How to Bend Destiny with the Navagraha Mantras – 7 – Jupiter
This post continues the ongoing series on How to Bend Destiny.
Guru – Planet of Spirituality
Jupiter is one of the most important planets in the solar system. It governs the spirituality and influence of aspirants.
Effects of Jupiter
In Eastern astrology, Jupiter is known as Guru (literally spiritual teacher) and Brihaspati. Brihaspati is the Guru of all the Devas and the son of Rishi Agirasa.
Jupiter governs personal qualities – such as optimism, gravitas, influence and scholastic aptitude, and also their material gains – such as the generation and preservation of wealth.
A person with a well placed Guru in their birth chart will be of a spiritual nature, charitable and generally benevolent with a full understanding of the concept of karma. They will endeavour to lead positive and meaningful lives.
Boost your spiritual drive!
The Vedic prayer to Jupiter is below, followed by the Brihaspati Gayatri.
Vedic prayer to Mercury
Transliteration
“Devaanaam cha Risheenaam cha Gurum kaanchana Sannibham
Buddhibhootam trilokesham tham namaami Brihaspathim“
Meaning
“I pray to the spiritual teacher of the Seers and the Gods who is of a golden colour, the intelligent one and the Lord of the Three Worlds.”
Brihaspati Gayatri
Transliteration
“Om Vrishabadhwajaaya Vidmahae
Kruni Hastaaya Dheemahi
Tanno Guru Prachodayaat“
Meaning
“We know the bull-flagged one,
We meditate on the one who achieves things,
May Jupiter inspire us”
Mantras to Shiva as Dakshinamurthy
The Ruling Deity of Jupiter is Shiva in the form of Dakshinamurthy, the Silent Guru, who appeared to the Sanat Kumaras to impart the wisdom of the universe and dispel their doubts.
Transliteration:
“Om Sri Gurubhyo namaha, Harihi Om
Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnuhu
Guru devo Maheshwaraha
Guru saakshaat Parambrahma
Tasmai Sri Gurave namaha.Gurave sarva lokanaam
Bhishaje Bhavaroginam
Nidhaye sarva vidhyanam
Sri Dakshinamurthaye namahaSri Gurubhyo namaha, Harihi Om”
Semi-literal translation
“Prostrations to the Guru and Hari (Vishnu)
The Guru is Brahma
The Guru is Vishnu
The Guru is Mahesh (Shiva)The Guru is the witness and the Supreme Soul
My prostrations to you, the Guru.Salutations to the God of the Southern direction
The teacher of all planes of existence
Who is the doctor for all diseases
and the store of all knowledgeProstrations to the Guru and Hari (Vishnu)”
Say this sloka daily to obtain the blessings of Brihaspati (as Guru) and Dakshinamurthy.
Coming soon: Part 8 – Venus
Follow me on Twitter: @MantraYogi
Prior parts of the series
Click here for part 1 – Introduction
Click here for part 2 List of Mantras to Planets
Click here for part 3 The Sun + Shiva
Click here for part 4 The Moon + Parvati
Click here for part 5 Mars + Skanda/Hanuman
Click here for part 6 Mercury + Vishnu
How to Bend Destiny with the Navagraha Mantras – 6 – Mercury
This post continues the ongoing series on How to Bend Destiny.
Click here for part 1 – Introduction
Click here for part 2 List of Mantras to Planets
Click here for part 3 The Sun + Shiva
Click here for part 4 The Moon + Parvati
Click here for part 5 Mars + Skanda/Hanuman
Budha- Planet of Mind and Intelligence
Mercury is known as the planet overseeing the intelligence of humans.
Effects of the Moon
In Eastern astrology, Mercury is known as Budha (literally intellect).
Mercury is in charge of a person’s mental reflexes, cunning and communication skills.
In broader terms, Mercury influences your independence or extremism toward a given cause. It also influences enthusiasm and speech.
Boost your energy and power!
The Vedic prayer to Mercury is below, followed by the Budha Gayatri.
Vedic prayer to Mercury
Transliteration
“Priyam Gukaalikashyamam Rupenaam prathimam Budham |
Saumyam Saumya gunor petham tham Budham pranamamyaham ||“
Meaning
“I pray to auspicious Mercury, who’s form is like a dark, black tulip, the son of the Moon who has gentle qualities.”
Budha Gayatri
Transliteration
“Om Gajadhwajaaya vidmahe
Sukha Hastaaya Dheemahi
Tanno Budha Prachodayaat“
Meaning
“We know the warrior-flagged one,
We meditate on the bestower of happiness,
May Mercury inspire us”
Mantras to Vishnu
The Ruling Deity of Mercury is Vishnu, the God of Preservation and one of the hindu trinity.
A simple and powerful mantra to Vishnu is: Om Namo Narayanaya. This is known as the Ashtakshari mantra (8-syllable mantra). Alternatively, one can chant the Narayana Gayatri Mantra (click here to see).
Coming soon: Part 7 – Jupiter
Follow me on Twitter: @MantraYogi
Kandha Sashti 2011: Put theory into practice
Day 6 of Kandha Sashti
Today is the final day of Kandha Sashti, when Skanda succeeded in finally defeating Padmasura, allowing the return of peace across the universe.
Hopefully, you have used the time productively and pro-actively to kick start any new ventures or as a period of intense introspection and meditation to neutralise your own inner ‘demons’.
The Subramanya/Shanmugha Gayatri Mantra
You can continue to worship Skanda even after Kandha Sashti using the following Gayatri Mantra.
Transliteration:
“Om Tat Purushaya vidmahe,
Mahasenaya dhimahi,
Tanno Shanmugha prachodayat”
Semi-literal translation:
“We know that being (man)
We meditate on the Supreme Commander
May the Six-faced one inspire us.”
Benefits:
- Powerful leadership qualities
- Relief from a malefic Mars in horoscope (Mangal dosha)
- Enthusiasm, energy, drive and ambition
- Devotion to Skanda
- Hastens marriage
- Hastens conception of a baby
How to Bend Destiny with the Navagraha Mantras – 5 – Mars
This post continues the ongoing series on How to Bend Destiny.
Click here for part 1 Introduction
Click here for part 2 List of Mantras to Planets
Click here for part 3 The Sun + Shiva
Click here for part 4 The Moon + Parvati
Mars – Planet of War and Activity
Mars is the Red Planet. It has been associated with War, Aggression and Activity since ancient times. Its reputation within the Eastern astrological system is similar.
Mars is the closest planet to the Earth and has significant influence over human activities.
Effects of the Moon
In Eastern astrology, Mars is represented by Angarakan. Mars is also known as Mangal (auspicious), Bauma (the son of the Earth) and Kuja (the burning one).
Mars is closely tied to marriage and relationships. A malefic positioning within the horoscope may significant delay or disrupt marriages. On a personal level, Mars is a factor in the guiding passive/aggressive qualities in a person, their energy levels and offspring.
In broader terms, Mars influences your forcefulness, self-confidence, courage and strength.
Boost your energy and power!
The Vedic prayer to Mars is below, followed by the Mangal Gayatri.
Vedic prayer to Mars
Transliteration
“Dharani garbha Sambootham Vidhyadh Kaanthi Samaprabham
Kumaaram Shakthihastham Cha Mangalam Pranamaamyaham“
Meaning
“I pray to Mangal, born of Dharani, the young man who carries a spear, who shines with the brilliance of lightning.”
Mangal Gayatri
Transliteration
“Om veeradhwajaaya vidmahae
Vighna hastaaya dhimahi
Tanno Bauma prachodayaat”
Meaning
“We know the warrior-flagged one,
We meditate on the obstacle remover,
May the Son of the Earth inspire us”
Mantras to Skanda/Hanuman
The Ruling Deity of Mars is Skanda (Muruga, Karthik etc), the God of War and son of Shiva and Parvati.
Click here to see the Saravanabhava mantra.
Another important deity to suppress the malefic effects of Mars is Hanuman. Why? There is Puranic lore surrounding Hanuman’s defeat of Mangal in battle, but the essence is that Hanuman is such a powerful entity that he is beyond the influence of the planets; such is the greatness of Hanuman!
Click here to see the Hanuman Gayatri and here to see the Bhudir Balam mantra. Alternatively, the Hanuman Chalisa is also a powerful stotra. Click here to read my ongoing series on the Secrets of the Hanuman Chalisa.
Coming soon: Part 6 – Mercury
Follow me on Twitter: @MantraYogi
Vishnu Gayatri Mantra
Transliteration:
“Om NArayanAya Vidhmahe,
VasudEvaya DhImahi
TannO VishnU PrachOdayAth.“
(Semi-literal) Translation:
“We know the Abode of Man,
We meditate on the Son of Vasudeva,
May The All-Pervading One enlighten us”
Purpose:
- Gain respect and authority; leadership and management abilities
- Character and wealth
- A strong sense of right conduct (Dharma) and diplomacy
Worship Vishnu to develop Leadership
Vishnu is the grand Manager of the Universe – the CEO if you will! Worshipping Vishnu through the Gayatri above will help one ‘lead from the front’. First, it will establish a strong intuition of strategy, the correct way of doing things and more fundamentally, a clear cut understanding of what is right and wrong. Second, the improvement of one’s character in this regard will shine for others to see and they will automatically fall in line to your leadership.
One should also worship Vishnu to regain control of one’s life, develop a strong sense of inner direction and improve your diplomacy in dealing with others in a fair and just manner.
Follow me on Twitter: @MantraYogi
The Power of Dreams: Part 1 – The Dream Drive
What motivates us?
What motivates a person? Love/hate, pain/pleasure, future gains and past failures? Perhaps all of the above, but what has always struck me is the incredible power of a persons dreams in motivating change, often within ourselves, and bringing out the greatest personal achievements and deepest changes in society.
The Power of Dreams
Dreams are powerful constructs of the human mind. Psychologists say dreams manifest subconscious longings and desires, help resolve emotional traumas and defeat our internal demons.
No matter how creative the individual in their daily pastimes, untethered from the realities of day to day living, the human mind is capable of establishing incredible visions and fresh priorities well beyond the normal conception of a waking man or woman.
Beyond the mundane, great historical figures have often seen a brighter, more promising and better future. When such noble dreams are unleashed on the world, it steps back and must take notice – such as powerful speech of Dr Martin Luther King in presenting his universal views of equalities and peace between people of all races. In others, such as Mahatma Gandhi, it can enact great social change and sow the seeds toward toppling entire empires.
Returning our lives to the Dreamworld
Whatever the rhyme or reason for our dreams, they are undoubtedly powerful. It is every person’s right to attempt to live our their noble dreams. Oftentimes we struggle to gain traction in our efforts to move toward our dreams. We become stuck in daily routines and a slow grind to make ends meet.
How do we break out of such a rut and recapture the enthusiasm, dynamism and optimism of our youth? It is arguable that Will Power, Creativity, Leadership and Energy are the necessary pre-requisites. This article series will investigate all the above and the mantra yoga necessary to manifest such abilities within oneself.
But it all starts with a vision – a Dream.
The Dream Drive
A powerful method of visualisation that I have had personal success with in this modern, computer-led society is to use the Dream Drive, Dream Folder or Dream Drawer.
The method is simple, yet incredibly effective. In an environment where we spend most of our lives in from of a computer screen, this forms an ideal technique to break out of an unhealthy routine and refocus on what our core needs are.
There is only step: Create a new folder somewhere on your computer drive, desktop, inbox, or in your actual desk draw and fill it with your dreams! I’ll describe in more detail assuming you will be creating a folder on your computer desktop. In essence, you want to:
- Run through a list of every area of your life you want to change, are unsatisfied with, or have specific goals for
- and find a picture, a quote, a file, a newspaper clipping – anything that has deep personal meaning and resonates emotionally
- and place it in the drive.
- An example is: I have always wanted to drive a sports car. I will then find clippings of my favourite cars. Money should be no limitation when choosing your ideals! I’d rip out pages from magazines with adverts, print pictures from the net and take photos of cars that you spot on the street that match your specifications, then place them in the folder.
Why is this so important? Why not just make a list? The point is ultimately to bring your thoughts, your emotions and all of your senses in line with what you want. Choose objects that are important to you that bring out the feelings you’d feel when you think about having that car, or house, or anything else that you are aiming for.
Every day, look through your folder, examining each item in turn. Day by day you will feel a gradual transformation take place in your thought patterns –
- Your subconscious mind will begin to find ways to help you reach your goal
- You will become much more motivated toward reaching the goal
- You will move far beyond what you thought your capabilities were in your efforts to achieve this goal
More than Self Management: Divinise your Goals
Now the steps above should help you form a solid foundation to develop clarity and hunger to improving many aspects of your material life where you feel you are lacking.
What if this is taken to the next level? What if you set goals for the betterment of others, your own spiritual development or charity? You divinise your goal: your ego is sacrificed; your goals take a higher purpose and you attract divine aid. In streams of Vedanta, setting unselfish, higher goals are the milestones on the path to the divine.
In the next few articles we will address the mantras related to the other pre-requisites (Will Power, Creativity, Leadership and Energy) to help you toward achieving your dreams.