Navagraha Yagna: Significance, Procedure & Benefits

To overcome the malefic effects of planets, that can cause trouble in marriage, health, finances, etc., you can perform the Navagraha Yagna. Read this article to learn the benefits of this yagna, how it is performed & the science behind it.

Navagraha Yagna is a potent ritual which is performed to appease the nine planets of the Solar System. It is performed to gratify the planets which influence us with their gravitational and magnetic force, thereby affecting our fortunes, misfortunes and sense of contentment. The term ‘navagraha’ stands for the nine celestial bodies, namely Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and the two shadowy planets - Rahu and Ketu.

Who should perform Navagraha Yagna?

You can consult an astrologer to learn if you need to perform a Navagraha Yagna. The astrologer would be able to tell you this by studying your horoscope. Also, the astrologer can calculate the outcomes due to planetary positions in your natal (birth) chart to decide the best time for you to conduct the Navagraha Yagna. The general practice is that people perform this yagna in a combination with many other yagnas or poojas like Ganapati Pooja, Vastu Yagna, etc.

People perform this yagna under the following circumstances:

When four or more planets are not well placed in the natal chart.
If Rahu (Ascending node) and Ketu (Descending node) are strongly afflicted in the natal chart.
Anyone whose Kalathra Dosha (causing marital problems) and Kaal Sarp Dosha (causes challenges and struggles in life) need to be nullified so as to improve one’s married and professional life.
Someone who is under the influence of Sade Sati and other malefic effects of Saturn.
Someone under the influence of Pitru Dosha, Amavasya Dosha, Nadi Dosha, Putra Dosha, Kemdrum Dosha, Paap Kartari Dosha, Guru Chandal Dosha and other various doshas (a condition that causes problems in one’s life).

What are the benefits of Navagraha Yagna?

To list a few benefits:

Produces favorable effects in a person’s life.
Helps one find a companion for marriage.
Removes obstacles and hindrances in business and professional life.
Helps overcome delay in progeny, complications in conception.
Blocks any unfortunate event that is affecting one’s life.
Sun brings you good health & relationship with father, fame, respect, and government job.
Moon gives you prosperity, mental peace, success, & a good relationship with your mother.
Mars blesses you with vitality, health and prosperity.
Mercury grants you intellectual knowledge, success in career & business, commercial success, relief from nervous problems.
Jupiter gives you wisdom, facilitates expansion of business, progeny & marriage.
Venus ensures you enjoy all materialistic benefits, like luxury, in life.
Saturn gives you determination as well as ‘vairagya’ (detachment), mental peace, health, happiness, and prosperity.
Rahu brings you opportunities in all areas and turns your enemy into a friend.
Ketu ensures prosperity and sound health, reduces accidental death.

Science behind Navagraha Yagna

Every object, especially if it’s a large object like a planet or star, emits its own reverberation. If we don’t have an established way of being, many objects can influence us. We are also part of a planet (Earth). Planets are inanimate objects but have consciousness which affects the human consciousness through gravitational pull in the solar system. It is like how during New Moon and Full Moon there are influences on our mind and on the water and liquid present on earth - which can be seen through the effects.

Astrology isn’t science; it’s more than science. It’s a popular way to understand Self and the Universe. Astrologers claim that the positions of celestial objects affect us. If so, how? Thousands of years ago, when these planets were regarded as gods, it may have sufficed to simply say magic or divine action. But now we have science, we have instrumentation, we have the ability to learn all about the universe, so if there is something happening, we should be able to deduct, measure and categorize it. So how can we deduce, measure and categorize the influence that planets and stars exert on the earth and the people on it?

There are 4 fundamental forces: the strong and weak nuclear forces, electromagnetism and gravity. The nuclear forces operate on the dimensions of an atomic nucleus, so those are out for sure. Electromagnetism and gravity, on the other hand, have no limit in terms of distance. We understand these two forces very well, we have equations that allow us to calculate the magnitude of the electromagnetic force or gravitational force between two objects. For instance, strong acid burns your skin because the electromagnetic fields in the acid pull strongly enough on your skin molecules that they rip apart. A falling rock can crush you because of the gravitational pull. A nuclear bomb will vaporize you because of nuclear forces. Each of these forces is very strong and affects us.

Planets have an impact, like we do. Our body is 70% water, so our mind, water and planets are all intimately connected. The microcosm and macrocosm are connected. For instance, the Moon affects our mind and a few people get so affected during Full Moon and New Moon that others perceive them as lunatics! When we perform the Navagraha Yagna, we are basically aligning our reverberation with the planetary positions to bless us with good fortune and wellness. The mantras and the materials used in the Yagna for each planet aligns our vibration with the planets. The properties of each Navagraha are listed below:

Moon: The planet of Emotions
Sun: The planet of Life and Self
Mercury: The planet of Mind
Venus: The planet of Beauty
Mars: The planet of Action
Jupiter: The planet of Expansion
Saturn: The planet of Structure
Rahu: The planet of Revolution
Ketu: The planet of Rebirth

Focal point of each planet in Navagraha Yagna

Navagraha (the nine celestial bodies) is a cosmic influencer, affecting our lives in the following manner:

Sun (Surya): The Sun is the chief, the solar deity, one of the Adityas. When Sun is inauspicious in your horoscope, during its transit, dasha sequence, Ashtakvarga, etc., you can lose fame, face health problems (heart problems; acidity; orthopedic issues; eye diseases; brain, thalamus and head related issues), thefts, quarrel with seniors, death of father, and other unfortunate things. These problems can be mitigated or resolved through Navagraha Yagna, the rituals and the chanting of Mantra.
Moon (Chandra): When the Moon is inauspicious in your horoscope, during its transit, dasha sequence, Ashtakvarga, etc., you can lose fame; go through mental problems (tension, depression, wavering mind); suffer from headache, epilepsy, TB, lung and breathing issues like asthma; face menstrual issues, pituitary gland related issues, death of mother, addiction, relationship problems, etc. You can overcome your bad period and obstacles by performing the Navagraha Yagna.
Mars (Mangal): When Mars is inauspicious in your horoscope, during its transit, dasha sequence, Ashtakvarga, etc., you can lose fame, face health problems (surgeries, acidity, blood pressure issues, cancer), accidents, fear of fire, reduced will power, thefts, quarrels and fights, sibling rivalry, death of brother, attraction towards opposite sex and extra marital affairs, legal issues, etc., which can be overcome by performing Navagraha Yagna.
Mercury (Budh): When Mercury is not placed well in your horoscope, during its transit, dasha sequence, Ashtakvarga, etc., you will face the illusion of intelligence, health problems (skin disease, decreased digestion and nervous system issues), communication issues, business issues, fail in education, chances of gambling, bank liabilities, attraction towards illegal relationships, death of a friend, memory loss, etc. which you can overcome through a Navagraha Yagna.
Guru (Jupiter): When Jupiter is not favourable in your horoscope, during its transit, dasha sequence, Ashtakvarga, etc., you will face difficulty in intelligence, miss opportunities, face poverty, experience a decrease in position, obesity, diabetes, overeating, liver issues, cancer, financial problems, will be unable to conceive, unable to concentrate, fail in education, experience the death of your guru or teacher, face marital issues, etc. which can be resolved by performing a Navagraha Yagna.
Venus (Shukra): If Venus is not well placed in your horoscope, during its transit, dasha sequence, Ashtakvarga, etc., you will lose happiness and enjoyment in life, experience break-up in relationship, face heartaches, financial loses, poverty, sexual problems, urinary issues, diabetes, no charm or goal in life, government and court cases, disharmony in marital life, death of spouse or lover, etc. You can overcome these by performing Navagraha Yagna.
Saturn (Shani): When Shani is not well placed in your horoscope, during Sade Sati, Ashtak or Kantak Shani, its transit, dasha sequence, Ashtakvarga, etc., you will lose happiness; experience disharmony in partnership; face sorrow, depression, fear, loneliness, big loss in business, sudden mishappenings, wandering and running away from family; face health problems (joint issues, piles, genital issues, fracture, chances of becoming lame, diabetes); workers / labourers / servants / maid issues; quarrel with police, government; unnecessary fights; court issues; get cheated by others; debts; addiction; gambling; etc. This deity is supposedly the most cruel and dangerous as he is the ‘karmadhipati’ who takes care of our karmic records. A Navagraha Yagna to appease this deity will mitigate the hardships and help in resolving the problems.
Rahu (Dragon Head): When Rahu is not well placed in your horoscope, during its transit, dasha sequence, Ashtakvarga, etc., you will lose happiness, face unknown difficulties in life and fear will overpower you. You will become cruel natured, go through loss in business, face accidents, head injury, surgery, wandering without any goal, addictions, speculation and gambling, bad company, acidity, indecisive decisions, finance problems, unknown enemies, hallucination and dreams about snakes, cheat others, death of grandparents, negative thinking, etc. You can overcome your difficult period and obstacles through a Navagraha Yagna.
Ketu (Dragon Tail): When Ketu is not well placed in your horoscope, during its transit, dasha sequence, Ashtakvarga, etc., you will lose happiness, become dishonorable, angry - this can go to the extent of being eccentric, face difficulty in life, loneliness, loss in business, health problems (chances of surgery, diabetes, tension), sadness, loss of hope, illusion and hallucination, fear of water/dogs/snakes, unknown and undiagnosed diseases, loss of wealth, theft, death of family member, etc. These can be resolved by performing Navagraha Yagna.

Lesser-known Truth about the Navagraha

All the nine celestial bodies got their identity and position as planets (Graha) and planetary deities (Deva) through sincere penance (‘tapasya’) of Lord Shiva, whereby they received ‘Graha’ and ‘Deva Pad’ as a boon.

We have listed below the planets and the form in which Lord Shiva is worshipped to manifest wishes through mantras (Sanskrit verses) during the Navagraha Yagna.

Sun: Om Keshawadityeshwar (Lord Surya Dev worshipped Lord Shiva in this form).
Moon: Om Someshwar (Lord Chandra Dev worshipped Lord Shiva in this form).
Mars: Om Angarakeshwar (Lord Mangal worshipped Lord Shiva in this form).
Mercury: Om Budheshwar (Lord Budh worshipped Lord Shiva in this form).
Jupiter: Om Brihaspateshwar (Lord Brihaspati worshipped Lord Shiva in this form).
Venus: Om Shukreshwar (Lord Shukra worshipped Lord Shiva in this form).
Saturn: Om Shaneschareshwar (Lord Shani worshipped Lord Shiva in this form).
Rahu: Om Rahueshwar (Lord Rahu worshipped Lord Shiva in this form).
Ketu: Om Ketveeshwar (Lord Ketu worshipped Lord Shiva in this form).

Navagraha Yagna: Procedure

It starts with the invocation through Lord Ganapati Sthapana (installing of Ganapati’s image/idol) followed by the pooja.
Aachamanam: Sipping of the holy water while chanting Mantras to purify the body, spirit and soul.
Vigneshwara Pooja: It involves worshipping Lord Ganesha, requesting Him to give the courage to fulfil this yagna without any obstacles.
Pranayamam and Sankalpam: Purification of breath and taking a vow to please Lord Ganesha and the planetary deities.
Kalasa Shuddhi: One has to fill the ‘kalash’ or ‘kalasa’ (metal pot) with water. During the yagna, this water is consecrated with divine energies. The priest then sprinkles this blessed water throughout the house and on everybody.
Agni Pratishthapana: The yagna or Havan Kund is started by chanting Agni Mantra and pouring the fire into the Havan Kund.
Dikpaala and Navagraha Pooja: It is performed along with Panchopachara pooja where the priest pours preliminary offerings into the Havan Kund while invoking the God. Then he chants the Mool Mantra of Navagraha and several other Mantras by offering Ahuti to the Havan Kund. Ahuti symbolizes food for the Divine God. The priest will lay out a specific color of cloth for each planet and invoke each planet on that piece of cloth. Sun – Red, Moon – White, Mars – Crimson Red, Mercury – Green, Jupiter – Yellow, Venus – White / Pink, Saturn – Black, Rahu – Blue, Ketu – variegated color.
Yogini Pooja: 64 yoginis are invoked and blessings sought for the wellbeing of the family members.
Poornahuti: It is the most important ritual in a yagna where all family members and concerned person should be present in front of the Havan Kund. It is the ultimate manifestation of one’s desire. The priest will put important ingredients in a piece of cloth, tie it up and offer it to the Havan Kund by dipping the cloth in ghee.
Finally, enjoy the feast with your family members and loved ones. You can also donate as per your convenience.