Navagraha Puja (worship of the nine planets) is an ancient Hindu tradition in which the worshipper prays to the planets, which are said to be the embodiment of various gods and goddesses. It is believed that these planets rule over various aspects of our lives, such as career and education, so it’s important to please them properly if you want to succeed in life. The ideal place to worship Navagraha is outdoors in nature, but you can also do it indoors in a room with simple items found around your house or easily purchased from any store.
Navagraha Puja
Every planet controls three aspects of human life. These are Time, Fortune, and Destiny. But planets get their powers from Lord Suryanarayana (Sun) by which they can maintain their own universe. Hence daily worship of Navagrahas is essential for each person to maintain his/her own world. The planets’ names are Raahu, Ketu, Sun, Moon, and Mars for the North-South direction, East-West direction respectively; Mercury (Guru), Jupiter (Brihaspati), Venus (Shukra) an,d Saturn (Shani) form the East-West direction while Mercury represents North-South direction.
There are separate mantras for these nine planets. The word ‘Nava’ means nine and Graha means planets, hence we call them ‘Navagrahas’. As per Hindu philosophy, there are nine planets that rule over different sections of our universe. These different sections or houses of zodiacs do affect our lives in many ways. Hence, it is important to understand each planet’s significance as well as their impact on your daily life by performing prayers regularly. Worshipping navagrahas will help you get rid of negative energies around you and will keep you positive all day long.
The best time to perform puja is at sunrise time (Pratahkal) but if one cannot perform puja at that time then he/she can perform it anytime during day time (Sandhyakal). It is also recommended that one should perform puja on new moon days (Amavasya) or full moon days (Purnima). You can also perform Navagraha pooja during sunset hours (Shodhikal). However, if you want maximum benefits from puja then try to perform it early morning before sunrise.
What is Navagraha Shanti Puja?
Navagraha Shanti Puja (or Navagraha Pooja) is a pooja dedicated to nine planets. According to Hindu astrology, there are nine celestial bodies called Navagrah which hold immense significance in our lives. The word navagraha means nine planets or nine luminaries. These celestial bodies are – Rahu, Ketu, Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn. It is believed that if these planets are not given their due respect, they can bring bad luck into your life. This puja helps you gain mastery over these nine energies. It brings peace and prosperity into your life by channelizing these energies for good purposes instead of letting them work against you. If performed on a regular basis, it will help keep all negative influences at bay and bring about positivity in your life.
Lessons from each planet
This planet is related to different aspects of life. By studying these relationships, we learn about God’s will for us and how we can relate with other people. With each planet’s help, we get closer to becoming better people ourselves. The planets represent our ability to achieve happiness, peace, and prosperity. They also represent our weaknesses and problems that prevent us from reaching our full potential. The planets are not only beneficial but they are also powerful; their influence on our lives cannot be denied or avoided. To put it simply, they rule over everything that concerns human beings – good or bad.
Sun- The king of all planets, it is considered very powerful. The sun rules over our body and soul. It is said that if you are born under its influence, you will be strong and healthy. If not, you will have problems with your body and mind.
Sun is also related to our ego. It represents our physical strength and power. The sun stands for authority and leadership qualities which help us achieve success in life.
Moon is related to our emotions and feelings. A good moon sign brings emotional stability, happiness, and peace of mind. The moon affects how we see things around us. It represents our intellect, and ability to think clearly and make the right decisions in life.
Mars is connected with our stamina and energy levels. It stands for physical strength, power, courage, and action. It also represents our ability to take risks and helps us achieve our goals.
Mercury is related to our ability to communicate with others and learn new things. It stands for understanding, intelligence, and communication skills. Mercury represents how we think and how we get along with other people.
Venus is related to our artistic abilities and appreciation for beauty. It stands for harmony, music, art, dance, and romance. It also represents how we get along with other people.
Saturn is related to our spiritual growth and maturity. It stands for self-control, determination, and discipline. It also represents our sense of duty and loyalty towards others.
Rahu is related to our ambitions and passions. It stands for success, prestige, status, and recognition. Rahu represents how we plan our future and express ourselves.
Ketu is related to our ability to learn from past mistakes. It stands for humility, wisdom, and understanding. It also represents how we gain experience and improve ourselves over time.
Navagraha mantras
The navagrahas are nine planetary deities, also known as grahas, who govern different aspects of human life. By worshipping them with utmost devotion and faith, one can lead a happy and prosperous life. The steps to do so are quite simple.
Sun The sun is worshipped on Mondays. Offerings include yellow flowers, yellow fruits, and yellow clothes. Prayers should be recited facing east.
Moon: Worship the moon on Tuesdays by offering white flowers, white fruits, and white clothes. Prayers should be recited facing west.
Mars: Worship Mars on Wednesdays by offering red flowers, red fruits, and red clothes. Prayers should be recited facing north.
Mercury: Worship Mercury on Thursdays by offering green flowers, green fruits, and green clothes.
1. Surya (Sun) Mantra:
॥ ॐ ह्रां ह्रीं ह्रौं सः सूर्याय नमः ॥ II Aum hraan hreen hron seh Suryay Namah II
2. Chandra (Moon) Mantra:
॥ ॐ श्रां श्रीं श्रौं सः चंद्राय नमः II Aum Shran Shrin Shron seh Chandraye Namah II
3. Mangal (Mars) Mantra:
॥ ॐ क्रां क्रीं क्रौं सः भौमाय नमः ॥ II Aum Kran Krin Kron seh Bhaumaaye Namah II
4. Budh (Mercury) Mantra:
॥ ॐ ब्रां ब्रीं ब्रौं सः बुधाय नमः ॥
II Aum Bran Brin Bron seh Budhaye Namah II
5. Guru (Jupiter) Mantra:
॥ ॐ ग्रां ग्रीं ग्रौं सः गुरूवे नमः ॥ II Aum Kran Krin Kron seh Bhaumaaye Namah II
6. Shukra (Venus) Mantra:
॥ ॐ द्रां द्रीं द्रौं सः शुक्राय नमः ॥ II Aum Dran Drin Dron Seh Shukraye Namah II
7. Shani (Saturn) Mantra:
॥ ॐ प्रां प्रीं प्रौं सः शनैश्चराय नमः ॥ II Aum Pram Prim Pron seh Shanicharaye Namah II
8. Rahu Mantra:
॥ ॐ भ्रां भ्रीं भ्रौं सः राहवे नमः ॥ II Aum Bhran Bhrin Bhron seh Rahve Namah II
9. Ketu Mantra:
॥ ॐ स्रां स्रीं स्रौं सः केतवे नमः ॥ II Aum Sran Srin Sron seh Ketve Namah II
Conclusion
Surya, Chandra, Kuja or Mangal, Budh, Guru, Shukar, shani, Rahu, Ketu are known as Navagrahs. The nine planets are also known as navagrahas. In Jyotish (Hindu astrology), they represent various celestial bodies that influence human life. They are worshipped by Hindus for material prosperity and spiritual well-being.
The navagrahas can be worshipped individually or collectively.
