~~OM~~

Navagraha Puja in Cosmic Puja

1. Where do the Navagraha mantras in the Cosmic Puja book come from?

   The Navagraha mantras came from Purohit Darpan in Sanskrit.

Number of malas recommended for each planet

2. I am very curious about the specific numbers of malas recommended for each of the planets. Is there some special aspect to the specific number of malas? And why, if you are doing the recitation at the Fire, do you need fewer malas?

   These are mathematical formulas that have come from scripture. The standard formula is 100,000 per syllable, but then there are deviations according to special circumstances as per the scripture. The fire is so intense and has the capacity to captivate our attention in such a way so as to exclude other thoughts. Therefore, the fire offerings are generally 10% of the amount of japa.

Listening to Navagraha Mantras

3. My husband and I have been listening to the Navagraha CD each day (as a meditation) and I wanted to know of the appropriateness of this practice and can this be a long term practice.

   Absolutely, it is a wonderful practice to let Shree Maa chant the mantras with you. Listen to the mantras inside, as she recites aloud. All our love and blessings.

Hand Positions when chanting malas for different planets

4. When chanting the mantras for the nine planets how do the three specific hand positions (mudras) conduct energy differently? Also it looks as though the mala is being worked with middle finger(which i have heard represents anger). Is that acceptable?

   When your hands are up, they are ready to receive. When your hands are down, they are ready to give. At the side position, we are satisfied with the current circumstance.

   Except in grade school I never knew of anger as being an attribute of the middle finger. The middle finger is the mound of Brihaspati, which is the conveyor of knowledge, and I know of no prohibition to use that finger in counting mantras. As many as there are sadhus, so many are the ways, but this is not an issue in scripture.

5. I wonder if Swamiji could tell me what the purpose of holding the mala in the different positions . Is it something that could be applied to other mantras, like Gayatri, Kali, Siva, Chandi, etc?

   The different mudras conduct different energies. These are specified by scripture for these mantras specifically. Therefore, I would not recommend using this system for other mantras without a reference.

Rahu and Ketu

6. Why are the North and South Nodes of the Moon (Rahu and Ketu) important?

   When Rahu tried to drink the nectar of immortality served by Mohini, Vishnu severed his head by means of his discus. Rahu became the head and Ketu became the body. They moved in opposite directions, Rahu to the North and Ketu to the South, and became fixed at the two poles. Each has a power of attraction. Together they pull us in opposite directions, thus creating conflict and confusion in the minds of aspiring sadhus.

   Even though they were not divine ones, they drank the nectar of immortality and they have the strength of the Gods. So we propitiate them as we do all the divine beings of strength in order to make them beneficent.

7. Can you please let us know which days of the week are auspicious/designated for Rahu and Ketu?

   Rahu and Ketu can be worshipped on any day.

Earth and Navagrahas

8. Why is the Earth not a part of the Navagrahas?

   The Navagraha are the forces which influence the Earth. Therefore, She is a deity in Her own right, distinguished from the others.

Need for separate malas for each planet

9. When doing japa of the mantras for the nine planets, do we need a separate mala for each planet?

   We place the emphasis on devotion, not on things. It has been my personal experience that when I learned the mantra, all the things I needed magically appeared. Therefore, spend your time doing the practices instead of searching for the "proper" things with which to do the practices. I saw a lot of sadhus wandering in the bazaars, who never had sufficient time to do their practices because they were so busy looking for things.

Shani Puja

10. Is there ever a reason to worship Shani (Saturn) directly, especially via a full puja?

    Yes, often. Shani not only restricts, he also maintains discipline. Many people who are lacking discipline can pray to Shani for the removal of the obstacles.

Astrology's role in determining life path and sadhana

11. How does one use astrology/charts to determine life path / sadhana?

    Watch and hear Swamiji's answer by clicking on this icon: .