Subject: [world-vedic] Planetary Mantras
Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 11:13:23 -0000
From: "deandddd"<0108@terra.com.br>
Reply-To: vediculture@yahoogroups.com
To: vediculture@yahoogroups.com

List Members,

The planetary mantras are listed in Astro Vedica, along with a little 
philosophy:

"In the 84th chapter of The Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra however, 
Parashara Rishi does prescribe worship of the planetary deities, 
prayer and charity to brahmins (priests) as remedial measures. He does 
explain that the creator (Brahma) instructed the presiding planetary 
deities to "do good unto those that worship you;" Parashara did not 
prescribe gems. In India, it is possible to take advantage of the 
navagraha puja (worship of the nine planets) in the appropriate 
temples. In the West, this is difficult. It is also becoming difficult 
to find a brahmin worthy of charity in modern days.

The following are different planetary mantras, which are prayers, 
along with the number of times they are to be chanted. The person 
should begin chanting the mantra during the bright half of the Moon on 
the day represented by the planet. For example, the Moon mantra should 
be begun on Monday. The mantras are chanted on japa beads of 108 beads 
per string. They are similar to rosaries.

Sun Mantra- to be chanted 7,000 times:

Japa kusuma-sankarsham kashyapeyam maha-dyutim
tamo-rim sarva-papa-ghnam pranato 'smi divakaram

"Let us chant the glories of the Sun God, whose beauty rivals that of 
a flower. I bow down to him, the greatly effulgent son of Kashyapa, 
who is the enemy of darkness and destroyer of all sins."

Moon mantra- to be chanted 11,000 times:

Dahhi-shankha-tusharabham kshirodarnava-sambhavam
namami shashinam soman sambhor mukta-bhushanam

"I offer my obeisances to the Moon god, whose complexion resembles 
white cheese, the whiteness of conchshells, and snow. He is the ruling 
deity of the soma-rasa born from the ocean of milk, and he serves on 
the ornament on the top of the head of Lord Shambhu."

The Mars mantra: to be chanted 10,000 times:

Dharani-garbha-sambhutam vidyut kanti-samaprabha
Kumaram shakti-hastam ca mangalam pranamamy aham

"I offer my obeisances to Shree Mangala, the god of the planet Mars, 
who was born from the womb of the earth goddess. His brilliant 
effulgence is like that of lightning, and he appears as a youth 
carrying a spear in his hand."

Mercury mantra- to be chanted 4,000 times:

Priyangava-gulikashyam rupena pratimambudam
saumyam saumya-gunopetam tani pranamamy aham

"I bow down to Buddha, god of the planet Mercury, whose face is like a 
fragrant globe of the priyangu herb and whose beauty matches that of a 
lotus flower. He is most gentle, possessing all attractive qualities."

Jupiter mantra- to be chanted 19,000 times:

Devanam ca rishinam gurun kańchana-sannibhham
buddhi-bhutam tri-lokesham tam namami brihaspatim

"I bow down to Brihaspati, god of the planet Jupiter. He is the 
spiritual master of all the demigods and sages. His complexion is 
golden, and he is full of intelligence. He is the controlling lord of 
all three worlds."

Venus mantra- to be chanted 16,000 times:

Hima-kunda-mrinalabham daityanam paramam gurum
sarva-shastra-pravaktaram bhargavam pranamamy aham

"I offer my obeisances to the descendent of Bhrigu Muni (i.e. Venus), 
whose complexion is white like a pond covered with ice. He is the 
supreme spiritual master of the demoniac enemies of the demigods, and 
has spoken to them all the revealed scriptures."

Saturn mantra- to be chanted 23,000 times:

Nilańjana-samabhasam ravi-putram yamagrajam
chaya-martanda-sambhutam tam namami shanaishcharam

"I bow down to slow-moving Saturn, whose complexion is dark blue like 
nilanjana ointment. The elder brother of Lord Yamaraj, he is born from 
the Sun god and his wife Chaya."

Rahu mantra- to be chanted 18,000 times:

Ardha-kayam mahim-viryam chandraditya-vimardanam
simhika-garbha-sambhutam tam rahum pranamamy aham

"I offer my obeisances to Rahu, born from the womb of Simhika, who has 
only half a body yet possesses great power, being able to subdue the 
Sun and the Moon."

Ketu mantra- to be chanted 17,000 times:

Palasa-puspa-sankasam taraka-graha-mastakam
raudram raudratmakam ghoram tam ketum pranamamy aham

"I offer my obeisances to the violent and fearsome Ketu, who is 
endowed with the potency of Lord Shiva. Resembling in his complexion 
the flower of a palasa plant, he serves as the head of the stars and 
planets."

Vishnu Sahasra Nama, the thousand names of Vishnu, are also prescribed 
as a remedial measure. In the present era of Kali, however, a more 
abbreviated form of the thousand names of Vishnu is recommended. (The 
Vedic literature divides time by cycles of four eras, the present one 
being the age of Kali, quarrel and hypocrisy). In the Brihat Naradiya 
Purana, there is a text which goes as follows:

Harer Nama, Harer Nama, Harer Nama eva kevalam
Kalau nastyeva, nastyeva, nastyeva, gatir anyata

"Chant Hare Krishna, chant Hare Krishna, chant Hare Krishna, it is the 
only way, the only way, the only way for self realisation in the age 
of Kali."

When the reader reaches this point, he more than minimises 
astrological indications. In addition, he reaches the culmination of 
Vedic astrology and, indeed, the culmination of all the Vedic 
literature. In the fifteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Shree 
Krishna claims: Vedaish ca sarvair aham eva vedyo: "By all the Vedas, 
I am to be known."

In the very beginning of Parashara's Hora Shastra, the sage explains 
that the different planetary deities are but direct expansions of 
Vishnu. This is probably what Shree Krishna is referring to in the 
ninth chapter of Bhagavad Gita, twenty-third text, wherein He 
explains:

ye ' py anya-devata-bhakta
yajante shraddhayanvitah
te pi mam eva kaunteya
yajanty avidhi-purvakam

"Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith 
actually worship only me, Oh son of Kunti, but they do so in a wrong 
way."

So if we are going to adopt prayer as a remedial measure, instead of 
praying to the planetary deities, why not pray to Vishnu or Krishna 
himself, the "Adi Purusha," (Brahma Samhita) the original person? This 
same idea comes out in other parts of the Vedic literature. For 
example, in the ninth canto of the Bhagavat Purana, in the narration 
of Shree Krishna's pastime of lifting Govardhan Hill - At that time, 
Shree Krishna explained to his earthly father that instead of 
worshiping the demigod Indra, the same paraphernalia could be used to 
worship Him directly.

Here is another confirmation from the second chapter, text 51, of the 
Bhagavad Gita:

karma-jam buddhi-yukta hi
phalam tyaktva manishina
janma-bandha-vinirmukta
padam gaccanty anamayam

"By thus engaging in devotional service to the Lord, great sages or 
devotees free themselves from the results of karma in the material 
world. In this way they become free from the cycle of birth and death 
and attain the state beyond all miseries."

There are no claims made about the ability of any demigods or 
planetary deities being able to alleviate karmic reactions on this 
level."

Astro Vedica: http://www.hiddenmysteries.com/delucia/

Be supportive and pick it up!

Dharma/Dean