Chapter on the Propitiation (śānti) of the Grahas — Bṛhat-Pārāśara-Horāśāstra, Adhyāya 85

ग्रहशान्त्यध्यायः

The complete Chapter on the Propitiation (śānti) of the Grahas chapter of the Bṛhat-Pārāśara-Horāśāstra — all 22 verses, each in the original Sanskrit with VedicSpace's clean-room English translation, cited by śloka. Translated from the Chaukhamba (Devachandra Jha) edition and audited against the printed plates.

Śloka 1 — Maitreya's question — rite of worship, japa and homa for pacifying graha-doṣa

दोषशान्त्यै नभोगाना-मर्चनाविधिपूर्वकम् । जपहोमादिकं ब्रह्मन् ! कृपया वक्तुमर्हसि ॥ १ ॥

Maitreya said: O Brahman! Be pleased to declare, for the pacifying of the affliction caused by the sky-goers (the grahas), the rule of their worship together with japa, homa and the rest.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 1

Śloka 2 — The nine grahas govern the whole world

भास्कराद्याः खगाः पूर्वं ये मया नव वर्णिताः । प्रभावितं जगदिदं समस्तमपि तैः सदा ॥ २ ॥

Parāśara said: The nine sky-goers beginning with the Sun, which I described earlier — by them this entire world is at all times governed.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 2

Śloka 3 — Why one should perform the graha-yajña

तदधीनं प्राणिनां तु सुखदुःखमतो जनः । तच्छान्तिधनवृष्ट्यायुः-कामस्तद्यज्ञमाचरेत् ॥ ३ ॥

The pleasure and pain of living beings depends upon them; therefore a person who desires their pacification, wealth, rainfall and long life should perform the sacrifice dedicated to them.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 3

Śloka 4-5 — Materials for the nine graha images; placement in the proper directions

नवग्रहाकृतीस्ताम्र-स्फटिकारुणचन्दनैः । स्वर्णस्वर्णराजताय-श्शीशकांस्यैः क्रमाद् बुधः ॥ ४ ॥ रचयेद् ग्रहवर्णैर्वा पट्टवस्त्रेऽथ विन्यसेत् । तत्तद्ग्रहोक्तासु दिक्षु मन्त्रोच्चारणपूर्वकम् ॥ ५ ॥

The wise man should fashion the figures of the nine grahas, in order, out of copper, crystal, red sandalwood, gold, gold, silver, iron, lead and bell-metal; or else he should draw them in the colours of the grahas upon silk cloth, and then install them in the directions prescribed for each graha, with the recitation of the mantras.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 4-5

Śloka 6 — Iconography of the Sun (Ravi)

पद्मासनः पद्मकरः पद्मवर्णसमप्रभः । सप्ताश्वरथसंयुक्तो द्विभुजः स्यात् सदा रविः ॥ ६ ॥

Ravi is always seated on a lotus, holding a lotus in his hand, of splendour equal to the colour of the lotus, joined to a chariot of seven horses, and two-armed.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 6

Śloka 7 — Iconography of the Moon (Candra)

दशाश्वरथवाञ् शुभ्रः शुभ्रवासा गदाधरः । शुभ्रभूषावृतश्चन्द्रो द्विभुजश्च प्रकीर्तितः ॥ ७ ॥

Candra is declared to possess a chariot of ten horses, to be white, white-robed, mace-bearing, covered with white ornaments, and two-armed.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 7

Śloka 8 — Iconography of Mars (Kuja)

लोहितस्रग्रक्तवासाः शूलशक्तिकरः कुजः । चतुर्भुजोऽपि सगदो वरदोऽजसुवाहनः ॥ ८ ॥

Kuja wears a red garland and red garments, holds trident and spear, is four-armed, carries a mace, bestows boons, and has a fine ram for his mount.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 8

Śloka 9 — Iconography of Mercury (Budha, 'Cāndri', son of the Moon)

पीतस्रगम्बरश्चान्द्रि-स्तालपत्रसमप्रभः । सिंहारूढो गदावर्मा-ऽसिहस्तो वरदो मतः ॥ ९ ॥

The son of the Moon (Budha) is held to wear a yellow garland and yellow garment, to be of a lustre like the palmyra leaf, mounted on a lion, bearing mace and armour, sword in hand, and bestowing boons.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 9

Śloka 10 — Iconography of Venus and Jupiter

सितार्यौ सितपीताभौ साक्षसूत्रौ सदण्डकौ । कमण्डलुशयौ चापि वरदौ विबुधैः स्मृतौ ॥ १० ॥

Venus and Jupiter are remembered by the learned as being of white and yellow lustre respectively, holding a rosary and a staff, bearing also a water-pot, and bestowing boons.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 10

Śloka 11 — Iconography of Saturn (Arkaja)

नीलकान्तिर्गृध्रयानः शरचापधरोऽर्कजः । वरप्रदश्चतुर्बाहुः शूलभृद् गदितो बुधैः ॥ ११ ॥

The son of the Sun (Śani) is described by the wise as dark-blue in lustre, riding a vulture, bearing arrow and bow, granting boons, four-armed, and holding a trident.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 11

Śloka 12 — Iconography of Rāhu (Svarbhānu)

भयावहमुखो वर्म-त्रिशूलासिधरोऽशुभः । सिंहारूढः सुनीलाभः स्वर्भानुर्वरदो मतः ॥ १२ ॥

Svarbhānu (Rāhu) is held to be of terrifying countenance, bearing armour, trident and sword, inauspicious, mounted on a lion, of deep blue lustre, and yet a bestower of boons.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 12

Śloka 13 — Iconography of the Ketus

सगदा विवृतास्याश्च द्विभुजा धूम्रवर्णिनः । केतवो वरदा गृध्र-वाहनाः स्युर्विदां मताः ॥ १३ ॥

The Ketus, in the view of those who know, are mace-bearing, open-mouthed, two-armed, smoke-coloured, boon-granting, and vulture-mounted.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 13

Śloka 14 — Dimensions of the graha images

ग्रहमूर्त्तिः स्फुटा विज्ञै-रष्टोत्तरशताङ्गुलैः । उन्नता सकिरीटापि कार्या वासोभिरावृता ॥ १४ ॥

The image of a graha should be made by the knowing ones distinct in form, one hundred and eight aṅgulas in height, crowned with a diadem, and draped with garments.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 14

Śloka 15-16 — Method of worship — offerings by the graha's own colour

वर्णानुसारं खेटानां वासांसि कुसुमानि च । धूपदीपसुगन्धादि-द्रव्याणि च ददीत वै ॥ १५ ॥ तत्तद्ग्रहोदितं द्रव्य-मन्नपानादिकं तथा । बलिं च विधिवद् भक्ति-पूर्वकं विनिवेदयेत् ॥ १६ ॥

One should offer garments and flowers in accordance with the colour of each of the grahas, and likewise incense, lamps, fragrant substances and the rest; and the substance prescribed for each particular graha, together with food, drink and so forth, and also the bali-offering, he should present according to rule, with devotion.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 15-16

Śloka 17 — Japa — Vedic or Paurāṇic mantras, performed in silence

सूर्यादीनां नभोगानां मन्त्रै-र्विप्रेन्द्र ! वैदिकैः । पौराणिकैर्वा विधिवद् मौनं तु जपमाचरेत् ॥ १७ ॥

O best of the twice-born! With the Vedic mantras of the sky-goers beginning with the Sun, or else with the Paurāṇic ones, one should perform the japa according to rule, and in silence.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 17

Śloka 18-19 — Japa counts for the nine grahas (in bhūta-saṃkhyā)

रवेर्नगास्तद्वदिन्दो रुद्रा, दश कुजस्य वै । बुधस्य नन्दा वचसां-पतेरेकोनविंशतिः ॥ १८ ॥ भृगोस्तु षोडश तथा अधिका विंशतिः शनेः । राहोरष्टेन्दवः केतो-र्नगेन्दव इमाः पुनः ॥ १९ ॥

For the Sun 'mountains' (seven); likewise for the Moon 'Rudras' (eleven); for Mars ten; for Mercury 'Nandas' (nine); for the Lord of Speech (Jupiter) nineteen; for Bhṛgu (Venus) sixteen; for Saturn twenty increased (by three, i.e. twenty-three); for Rāhu 'eight-moons' (eighteen); and for Ketu 'mountain-moon' (seventeen) — these again are the numbers.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 18-19

Śloka 20 — Multiply the count by one thousand; fruit of the japa

सहस्रगुणिता लब्धसंख्यकं जपमाचरेत् । जपानुष्ठानतः खेटाः प्रीताः शुभफलप्रदाः ॥ २० ॥

Multiplied by a thousand, one should perform the japa to the number so obtained. By the performance of the japa the grahas are pleased and grant auspicious results.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 20

Śloka 21-23 — The samidh (sacrificial kindling) of each graha, and the number of oblations

सूर्यस्यार्कः पलाशश्च विधोर्भूनन्दस्य तु । खदिरोऽथ बुधस्यैव-मपामार्ग उदीरितः ॥ २१ ॥ पिप्पलो हि गुरोर्जन्तु-फलः शुक्रस्य सम्मतः । शनेः शमी त्वहेर्दूर्वा, कुशाः केतोः समित् स्मृता ॥ २२ ॥ ससर्पिर्मधुना दध्ना जुहुयात् पयसापि वा । अष्टोत्तरशतं वापि मनुयुक्प्रमितं बुधः ॥ २३ ॥

For the Sun the arka wood, for the Moon the palāśa, for the son of Earth (Mars) the khadira, and for Mercury the apāmārga is declared; the pippala indeed for Jupiter, the jantu-phala (udumbara) is approved for Venus, the śamī for Saturn, dūrvā grass for the Serpent (Rāhu), and kuśa grass for Ketu — these are remembered as the kindling-sticks. With ghee, with honey, with curds, or else with milk, the wise man should offer the oblation one hundred and eight times, or to the measure of 'manu-yuk' (twenty-eight).

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 21-23

Śloka 24-25 — Food offered to brāhmaṇas for the pleasure of the grahas

प्रीतये तु नभोगाना-मोदनं गुडमिश्रितम् । पायसं च हविष्यान्नं क्षीरषाष्टिकमेव वा ॥ २४ ॥ भक्तं सदधि साज्यं च सुचूर्णं सामिषं तथा । चित्रान्नमिति विप्रेभ्यो-ऽशनं देयं ससत्कृति ॥ २५ ॥

For the pleasure of the sky-goers, boiled rice mixed with jaggery, milk-pudding, sacrificial food, or ṣaṣṭika rice cooked in milk; rice with curds, rice with ghee, rice with fine powder (of sesame), rice with meat, and mixed rice — such food is to be given to the brāhmaṇas with due honour.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 24-25

Śloka 26 — The dakṣiṇā proper to each graha

धेनुकम्बुवृषस्वर्ण-वस्त्राश्वासितधेनवः । लौहच्छागौ च गदिता ग्रहाणां दक्षिणाः क्रमात् ॥ २६ ॥

A cow, a conch, a bull, gold, cloth, a horse, a black cow, and iron and a goat — these are declared to be the fees (dakṣiṇā) of the grahas, in order.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 26

Śloka 27 — Pacifying a graha placed in an evil bhāva

दुष्टस्थानस्थितं खेटं जपहोमादिपूजनैः । विप्राणां भोजनैर्दानै-र्यत्नतः शान्तयेद् बुधः ॥ २७ ॥

A graha situated in an evil bhāva the wise man should diligently pacify by japa, homa and the other acts of worship, by feeding brāhmaṇas, and by gifts.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 27

Śloka 28 — Favourable vs. unfavourable grahas — therefore worship them

ग्रहेऽनुकूले मनुजाः सुखिनोऽभ्युन्नताः सदा । प्रतिकूले दुःखभाज-स्तस्माच्छान्तान् परिपूजयेत् ॥ २८ ॥

When a graha is favourable, men are always happy and greatly elevated; when it is adverse, they are partakers of sorrow. Therefore one should thoroughly worship them so that they become pacified.

BPHS Adhyāya 85, śloka 28