Navgraha Mantra — Lyrics in Hindi with Meaning

The Navgraha Mantra is a set of nine short salutations — one to each of the nine grahas of Vedic astrology, from the Sun through Saturn and then Rahu and Ketu. Each line is simply a bow, naming the graha and offering respect. It is recited at the Navgraha shrine found in most South Indian temples, before ritual sequences, and by people beginning a period ruled by a particular graha.

मूल पाठ · The text, line by line

Each line carries its meaning in our own words — tap a line to read it.

The nine salutations
ॐ सूर्याय नमः। ॐ चन्द्राय नमः। ॐ मङ्गलाय नमः। ॐ बुधाय नमः। ॐ बृहस्पतये नमः। ॐ शुक्राय नमः। ॐ शनैश्चराय नमः। ॐ राहवे नमः। ॐ केतवे नमः॥
Om Sūryāya Namaḥ · Om Candrāya Namaḥ · Om Maṅgalāya Namaḥ · Om Budhāya Namaḥ · Om Bṛhaspataye Namaḥ · Om Śukrāya Namaḥ · Om Śanaiścarāya Namaḥ · Om Rāhave Namaḥ · Om Ketave Namaḥ.
Nine salutations, in the traditional order. To the Sun; to the Moon; to Mangala, associated with Mars; to Budha, associated with Mercury; to Brihaspati, associated with Jupiter; to Shukra, associated with Venus; to Shanaishchara, the slow-moving one associated with Saturn; to Rahu; and to Ketu. Each line is only a bow — nothing is asked for, and no graha is treated as an enemy.

When this is traditionally recited

At the Navgraha shrine: Most South Indian temples have a Navgraha shrine with the nine set in a fixed arrangement. The mantra is recited while walking around it, commonly nine times.
Before a ritual sequence: The nine are frequently saluted at the start of a longer puja, a housewarming or a wedding sequence, alongside Ganesha.
Days of the week: Each day of the week is associated with one graha, so many people recite the full set daily and give particular attention to the line for that day. Saturdays draw the largest gatherings at Navgraha shrines.
During a dasha or transit period: Beginning a period ruled by a particular graha, or a Saturn transit over the Moon, is a common reason to take up the recitation. It is done as a way of paying attention, not to avert something.

How it is traditionally recited

Count: The set of nine recited nine times is the most common form. A single round is entirely acceptable, and longer counts are undertaken with guidance.
Order: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, Ketu — the standard sequence, and the order in which the nine are arranged at temple shrines.
Circumambulation: At a Navgraha shrine the recitation is usually done while walking around the arrangement rather than seated. At home it is recited seated, facing east.
Regional variation: Longer individual mantras exist for each graha, and some traditions substitute those for the short salutations. Southern practice at the temple shrine is far more elaborate than the North Indian household form. Both are established.
On correctness: Traditional practice describes preferences, not penalties: a recitation offered with attention is considered complete, and there is no traditional teaching that a missed day or a mispronounced word brings harm.

Significance and imagery

Nine identical bows, with nothing asked for in any of them, is a deliberate structure. The mantra does not distinguish between the grahas people are pleased to see in a chart and the ones they are anxious about — Saturn, Rahu and Ketu receive exactly the same words as Jupiter. Read as tradition presents it, that evenness is the teaching.

The word graha means the one that grasps or holds, not planet in the astronomical sense. Rahu and Ketu are the two lunar nodes, points rather than bodies, which is why a list of nine cannot be mapped onto the solar system. The mantra treats the nine as a complete framework of influences that traditional astrology reads together, never in isolation.

Saturn is addressed as Shanaishchara, the slow-moving one — a description of an orbit, and in traditional reading of a way of working: gradually, and with attention to what was left undone. It is a plainer and less fearful name than the reputation that has grown around it.

Key names and epithets

Surya: The Sun. In traditional reading, associated with vitality, the father, and the part of a person that is visible to others.
Chandra: The Moon. Associated with the mind, the mother, and how a person is affected by what happens around them.
Mangala: Literally the auspicious one — the traditional name for Mars, associated with drive and with the courage to act.
Budha: Mercury. Associated with speech, calculation, trade and the ability to hold two things in mind at once.
Brihaspati: Jupiter, the teacher of the gods. Associated with counsel, learning and generosity of judgement.
Shukra: Venus. Associated with art, refinement, comfort and partnership.
Shanaishchara: The slow-moving one — Saturn. Associated with time, labour, structure and consequence, and traditionally with maturity rather than misfortune.
Rahu and Ketu: The two lunar nodes, always opposite each other. Commonly interpreted as reaching outward and letting go, and read as a pair rather than singly.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to know my birth chart to recite this mantra?

No. The mantra salutes all nine grahas equally, so it requires nothing about your own chart and is recited daily by many people who have never had one made. Knowing which period or transit you are in can give the recitation a particular focus, and that is why some take it up at a specific time. But the mantra itself is complete as it stands, and it makes no distinction between one person's chart and another's.

Is this a remedy for a difficult graha in my chart?

Traditional practice includes it among the observances offered during a difficult period, and that is honest to state. What we will not do is present it as removing something from a chart. Astrologers themselves differ on how remedies work and on how much weight to give any single placement, and a single placement is not sufficient to conclude anything about a life. Recitation costs nothing, asks nothing of anyone, and is done for steadiness; anyone charging to remove a planetary problem is selling certainty that the tradition does not offer.

Why are there nine when there are eight planets?

Because graha does not mean planet. The nine are the Sun, the Moon, five visible planets, and Rahu and Ketu — the two points where the Moon's path crosses the Sun's, which are not bodies at all. The list was built from what can be observed moving against the fixed stars and from a mathematical pair that explains eclipses. Comparing it with the modern planetary count treats two different systems as if they were making the same claim.

Which order should the nine be recited in?

Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, Ketu is the standard sequence, and it is the arrangement used at Navgraha shrines. Some traditions recite in the order of the days of the week instead, which produces a different sequence, and both are in use. Keeping to one order makes the recitation easier to hold in memory, which is the practical reason a fixed sequence exists at all.

Meaning in your language

Language

Salutations to the nine grahas — Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu — for balance, harmony and grace.

Benefits / when to read

Chanted for planetary harmony and a balanced, peaceful life.

Suggested day / time

Any time; often recited daily.

Want guidance tailored to your life? Ask the AI Guru for a personal answer.

Related prayers and tools

Disclaimer: This content is shared for devotional and informational purposes with respect for tradition. Meanings and benefits are original short summaries in simple language and are not a guarantee of any outcome. We publish only traditional / public-domain or properly licensed text. If you notice any error in a text, please let us know so we can correct it. Verification status: Mantra · verified.