Navagraha is a ‘cosmic influencer’ on the living beings of mother Bhumidevi (earth). In Hindu Astrology, the Navagraha are some of these major influencers.The term Graha has sometimes been mistranslated as “planet”, as five of the Navagraha (the “nine grahas”) happen to be planets: Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn. The sun, moon, Rahu (north or ascending lunar node) and Ketu (south or descending lunar node) are not “planets”, however, and each of these nine entities are conceived only as chief celestial entities, constituting the Navagraha.
Sun / Surya:
Surya is the chief, the solar deity, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wife Aditi, of Indra, or of Dyaus Pitar (depending by the versions). He has hair and arms of gold. His chariot is pulled by seven horses, which represent the seven chakras. He presides as “Ravi” over “Ravi-war” or Sunday.In Hindu religious literature, Surya is notably mentioned as the visible form of God that one can see every day. Furthermore, Shaivites and Vaishnavas often regard Surya as an aspect of Shiva and Vishnu, respectively. For example, the sun is called Surya Narayana by Vaishnavas. In Shaivite theology, Surya is said to be one of eight forms of Shiva, named the Astamurti.He is said to be of Sattva Guna and represents the Soul, the King, highly placed persons or fathers.
Moon / Chandra :
Chandra (moon) is also known as Soma and identified with the Vedic Lunar deity Soma. He is described as young, beautiful, fair; two-armed and having in his hands a club and a lotus. He rides his chariot (the moon) across the sky every night, pulled by ten white horses or an antelope. He is connected with dew, and as such, is one of the gods of fertility. He is also called Nishadipati (Nisha=night; Adipathi=Lord) and Kshuparaka (one who illuminates the night). He as Soma, presides over Somvarm or Monday. He is of Sattva Guna and represents the Mind, the Queen or Mother.He is married to daughters of Daksha Prajapathi. He has therefore 27 wives, representing twenty seven Nakshatras (constellations). Budha (the planet Mercury) was born to Soma and Taraka.
Mars / Mangala :
Mangala is the god of Mars, the red planet. Mars is also called Angaraka (‘one who is red in colour’) or Bhauma (‘son of Bhumi’) in Sanskrit. He is the god of war and is celibate. He is considered the son of Prithvi or Bhumi, the Earth Goddess. He is the owner of the Aries and Scorpio signs, and a teacher of the occult sciences (Ruchaka Mahapurusha Yoga). He is of Tamas Guna in nature and represents Energetic action, confidence and ego.He is painted red or flame colour, four-armed, carrying a trident, club, lotus and a spear. His Vahana (mount) is a ram. He presides over ‘Mangal-war’ or Tuesday.
Mercury / Budha :
Budha is the god of the planet Mercury and the son of Chandra (the moon) with Tara (Taraka). He is also the god of merchandise and protector of merchants. He is of Rajas Guna and represents Communication.He is represented as being mild, eloquent and of greenish colour. He is represented holding a scimitar, a club and a shield, riding a winged lion in Ramghur temple. In other illustrations , he holds a sceptre and lotus and rides a carpet or an eagle or a chariot drawn by lions..Budha presides over ‘Budh-war’ or Wednesday. In modern Hindi, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi,Kannada and Gujarati, Wednesday is called Budhvara; in Tamil and Malayalam it is Budhan.
Jupiter / Guru / Brihaspati :
Brihaspati is the name of a Vedic deity, personification of piety and religion, the chief offerer of prayers and sacrifices, represented as the Purohita of the gods with whom he intercedes for men. He is the Lord of planet Jupiter. He is of Sattva Guna and represents knowledge and teaching.According to Hindu scriptures, he is the guru of the Devas and the arch-nemesis of Shukracharya, the guru of the Danavas. He is also known Guru, the god of wisdom and eloquence, to whom various works are ascribed, such as the “atheistic” Barhaspatya sutras.He is described of yellow or golden colour and holding a stick, a lotus and his beads. He presides over ‘Guru-war’ or Thursday.
Venus / Shukra:
Shukra, the Sanskrit for “clear, pure” or “brightness, clearness”, is the name the son of Bhrigu and Ushana, and preceptor of the Daityas, and the guru of the Asuras, identified with the planet Venus (Shukracharya). He presides over ‘Shukra-war’ or Friday. He is Rajas in nature and represents wealth, pleasure and reproduction.He is of white complexion, middle-aged and of agreeable countenance. He is described variously mounted, on a camel or a horse or a crocodile. He holds a stick, beads and a lotus and sometimes a bow and arrow. In Astrology, there is a dasha or planetary period known as Shukra Dasha which remains active in a person’s horoscope for 20 years. This dasha is believed to give more wealth, fortune and luxury to one’s living if a person has Shukra positioned well in his horoscope as well as Shukra being an important benefic planet in his/her horoscope.
Saturn / Shani :
Shani is one of the nine primary celestial beings in Hindu astrology (that is, Vedic astrology). Shani is embodied in the planet Saturn. Shani is the Lord of Saturday. He is Tamas in nature and represents learning the hard way, Career and Longevity.The origin of word comes from the following: Shanaye Kramati Sa: i.e. the one who moves slowly. Saturn takes about 30 years to revolve around the Sun, thus it moves slowly compared to other planets, thus the Sanskrit name. Shani is actually a demi-god and is a son of Surya (the Hindu Sun God) and his wife Chhaya. It is said that when he opened his eyes as a baby for the very first time, the sun went into an eclipse, which clearly denotes the impact of Shani on astrological charts (horoscope).He is depicted dark in colour, clothed in black; holding a sword, arrows and two daggers and variously mounted on a black crow or a raven. He is depicted at other times as ugly, old, lame and having long hair, teeth and nails. He presides over ‘Shani-war’ or Saturday.
Lunar ascending node / Rahu:
Rahu is God of the Ascending / North lunar node. Rahu is the head of the demonic snake that swallows the sun or the moon causing eclipses, according to Hindu scriptures. He is depicted in art as a dragon with no body riding a chariot drawn by eight black horses. He is a Tamas Asura who does his best to plunge any area of one’s life he controls into chaos. The rahu kala is considered inauspicious.According to legend, during the Samudra manthan, the asura Rahu drank some of the divine nectar. But before the nectar could pass his throat, Mohini (the female avatar of Vishnu) cut off his head. The head, however, remained immortal and is called Rahu , while the rest of the body became Ketu. It is believed that this immortal head occasionally swallows the sun or the moon, causing eclipses. Then, the sun or moon passes through the opening at the neck, ending the eclipse.
Lunar descending node / Ketu:
Ketu is the Lord of Descending/South lunar node. Ketu is generally referred to as a “shadow” planet. He is considered as Tail of the Demon Snake. It is believed to have a tremendous impact on human lives and also the whole creation. In some special circumstances it helps someone achieve the zenith of fame. He is Tamas in nature and represents supernatural influences.Astronomically, Ketu and Rahu denote the points of intersection of the paths of the Sun and the Moon as they move on the celestial sphere. Therefore, Rahu and Ketu are respectively called the north and the south lunar nodes. The fact that eclipses occur when Sun and Moon are at one of these points gives rise to the story of the swallowing of the Sun and the Moon.
Navagraha Homam Procedure:
1) It starts with the Ganapathi Sthapana followed by the Pooja.
2) In the second step, the priest asks the performer to take the Punyaha Vachanam or the Maha Sankalpam. He/she would be asked for all desires intended by gratifying all the planets and invoking them to bless the performer.
3) Next, the Kalasa Pooja is done. It is also called as the formal Sthapana.
4) After that, the homam is elaborately performed. This includes lengthy chanting or the Japam.
5) Next, the Aavurthi/Aahuti are given into the Hawan Kund.
6) Homam is concluded by offering Poornahuti.
7) Prasad distribution at the conclusion of Homam.
Who Should Perform Navagraha Homam:
Firstly, a person needs to meet an Astrologer. The learned astrologer would then read carefully his/her natal chart. He would attempt to understand the effects of all the planets in his/her Kundli. The outcomes made by calculating planetary positions of the individual’s natal chart would help astrologer in deciding the best time to conduct the Navagraha Homam. Moreover, it is always suggested for individuals with below mentioned problems to perform this homam ones in lifetime:
* Someone whose four or more of planets are not well placed in his/her natal chart.
* Someone whose Rahu (Ascending node) and Ketu (Descending node) are strongly afflicted in his/her natal chart.
* Anyone having the kalathra dosha or the kaal sarpa dosha as these doshas needs to be nullified so as to improve individual’s married life and career.
Navagraha Homam Benefits:
Though performing Navagraha Homam has many benefits, but the most noteworthy are as follows:
1) Making a person’s life favorable.
2) Ensuring a successful career.
3) It is a remedy for those who are craving for a happy married life or are affected by the delay in child’s birth.
4) Benefits to the people facing stuck ups in business and personal life.
5) Satisfying the moving planets that create bad impact on a person’s life.
6) Blocking any unfortunate events that may affect a person in future.
Benefits of the nine planets that can be restored through homam:
# Sun gives good health and affluence
# Moon gives great mind and success
# Mars blesses with prosperity and wealth
# Mercury grants wisdom and wealth
# Jupiter shower bright education and knowledge
# Venus gives knowledge of art and music
# Saturn stands for happiness and Vairagya
# Rahu makes life stronger and helps turning your enemy into friend
# Ketu ensures prosperity, sound health and wealth in the family
When Should a person Perform Navagraha Homam:
Homam can be performed after consulting a learned astrologer. The astrologer will recommend the correct Muhurat time based on the birth chart of an individual. The date and time are defined according to the performer’s nakshatra at any date.
Puja Materials Required for Navagraha Homam:
1) Turmeric powder 1/4 Lb
2) Kumkum 1 Packet
3) Sandalwood Paste/Powder 1 Packet
4) Incense sticks 1 Packet
5) Camphor 1 Packet
6) Flowers 2 Bunches
7) Fruits 12 Bananas and other fruits
8) Betel leaves and nuts 10 each
9) Coconuts – 2 nos
10) Dry Coconuts(Whole) – 2 nos
11) Rice – 500 gms
12) Ghee – 500 gms
13) Kalasa Vastram – 2 Yards of fabric
14) Honey – 1 small bottle
15) Naivedyam Any Sweet Devotees Choice
16) Coins (quarters) – 25
Navadhanya in English, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada:
English: Wheat, Rice,Thoor Dal, Moong Dal, Chana Dal, Rajma (White), Sesame
Kannada: Godi, Akki, Thogari Bele, Hesaru Bele, Kaddale, Avara Bele, Yellu, Uddin Bele, Hurli.
Telugu: Godumulu, Beeyamu, Kandi Pappu, Pesaru Pappu, Senagalu, Chikudu Pappu, Nuvullu, Nalla Minumulu, Ullavalu.
Tamil: Goduma, Arisi, thuvarai, Pasi Paruppu, Kondai Kadalai, Mochha Kottai, Yellu, Ulutham paruppu, Kollu.
Navagaraha vastrams (Each 1 Yard):
Red cloth 2
White cloth 2
Yellow cloth 1
Green cloth 1
Blue cloth 1
Black cloth 1
Printed Fabric 1
Other Materials from Home:
Deepam (Lamps)
Oil, Match box, Cotton Wicks
Kalasam 1
Panchapatra and Uddhrini
Two small trays
Two big trays
Five small cups
Asirvada New Dresses
Aluminum Foil 1 Roll
Old Newspapers 2
Paper Plates,Towels