homa

Remedies for Gandant nakshatra births

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I had written about the Gandant or Gandamool gap of the zodiac in a past post. There is a question on this, thus writing some more. Gandant affects the Moon or the ascendant degree. The closer to the gap the more severe the effects are.

Remedies for Gandant nakshatra births

In India, the new baby’s horoscope is formally drawn after the 12th day, but with the Jyotish apps being so easily available, this is not really relevant anymore. On the 12th day the Namakaran sanskar / naming ceremony is performed. Also, till this new living being is not named, a period called “naatak’ is observed. During this period, no puja/ rituals can be performed in the family in which the birth has occurred.

If there is a Gandant nakshatra seen in the child’s chart, a Nakshatra shanti puja should be performed at the earliest, within a month of the birth if possible. If the parents are unable for some reason (maybe the baby is not well and the parents are busy), the baby’s paternal grandparents or paternal uncle can be entrusted by the parents to perform it at the earliest possible auspicious timing/ muhurt after the birth. Shanti puja is a ritual to calm down the agitation caused by the severe energies of the lunar mansion, a pandit/ priest helps perform it.

It is also possible that the chart was never seen and the child grew up with whatever problems and later the parents came to know of the Gandant energy. Even then, do the Nakshatra Shanti puja on the next convenient muhurt, do not think the time is lost. The energies of the puja will help the child now onwards at least. This puja can be repeated on every (vedic calendar) birth day.

Now it is possible that the chart was never seen, these pujas were never done and the child grew up, became an adult etc and then came a sub-period of Mercury or Ketu or Moon or the ascendant lord where the person started facing severe problems. One young man I know, has a severe Moon in Revati Nakshatra Gandant. He went to an astrologer and the person scared him by telling him that he will die in a few years. This is what I dislike about modern astrologers. Death may or not come, that is the future. Let’s focus on what can be done at the present moment. The correct advice in this case would be this,

  1. Do the nakshatra shanti puja at the earliest possible auspicious timing, it will help balance something at least.
  2. On every birth day (as per vedic calendar), do the same Nakshatra Shanti puja with the pandit/ priest. Or do any of these pujas for longevity, good health and auspiciousness – Ayushya homa, Mahamrutyunjai homa, Navagraha Shanti puja,
  3. Or if cannot afford a priest do a Mahamryutunjai Homa by himself. It is a very simple fire ritual/homa, takes one hour to perform.
  4. Or cannot do this at all, cannot afford it or cannot find the resources, then recite the Mahamrutyunjai mantra 108 times at least one Monday every month.
  5. Or if has access to a vedic panchangam, and knows the Nakshatra which is Gandant, he can recite this Mahamrutyunjai mantra 108 times on that day of the month in which the transit moon occupies that same nakshatra in transit.

Remedies for Gandant nakshatra births

In fact I would suggest for everyone to do this Mahamryutunjai Homa on auspicious days, birthdays, etc, whenever you feel like doing it. I had written about it earlier in some post, it will work for all health and longevity related issues. The homa basic post is linked here. The preparatory and concluding phases remain the same, for the mantra-phase use this mantra, at every ‘ swaha’ a drop of ghee is to be put in the fire.

“Om trayambakam yajamahe, sugandhim pushtivardhanam, Om haung, joong sah, maam mrutyur palaya palaya, rogan mochaya mochaya, ayur vardhaya vardhaya, Sah joong haung Om, ururvarukamiva bandhanat, mrutyur mukshiya maam amrutat, Mrutyunjayaya rudraya, neelkanthaya shambhave, amruteshaya sharvaya, mahadevaya taenamah Swaha”

Or if you feel this variant to be quite complicated you can use this simple version

“Om tryambakam yajamahe sungandhim pushti vardhanam uruvarukamiva bandhanat mrutyur mukshiya maam amrutat, Om Swaha” for the mantra phase.

Birthdays are very important. On these 2 days every year you should really do something to recharge your energies. 2 days? yes, your birthday as per the solar calendar will be the same as your birthdate as per the English calendar (maybe one day before or after), on this day your sun will be in the same degree as it was the day you were born. And the second as per the lunar day, the exact degree in which your moon was in and the same sign your sun was in when you were born. These are the 2 days when your personal energies are resonating with the energies of the time you were born. So if you do some personal intense energy practice on this day, it will deeply repair and heal.

Dhanvantari, the God of medicine

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Any post on Medicine is incomplete if we don’t recognise the God of Ayurved, Dhanvantari. He arose from the Samudra Manthan, as one of the 14 gems/Ratna from the Sea of Ksheer (ksheer means milk/ water/ a nourishing liquid/ actually means pran). The story of Samudra manthan is a beautiful way of describing what really happens when you do dhyan. The inward breath/pran and outward apan are the dev and danav, the mount meru is your own geometry which is being churned on the support of the hexagonal kurma based of the granthi of the muladhar. (will write a separate post on this, this post is only about Dhanvantari!) But the point is that Dhanvantari is your own internal energy if you can access and activate it.

Dhanvantari, the God of medicine

The preserver of the manifested Universe is the energy known as Vishnu. His energies are manifested in different forms which manage different aspects of this creation. Dhanvantari can be loosely understood as the guide/ferry-man/boat who helps cross the wasteland/desert. He is the form of Vishnu who is equipped with 4 things, Sudarshana chakra, Panchajanya conch, the kalash of Amrut/nectar and a Leech/Jaluka and has given us the knowledge of Ayurved. Shankh when blown is the sound of Om, sudarshan chakra is the cycle of Time, the kalash is immortality i.e. the knowledge of your reality and the Leech is the tool which removes impurities. There are several Dhanvantari Dhyan mantras, here is a beautiful one recited by Uma Mohan.

He is worshipped specifically by Ayurvedic Vaidyaraj-s (doctors) and followers of Sanatan Dharm on the 13th day of the dark half of the Ashwin month, on Dhanatrayodashi. If you can do any sincere mantra, jaap, homa of Dhanvantari on this day you will be blesssed with good health. I have seen some families worshipping Devi Laxmi on this day, its not correct, as She is worshipped on Diwali Kartik Amavasya, 2 days after Dhanatrayodashi.

Dhanvantari Mantras also have the same efficacy when it comes to health related things. Now the homa for Dhanvantari will work for anything and everything related to health. The preparatory phase and concluding phase remains the same (this post), for the mantra phase, the mantra you will use is this,

“Om namo Bhagawate Dhanvantaraye, Amrutkalasha hastaya, sarva aamaya vinashanaya, Trilokyanathaya, Shri Mahavishnave Swaha”

If you just want to recite the mantra, replace the ‘swaha’ by ‘namah’.

One might wonder why remedies are useful. Suppose you have some muddy water in a tank, you add clear water to it, so its muddiness will reduce. If you add even more clear water and also try to remove the muddiness, eventually your tank will be full of clear pure water. This is the same principle. You are the tank of muddy water, your karmas have turned it muddy. You add clear water by doing your spiritual practice. You remove the mud by experiencing the karmic payback related things. The intensity of the karmic payback depends on the muddiness. More mud, more intense. If you dilute the mud by adding lots of clear water, the karma you will experience will be lighter too. Eventually you will be full of only clear water. So do some spiritual activity regularly, it may be for just 2 mins, but just do it mindfully with full intention.

Dhanvantari, the God of medicine

Remedy for weak planets, Homa

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In my several posts I have suggested that you yourself do a small homam (sacred fire ritual) at home. Now some will shout out that it is not possible and neither advisable for you to do a homam without experts/pandits, also women should not do it and only married men can do it etc. So many rules, may be meaningful to some, but make no sense to me.

Fire/Agni is called Jaataveda/the one who knows everything. The fire we see with our eyes represents the internal fire and the light of Parabrahma. So naturally he knows everything and is the Jaataveda. In all Sanatan dharma rituals fire/agni is the witness. Even when you get married there are 2 conditions there should be a sun in the sky (daytime) and a fire lit in the homam kund who will be the witness to the marriage ceremony.

So if you are interested in doing a sacred fire ritual at home you will need 2 things, a clear heart and pure intention. There is nothing right and nothing wrong. When you are doing a homam you are invoking with the means of the fire that portion of the energies inside your own self. Divinity is not outside, it is right inside you, always remember this.

So the physical things you will need are, a copper kumbh/a pot, a copper pyramidal homa kund, a copper cup and copper spoon in the shape as per the pictures. You will burn cowdung cakes made from Desi cows dung and ghee made of desi cow milk. (Desi cows are those Indian cattle breeds who have a prominent hump). Balance the homa kund on a couple of bricks so that the heat does not spoil the flooring. You will also need an asan to sit on. An asan at the very basic should be a layer of pure wool and a layer of pure silk on it.

pyramidal copper homa kund

desi humped cow-dung cakes

Remedy for weak planets, Homa

copper spoon.jpg

copper bowl.jpg

The simplest homam that you can do yourself at home is of course the Agnihotra. But Agnihotra is very time specific and you are required to say the mantras and offer the rice and ghee exactly at the moment of sunrise and sunset (post here)

What I prescribe as a simple astrological remedy to do at home yourself is this very simple process with the sequence of mantras. You can do it anytime of the day, preferably in the morning or evening twilight. Men can do it anytime, women should not do it on the days of the monthly cycle. (The body is undergoing physical destruction internally and needs rest.)

  1. Dress, wear something of natural fibre, eg silk/ cotton which you wind around you. a dhoti, or a cloth wrapped around your waist. Women can wear a sari or if its too much trouble you can wear a cotton nightie like garment which does not pinch and you can cross your legs comfortably. Do not use it like a nightie then, keep it separate.
  2. Set up the asan facing north or east. In this have written on how to sit crosslegged or in a asan like siddhasan, sukahsan, padmasan etc.
  3. Set the homa kund carefully. Place 3-4 small pieces of cowdung dipped in ghee inside it. Keep the cup filled with ghee and spoon at your right hand. In the other kumbh/ pot keep clean water at your left hand.
  4. Set alight a separate small piece of cowdung and use it to light your homam fire. While you are doing so say the Agni Gayatri, “Om Saptajihvaaya vidhmahe havyabhadraaya dhimahi tanno Agnih prachodayaat Om”. Then add a few drops of ghee with the spoon and let the fire get lit properly.
  5. Now take the pot of water in your left hand and pour a few drops in the palm of the right. Focus on the water and put in all your intention into that water. Express yourself in the language you are comfortable in. Your intention can be any one of the following, “I want to be happy, healthy, rich, heal myself or anyone else, get a wife, get children, be protected, increase my —- planets energy, just enjoy the homam, express my love to my god, express my love to myself, etc”. Just remember your heart should be clear and your intention should be intense and pure. Now let the water drops fall to the ground from your right hand.
  6. Fold your palms and recite “OM”, three times and feel your body relax.
  7. Then recite the Ganapati Gayatri, “Om Ekadantaya Vidhmahe, Vakratundaya Dhimahi, Tanno Dantih Prachodayaat Om” for invoking the energies of Ganapati.
  8. Then this mantra is for invoking the Gods, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and the Nine grahas/ planets, recite, “Om Brahma Murari Tripurantakari Bhanuh Shashih Bhumi Suto Budhah cha Guruh cha Shukrah Shani Rahu Ketavah Sarve Graha Shantikara bhavantu Om”.
  9. Then remember the Goddess Earth with love and gratitude, recite. “Om Samudra Vasane Devi, Parvatah Stana Mandale Vishnupatni Namastubhyam Paada Sparsham Kshamasva May Om”.
  10. Finally “Om Guruh Brahma Guruh Vishnu Guruh Devo Maheshwara Guruh Saakshat Para Brahma Tasmai Shree Gurave Namaha Om”. In this mantra you are acknowledging the Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and the pure Parabrahma as your Guru. None other. And bowing to that Supreme consciousness, the Universal energy. Here you are asking for divine inspiration and acknowledging that Parabrahma itself is your Guru. Always remember this, your Ultimate Guru is the Parabrahma none other. And this exists within you not outside anywhere.

Thus you have finished the preparatory phase. Now for the mantra phase where you will actually be invoking the energies of the mantra. This will vary as per the mantra you are using.

  1. Example. Homam for Surya, on a Sunday after the above mantras recite the Surya gayatri once, “Om Bhaskaraya Vidhmahe Divakaraya Dheemahi Tanno Suryah Prachodayat Om”.
  2. Then recite the surya beej mantra 108 times, “Om hraang hreeng hraung sah suryaya swaha”. At the swaha, use the spoon to drop a drop of ghee into the fire. To count to 108, use beads which you will count with the left hand.

This was the mantra-ahuti phase where you have given 108 drops of ghee to the conscious energy of the fire. You have repeated the mantra with ‘swaha’ at its end 108 times. Now you will conclude the Homa like this.

  1. After you finish the 108 repetitions, recite “Om” once.
  2. Recite “Om Shri Paradevata arpanmastu Om” or “Om Shri Satguru arpanmastu”
  3. Then sit in an attitude of contemplation, breathe slowly, relax, in front of the fire till it extinguishes naturally. Focus on the fire and draw its energies inside you. With these mantras you have generated a huge amount of energy, now pull it inside you and absorb it.
  4. After the fire extinguishes and the embers cool, put a pinch of that ash/Vibhuti on your forehead and top of head. Eat a pinch too.
  5. After it cools down to room temperature you can store it in a covered glass bowl and use it whenever you want to. It is Vibhuti now, and you yourself have made it. It is your personal energy infused with mantras and the power of the fire. You should use it in your energy work. Its energy will last for about 15 days on an average.

For the other grahas the process is same with the following mantras for the second part.

Moon – Monday – Om Padmadhwajaya Vidmahe Haemaroopaya Dheemahi Tanno Somah Prachodayat is the invocation Gayatri and the mantra to recite 108 times is Om” – “Om shraang shreeng shroung sah chandraya swaha”

Mars – Tuesday – Om Veeradhwajaya Vidmahe Vighnahasthaya Dheemahi Tanno Bhaumah Prachodayat Om” is the invocation Gayatri and the mantra to recite 108 times is  “Om kraang kreeng kraung sah mangalaya swaha”

Rahu – Tuesday – “Om Nagadhwajaya Vidmahe Padma Hastaya Dheemahi Tanno Rahuh Prachodayat Om” is the invocation Gayatri and the mantra to recite 108 times is  – “Om bhraang bhreeng bhraoung sah Rahave swaha”

Mercury – Wednesday – Om Gajadhwajaya Vidmahe Shuka Hastaya Dheemahi Tanno Budha Prachodayat Om” is the invocation Gayatri and the mantra to recite 108 times is – “O braang, breeng broung sah budhayah swaha”

Jupiter – thursday – Om Vrishabhadhwajaya Vidmahe Ghrini Hastaya Dheemahi Tanno Guru Prachodayat Om” is the invocation Gayatri and the mantra to recite 108 times is  – “Om graang greeng groung sah gurave swaha”

Venus – Om Ashwadhwajaya Vidmahe Dhanur Hastaya Dheemahi Tanno Shukrah Prachodayat Om” is the invocation Gayatri and the mantra to recite 108 times is – Om draang dreeng droung sah shukraya swaha”

Saturn – Saturday – “Om Kakahdhwajaya Vidmahe Khadga Hastaya Dheemahi Tanno Mandah Prachodayat Om” is the invocation Gayatri and the mantra to recite 108 times is Om praang preeng proung sah Shanisharaya swaha”

Ketu – Saturday – Om Ashwadhwajaya Vidmahe Shoola Hastaya Dheemahi Tanno Ketuh Prachodayat Om” is the invocation Gayatri and the mantra to recite 108 times is  – “Om sraang sreeng sroung sah ketave swaha”

This was a rather technical post, but well worth my and your time too if you ever decide to do it.

Vivah Sanskar as per Vedic Astrology Part 1