Navagraha Stotram

Overview

A hymn saluting the nine celestial bodies (grahas) of Vedic astrology — the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu — traditionally attributed to the sage Vyasa. It opens with a dhyana shloka invoking all nine together, offers one verse of praise to each graha in turn, and closes with a phalashruti describing the benefits of recitation: calmed obstacles, protection from bad dreams, prosperity, health, and relief from afflictions linked to planets, stars, thieves, or fire. It is chanted to seek balance and grace from the planetary forces believed to shape one's circumstances and destiny.

---

Dhyana Shlokam (Invocation)

आदित्याय च सोमाय मङ्गलाय बुधाय च । गुरु शुक्र शनिभ्यश्च राहवे केतवे नमः ॥

Adityaya cha somaya mangalaya budhaya cha, guru shukra shanibhyashcha rahave ketave namah.

Meaning: Salutations to Aditya (Sun), Soma (Moon), Mangala (Mars), Budha (Mercury), Guru (Jupiter), Shukra (Venus), Shani (Saturn), Rahu, and Ketu — the nine invoked together before the individual verses begin.

Verse 1 — Surya (Sun)

जपाकुसुम संकाशं काश्यपेयं महाद्युतिम् । तमोऽरिं सर्व पापघ्नं प्रणतोस्मि दिवाकरम् ॥

Japakusuma sankasham kashyapeyam mahadyutim, tamo'rim sarva papaghnam pranatosmi divakaram.

Meaning: I bow to the Sun — glowing like the hibiscus flower, son of sage Kashyapa, immensely radiant, the enemy of darkness, and destroyer of all sin.

Note: Surya is invoked first as the source of all visible light and life-energy. "Enemy of darkness" casts the Sun as dispeller of ignorance as much as literal night.

Verse 2 — Chandra (Moon)

दधिशङ्ख तुषाराभं क्षीरार्णव समुद्भवम् । नमामि शशिनं सोमं शम्भो-र्मकुट भूषणम् ॥

Dadhishankha tusharabham kshirarnava samudbhavam, namami shashinam somam shambho-rmakuta bhushanam.

Meaning: I salute the Moon — white as curds, a conch shell, or frost, born of the ocean of milk, and the ornament on the crown of Shiva.

Note: The Moon represents the mind (manas) — cool, reflective, and changeable. Its place on Shiva's crown links it to serenity and the taming of restlessness.

Verse 3 — Kuja / Mangala (Mars)

धरणी गर्भ सम्भूतं विद्युत्कान्ति समप्रभम् । कुमारं शक्तिहस्तं तं कुजं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥

Dharani garbha sambhutam vidyutkanti samaprabham, kumaram shaktihastam tam kujam pranamamyaham.

Meaning: I bow to Mars — born from the womb of the Earth, shining like lightning, ever youthful, and holding a spear in hand.

Note: Mars is Earth's own son in this tradition, embodying assertive, fiery energy — courage, drive, and readiness to act.

Verse 4 — Budha (Mercury)

प्रियङ्गु कलिकाश्यामं रूपेणा प्रतिमं बुधम् । सौम्यं सौम्य गुणोपेतं तं बुधं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥

Priyangu kalikashyamam rupena pratimam budham, saumyam saumya gunopetam tam budham pranamamyaham.

Meaning: I bow to Mercury — dark and delicate like a jasmine bud in form, gentle, and endowed with pleasant qualities.

Note: Mercury governs intellect, speech, and communication — hence the emphasis on gentleness and pleasing nature over force.

Verse 5 — Guru / Brihaspati (Jupiter)

देवानां च ऋषीणां च गुरुं काञ्चनसन्निभम् । बुद्धिमन्तं त्रिलोकेशं तं नमामि बृहस्पतिम् ॥

Devanam cha rishinam cha gurum kanchanasannibham, buddhimantam trilokesham tam namami brihaspatim.

Meaning: I salute Brihaspati — teacher of gods and sages, golden in hue, wise, and lord of the three worlds.

Note: Jupiter is the archetypal guru — wisdom, ethics, and expansive good fortune. Gold symbolizes his radiance and the value of the knowledge he imparts.

Verse 6 — Shukra (Venus)

हिमकुन्द मृणालाभं दैत्यानं परमं गुरुम् । सर्वशास्त्र प्रवक्तारं भार्गवं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥

Himakunda mrinalabham daityanam paramam gurum, sarvashastra pravaktaram bhargavam pranamamyaham.

Meaning: I bow to Venus — fair as snow, jasmine, or the lotus stalk, the great preceptor of the demons, and expounder of all scriptures.

Note: Venus governs beauty, refinement, and worldly knowledge — hence "teacher of the demons," representing mastery of material as opposed to purely spiritual affairs.

Verse 7 — Shani (Saturn)

नीलाञ्जन समाभासं रविपुत्रं यमाग्रजम् । छाया मार्ताण्ड सम्भूतं तं नमामि शनैश्चरम् ॥

Nilanjana samabhasam raviputram yamagrajam, chhaya martanda sambhutam tam namami shanaishcharam.

Meaning: I salute Shani — dark as collyrium, son of the Sun, elder brother of Yama, born of Chhaya (Shadow) and Martanda (the Sun).

Note: Saturn is portrayed as slow-moving, stern, and closely tied to Yama, lord of death and discipline — reflecting its role as the planet of hardship, patience, and karmic reckoning.

Verse 8 — Rahu

अर्धकायं महावीरं चन्द्रादित्य विमर्दनम् । सिंहिका गर्भ सम्भूतं तं राहुं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥

Ardhakayam mahaviram chandraditya vimardanam, simhika garbha sambhutam tam rahum pranamamyaham.

Meaning: I bow to Rahu — half-bodied, mighty, the one who eclipses the Moon and Sun, born from the womb of Simhika.

Note: Rahu is the shadow planet linked to eclipses, illusion, and obsession — the "half-body" myth explains why it can swallow the luminaries but never fully consume them.

Verse 9 — Ketu

पलाश पुष्प सङ्काशं तारकाग्रहमस्तकम् । रौद्रं रौद्रात्मकं घोरं तं केतुं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥

Palasha pushpa sankasham tarakagrahamastakam, raudram raudratmakam ghoram tam ketum pranamamyaham.

Meaning: I bow to Ketu — glowing like the palasha flower, head among the stars and planets, fierce and formidable in nature.

Note: Ketu, Rahu's counterpart in the eclipse myth, represents detachment, spiritual upheaval, and sudden, intense change.

Phalashruti (Fruits of Recitation)

इति व्यास मुखोद्गीतं यः पठेत्सु समाहितः । दिवा वा यदि वा रात्रौ विघ्नशान्ति-र्भविष्यति ॥ नरनारी-नृपाणां च भवे-द्दुःस्वप्न-नाशनम् । ऐश्वर्यमतुलं तेषामारोग्यं पुष्टि वर्धनम् ॥ ग्रहनक्षत्रजाः पीडास्तस्कराग्नि समुद्भवाः । तास्सर्वाः प्रशमं यान्ति व्यासो ब्रूते न संशयः ॥ इति व्यास विरचितं नवग्रह स्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ।

Iti vyasa mukhodgitam yah pathetsu samahitah, diva va yadi va ratrau vighnashanti-rbhavishyati. Naranari-nripanam cha bhave-dduhswapna-nashanam, aishvaryamatulam teshamarogyam pushti vardhanam. Grahanakshatrajah pidastaskaragni samudbhavah, tassarvah prashamam yanti vyaso brute na samshayah. Iti vyasa virachitam navagraha stotram sampurnam.

Meaning: Whoever recites this hymn — spoken by Vyasa — with a focused mind, whether by day or night, finds their obstacles pacified. For men, women, or rulers, it destroys bad dreams and brings unmatched prosperity, health, and vitality. Afflictions arising from planets, stars, thieves, or fire are all calmed — so says Vyasa, without doubt. Thus concludes the Navagraha Stotram composed by Vyasa.

Note: The closing verses frame the whole hymn as a protective and stabilizing practice — not to control fate, but to seek grace and steadiness in the face of the nine planetary influences said to shape circumstance.

---

Structure at a glance: invocation (dhyana shlokam) → nine verses, one per graha, in a fixed order (Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, Ketu) → phalashruti (benefits of recitation) and closing attribution to Vyasa.