How to Bend Destiny with the Navagraha Mantras – 6 – Mercury
Mercury symbolises the power of a sharp intellect, communication and language
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
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Kandha Sashti 2011: Put theory into practice
Energise yourself by praying to Skanda on the final day of Kandha Sashti 2011!
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
Kandha Sashti 2011: The 6 Boons of Lord Skanda
Let the Vel protect and guide you! Start your Sashti Sadhana today!
Day 3 of Kandha Sashti
In the prior posts, mantras and potential sadhanas were presented to the reader.
But what are the benefits and attributes of praying to Lord Skanda over the Kandha Sashti period?
There are 6 main boons provided by Skanda:
1. Wisdom and Intelligence. The young Skanda is said to have initiated his own father Shiva into the secrets of the Pranava mantra – Om! You can be blessed with such spiritual wisdom and intelligence when praying to Him.
2. Powers of Attraction. Along with Sri Krishna, Skanda is known as an extremely attractive and charismatic God to His devotees. Praying to him as the all attracting one will allow one to gain the blessings of a magnetic personality.
3. Courage and strength. Skanda is known as the God of War – a fierce warrior ready to do battles against the demons within and without. Pray to Him for courage in your day to day life and help in making big bold decisions.
4. Peace. Peace is a scarce commodity in these days and times. Allow yourself to become a channel of Skanda’s peace.
5. Self-control. One cannot lead without setting an example to your co-workers and subordinates. Master yourself and gain discipline by praying to Skanda for help.
6. Moksha. Skanda is known as a deity with the full authority of Heaven to deliver aspirants to Moksha (release from birth and death). The true spiritual aspirant will have this as the ultimate goal and sole purpose of their prayers.
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Kandha Sashti 2011: Set Up Your Sadhana!
Let the Vel protect and guide you! Start your Sashti Sadhana today!
Day 1 of Kandha Sashti
There are many ways to benefit from Skanda’s grace during Kandha Sashti, including fasting and japa.
Japa is the focus of this blog. In starting a coherent plan of action for Kandha Sashti, two paths are suggested (which are in reality not mutually exclusive).
1. Recite the Kandha Sashti Kavach 36x per day for 6 days. A lighter version of this sadhana is to recite it 6 times per day, totalling 36x by Sashti.
2. Chant malas of Om Saravanabhavaya Namaha. Attempt at Laghu Anusthan – ie 27,000 counts. This is equivalent to 4,500 times per day or about 42 malas.
There are many meditations on Skanda
One take time over Kandha Sashti to meditate on the various attributes of Skanda – the contrasting themes of his extreme benevolence to devotees and playful nature relative to his reputation as the God of War and master strategist.
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How to Bend Destiny with the Navagraha Mantras – 5 – Mars
Pray to Mars for energy, power and a swift marriage!
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
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Kandha Sashti 2011: The Time for Action is Now!
Access the powerful deity Skanda for marriage, action and wishfulment over Kanda Sashti 2011!
Kandha Sashti is around the corner
Kandha Sashti is an festival of incredible power, commemorating Skanda’s battle with and destruction of the demon Sura Padman. It runs from October 27 to November 01.
Focused activity through this period is very fruitful; particularly when one is attempting to calm a malevolent Mars in a horoscope, attempting to speed up their search for a life partner or building their pro-active leadership attributes.
Access unlimited power through Skanda!
Skanda was born from the third eye of Shiva. He is therefore a deity of fiery passion and activity. Skanda carries the Vel, a weapon given to him by his mother Parvati. The Vel symbolises unlimited power – both in terms of creation and destruction.
Skanda is an all-encompassing deity and all benefits can be received from Him; just ask! Wish-fulfilment of noble wants and needs can be achieved over this period.
Mantras for Kandha Sashti
The absolute essential practice over this period to gain real benefits is reciting or listening to the Kandha Sashti Kavach, a powerful stotra to Skanda. It is said that one who recites the stotra 36x daily will be invincible.
The power of a bhakta of Skanda is particularly visible in the workplace as they dominate and lead from the front.
Click hear to listen to the stotra.
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How to Bend Destiny with the Navagraha Mantras – 2
Take control of your Destiny!
This post continues from the introduction – click here to read it.
The mantras
Below are the Vedic mantras for each of the Navagrahas (9 planets). Subsequent posts will go through each of the planets in turn and provide information on the attributes and specific Gayatri mantras of each.
A word of caution:
Generally, it is unwise to pray to specific planets to strengthen their influence in your horoscope without knowing the repercussions. In certain situations, it may even be beneficial that they remain weak.
I encourage any interested party to contact a reputable astrologer to get an idea of where you may need help.
Remember: The specific advice given to any one person is rarely appropriate for anyone else to follow and there are very few general conditions under which everyone should to pray directly to a planet.
However, there is a far safer method of gaining positive planetary influence on your life – pray to their controlling deity. We will cover these in the posts to come.
Surya – Sun
Japakusuma Samkaasham Kashyapeyam Mahadhyuthim
Tamorim Sarva Paapagnam Pranathosmi Divakaram
Chandra – Moon
Dadhishamkha tusharaabham ksheero daarnava sambhavam
Namami Shashinam Somam Shambor Mukuta Bhooshanam
Mangal/Bauma/Angaraka/Kuja – Mars
Dharaneegarbha Sambootham Vidhyadh Kaanthi Samaprabham
Kumaaram Shakthihastham Cha Mangalam Pranamaamyaham
Budha – Mercury
Priyam Gukaalikashyamam Rupenaam prathimam Budham
Saumyam Saumya gunor petham tham Budham pranamaamyaham
Brihaspathi/Guru – Jupiter
Devaanaam cha Hrisheenaam cha Gurum kaanchana Sannibham
Buddhibhootam trilokesham tham namaami Brihaspathim
Shukra – Venus
Himakundha Mrinaalabham Daithyaanam Paramam gurum
Sarvashaastra pravatkaaram Bhaargavam pranamaamyaham
Sani – Saturn
Neelaamjana Samaabhaasam Raviputram Yamagrajam
Chchaaya maarthanda samboothm tham namaami Shanishwaram
Rahu – Solar Node
Ardhakaayam mahaveeryam chandradithya vimardhanam
Sinhigaagarbha sambootham tham raahum pranamamyaham
Ketu – Lunar Node
Palashapushpa sankasham taaragagraha masthakam
Raudram raudrathmakamkhoram tham kethum pranamamhyaham
In the next post, we will look at the attributes and mantras to Surya.
Coming Soon: Part 3
How to Bend Destiny with the Navagraha Mantras – 1
Take control of your Destiny!
The 9 powerful forces in astrology
If you believe in and follow Hindu astrology, the Navagrahas (9 ‘planets’ or celestial bodies) are the primary rulers of your pre-destiny. They are the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Rahu and Ketu).
As a quick word of explanation – the concept of Rahu and Ketu is the stuff of many textbooks in astrology, but in a nutshell, they are nodes of the Sun and Moons’ respective orbits. In mythology, they are respectively considered the head and body of a demon named Rahu, who by his guile ended up consuming the nectar of immortality along with the rest of the Devas.
The essence of Eastern astrology is that the celestial bodies’ positioning at the exact moment of your birth (as arranged on your birth chart) reflect your karma or pre-destiny for this lifetime.
There is Destiny but also free will!
You need not despair that our lives are purely at the mercy of destiny; there is also free will!
You may think this is a strange dichotomy, but once explained, the concept makes perfect sense: the actions of your past lives (karma) drives your pre-destiny – ie the big events and turning points in your life which will inevitably occur; but your RESPONSE to these events is entirely under your own control, and therein lies your free will. Of course events may be structured so they leave you little choice – but there always is one.
The Window when the Door has closed
There is a saying: “When God closes a door, he also opens a window”. This means that although some difficult events in your life must come to pass, there is usually a silver lining (eg character development through hardship) – or way out of it with some sacrifice (eg sacrifice your dignity, but save your life). This may sound very theoretical, but examples will be given going forward.
So how can mantra yoga help??
Cutting to the chase, there are two ways to try and bend the arrow of fate with mantra yoga.
- The first, is to dissolve your bad karma through good deeds and prayer.
- The second is to pray directly to the planets for their favour in future events.
This series will look at each of the planets in turn and highlight the benefits of prayer to them, powerful relevant mantras and auspicious timings.
Hanuman Gayatri Mantra
Hanuman is the supreme example of the perfect Bhakta (devotee).
Transliteration:
“Om AanjanEyAya vid-mahE,
Vaayu-putraaya dheemahi,
Tanno hanumath prachodayaat”
(Semi-literal) Translation:
We know the son of Goddess Anjani
We meditate on the son of the “Wind”
May Lord Hanuman enlighten us.
Purpose:
- Success in difficult endeavours
- Improves your bhakti (devotion)
- Increases your courage and bravery in the face of adversity
- Curbs the malefic effects of Mars (Angarak/Bauma)
- Curbs the malefic effects of Saturn (Shani) – this is an extremely popular reason for worshipping Hanuman
- Negates the effects of black magic
A powerful force against Black Magic
Hanuman is an excellent deity to worship for all for daily protection, character development, inner strength, bhakti and spirutual advancement. A true Bhakta of Rama, he is the embodiment of the devotee striving toward all of physical, mental and spiritual perfection.
He is also known to be the saviour of those experiencing the negative astrological effects – particularly from a malign Saturn and Mars – and of black magic.
It is said that the worship of Hanuman will gain one access to the ashta siddhis.
The Original Mantra: the Pranava - OM
Swami Mantra Yogi 