Navagraha NamaskAra Veda Mantrams : Part I

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Introduction

 

The ParamaikAntis who have performed Prapatti at the sacred feet of Sriman Narayanan will not seek any anya devatais like Nava Grahams to seek redress from samsaric sufferings . For them Navagraha Saanti is obtained by reciting specific slOkams of Sri RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram (SRPS) of Swamy Desikan . The recitation of the 749th slOkam of SRPS with the following sankalpam will result in Navagraha DevatA PrasAdham . The 749th slOkam and its meaning as well as commentaries have been housed at the Sundarasimham web site

(25th ebook, Part 4 and Page 482) :

 

http://www.sundarasimham.org

 

Lord RanganAthA's Paadhukai is Swamy NammAzhwAr , the Supreme most SadhAchAryan . Links ( sambhnadhams) with Him will chase away the Navagraha

dhOshams and confer auspiciousness at all times .

 

Any one seeking relief from inauspiciousness caused by the Nava grahams will recite the 749th SlOkam preceded by the following Sankalpam seeking the anugraham of Lord's Paadhukais:

 

SrI SriranganAyikA SamEta Sri RanganAtha Swamina: anugrahENa mama nava graha dEvatA prasAdha siddhyartham , SrI RanganAtha dhivya MaNi PaadhukA sahasra slOka Mantra Japamaham karishyE

 

The 749th slOkam is recited for 10, 28 or 108 times per day for a MaNDalam or shorter periods .

 

Not every one is a Prapannan and many such seek KaamyArtha Siddhis and freedom from illness or other misfortunes . The ever merciful Vedams house mantrams for addressing Nava Grahams for that purpose ; the navagrahams are really the servants of the Lord .Any power that they have arises from the Lord .

 

Nava Grahams and their worship is very much in the Hindu psyche .Temples for them abound and they are generally found in Siva Temples in Tamil Naadu .Most of them have been built between 7th and 12th centuries . There is an exclusive temple for Nava Grahams at the village of IdaikkAdu , where IdaikkAdu Siddhar lived . This siddhar is said to have established the array of the 9 planets vis a vis each other with Sooryan at the Center .Navagraha sannidhis are not found in VishNu Temples and the legend that Lord Raamachandra worshipped Nava Grahams at Nava PaashANam near ThiruppullANi are not accepted by VaishNavAs . The Nava GrahAs are invited formally to attend BrahmOtdsavams of Sriman NaarAyaNan at His temples with BhERi TaaDanam . They are also recognized

to be present during Lord VenkatEswarA's SuprabhAbhAtam :

 

SuryEndhu Bhouma Budha Vaakpati Kaavya souri

SvarbhAnu kEtu dvishat parishat pradhAnaa:

tvadhAsa dAsa charamAvati dhAsa dhAsA:

SrI VenkatAchalapatE ! Tava SuprabhAtam

 

(Meaning): Lord Of Venkatam Hills ! May this dawn be an auspicous One for You !

The Sun , the son of Sun ( Saneeswaran) , Moon and other big fellows of the sky are actually Your servant's servant's ---servants. They are all here .

 

 

Gayatris for Nava Grahams :

 

Each of them have their own Gayatri mantrams . For instance the one for Sooryan goes this way :

 

Om aSva-dhvajAya VidhmahE

PaSa-hastAya dheemahi

tannO Soorya: PrachOdhayAt

 

The One for Chandran is:

 

Om Padhma dhvajAya vidhmahE

Hema roopAya dheemahi

tannO Soma: prachOdhayAt

 

The One for Saneeswaran is :

 

Om Kaaka dhvajAya vidhmahE

KhaDka hastAya dheemahi

tannO Mandha: prachOdhayAt

 

They have particular vastrams, vaahanams and weapons .

 

The locations of these temples for the nine planets in Tamil Nadu are :

 

1) Sooryan at SooryanAr KOil ( 15 Km from KumbakONam)

 

2) Chandran at TingaLUr ( 3 Km from ThiruvayyARu)

 

3) AngArakan /SevvAy at Vaittheeswaran KOil ( 6 Km from SerkhAzhi)

 

4) Budhan at ThiruveNNkAdu ( 10 Km from Vaittheeswaran Koil ).

 

5) Bruhaspathy/Guru at Aalangudi ( 6 KM from NeedAmangalam)

 

6) Sukran at KanjanUr ( 3 Km from SooryanAr Koil)

 

7) Sani at ThirunaLLARu ( 5 Km from KaraikkAl)

 

8) Raahu at ThirunAgEswaram ( 1 Km from Oppiliappan Koil)

 

9) Ketu at KizhaperupaLLam ( near TarangampAdi).

 

In modern day astrology , Sooryan is Sun ; Chandran is Moon ; AngArakan/SevvAi is Mars; Budhan is Mercury; Guru/ Bruhaspaty is Jupiter; Sukran is Venus; Rahu is snake's head and Ketu is snake's tail . If we leave out Raahu and Ketu , there are 7 grahams and each one is associated with a particular day of the week . For example , Sukran is associated with Friday .

 

Musical Kritis on Navagrahams :

 

Saint ThyagarAja questioned the power of the Nava Grahams ; for him Lord Raamachandran's power is the dominant one over them .Saint Thyagaraja instructed us that the anugraham of Ramachandran is the only strength that matters in warding off all aSubhams and amangaLams . This Kruti is set in moving Revagupti rAgam and was composed by the Saint , who was an authority on JyOthisha sAstram . Saint Thyagaraja was familiar with the AtANaa raaga Krithi of Purandara DhAsa ,who asked about the futility of worshipping the nava grahams compared to the worship of the Lotus eyed Sriman NaarAyaNan : " Sakala graha Bala ninnE SarasijAkshA ? ".

 

Among the Sangeetha TrimUrthys , Sri Mutthu Swamy Dheekshitar and ShyAmA SaastrigaL were also proficient in JyOthisham as a VedAngam. Sri Dheekshitar composed 9 beautiful kritis for the nava grahams . Some believe that the kritis on Raahu and Ketu were composed by some one else and added to the group of nine.

These kritis have a wealth of information about the individual grahams and their worship protocols . Here are the Raagams and TaaLams for the nine grahams allocated by Sri Dheekshitar :

 

1) Soorya MoorthE : Raagam SourAshtram and Chatusra dhruva TaaLam

 

2) Chandram BhajE: AsAvEri Raagam and Cahtusra Madhya TaaLam

 

3) AngArakam aSrayE: Surutti Raagam and Chatusra roopakam

 

4) BhudhamAsrayAmi: Naatakkurinji Raagam and MiSra Jampa

 

5) Sri Sukra Bhagavantam : Paras Raagam and KaNDa aDa TaaLam

 

6) Sani BhagavAn/DiwAkara Dhanujam:Yadhukula KaambhOji & chatusra yEkam

 

7) Raahu: SmarAmyaham sadhaa /RamAmanOhari Raagam & Roopakam

 

8) MahAsuram Ketum: ChAmara Raagam & Roopaka TaaLam

 

The Texts , meanings and recordings ofthese nine kritis are available thru a google search with the words " navagraha+kritis " .

 

Veda Mantrams :

 

Let us now cover the Veda Mantrams for each of the nine Grahams and their ati dEvatai and the pratyati dEvatai for them . Here are the devatai (graham) and their ati and pratyati dEvatais:

 

1) Graham : Sooryan , Ati dEvatai : Agni ; Pratyati dEvatai: Rudhran

 

2) Graham: AngArakan/SevvAi,ati devatai: BhUmi,Pratyati dEvatai:

KshEtrapAlar

 

3) Graham: Sukran , ati dEvatai: IndhrANi and pratyati dEvatai: Indhran

 

4) Graham: Soman/Moon ,ati dEvatai: Jalam and Pratyati dEvatai: Gouri

 

5) Graham: Budhan , ati dEvatai: Trivikraman and Pratyati dEvatai: VishNu

 

6) Graham: Bruhaspati, ati dEavtai: Sooryan and pratyati dEvatai:BudhnyA:

 

7) Graham: Sani , ati dEvatai: Prajapati and pratyati dEvata: Yaman

 

8) Graham: Raahu , Ati dEvatai: Durgai and Pratyati dEvatai: Nirrudhi dhig Paalakan

 

9) Graham: Ketu , Ati dEvatai: BrahmA and Pratyati dEvatai: Chitraguptan

 

adiyEN will provide the meanings of these devatA ,ati devatA and pratyatidevata mantrams and limited comments .

 

 

(To Be continued )

 

DhAsan ,Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan