानुः शशी भूमिसुतो बुधश्च। गुरुश्च शुक्रः शनिराहुकेतवः सर्वे ग्रहाः शान्तिकरा भवन्तु॥ (brahmā murāris tripurāntakārī bhānuḥ śaśī bhūmisuto budhaś ca guruś ca śukraḥ śani-rāhu-ketavaḥ sarve grahāḥ śānti-karā bhavantu). Meaning: May Brahma, Vishnu (Murari) and Shiva (destroyer of the three cities), and the Sun, the Moon, Mars (son of the Earth), Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu, all the grahas, bring peace. Each graha’s own beej mantra is on its page.
Why are Rahu and Ketu called shadow planets?
They have no body. They are the two nodes of the Moon’s orbit, always exactly opposite each other and always moving backwards. Eclipses of the Sun and Moon happen near these points.
Which graha’s mantra should I chant?
That is read from your chart: often the lord of the running mahadasha, or a graha that is weak or troubled in the Kundli. Find your dasha with the dasha calculator and all nine placements in your Janam Kundli.
In what order do the Vimshottari dashas run?
Ketu 7 years, Shukra 20 years, Surya 6 years, Chandra 10 years, Mangal 7 years, Rahu 18 years, Guru 16 years, Shani 19 years and Budh 17 years, 120 years in all. The Moon’s nakshatra at birth decides which graha the sequence starts from.