The Hidden Mystery Behind Hindu Belief About the Navgrah

During a religious ceremony, you will notice that right after making the first offering to Sri Ganesh, most Hindus will offer the next offering to the Navgrah, that is, the nine planets.

Even when you move into a new house, it takes a Navgrah pooja to bless it and make it truly your own place. There is no way of telling what evil spirits or karma has been left behind and only this pooja can get rid of all that bad omen and misfortune.

But, why do Hindus attribute all that importance to this Navgrah?

The Hindu Astronomy and Navgrah

Ancient civilization or religious entity, each has their own versions of astronomy and so do the Hindus.

The basic Hindu belief is that god resides in all things, be it places, human beings, animals or plants. And, according to this belief, everyone is connected to each other simply through god. As children of the same god, individuals have a strong influence on each other.

The Hindu astronomy claims that the greatest influence on everyone is that of the nine planets, which are collectively known as Navgrahs. These nine planets are highly influential divine deities that can influence the destinies of nations and peoples. Whether you are a king, a prime minister or a simple commoner, these nine planets can influence the life of every individual, irrespective of their age, social class, gender or position in the society.

In Hinduism, astrology is considered as the heart of the belief system and horoscope represents an important facet of the Hindu astrology. A person’s horoscope is based on the time and place of birth and has the divine power to predict that person’s destiny. Now, where did this prediction come from?

From the arrangement of the nine planets at the time of birth of an individual.

This got me thinking: Does that mean that once your destiny is set, it cannot be changed?

Not really!

I won’t deny the fact that the nine planets have a strong influence on the choices and decisions of people. However, this influence is not a compelling force but more a suggestive and powerful guidance. The real definite force is the human effort. With positive actions and good deeds, you can change the direction of your stars and modify the prediction of the nine planets, tracing your own path.

Time Now to Discover These Famous Nine Planets:

• Surya(sun): As the chief, he is the solar deity and the son of Kasyapa. He holds lotus flowers in his two gold arms and with his beautiful golden crown, he sits on a lotus throne and rides a chariot that is pulled by seven horses. He is known to stand in the center while the other planets stand around him in eight different directions.

 

• Chandra(moon): A lunar deity, also known as Soma, he is characterized as young, fair and beautiful with spotless white clothes and a golden crown on his head. On one hand, he carries a lotus while he holds a mace in the other. Riding a chariot driven by ten horses, he is also known as the god of fertility.

 

• Mangal(mars): With red clothes, red necklaces and a golden crown, he is a ferocious god with four hands. His two hands are held in Abhaya and Varada mudras while the other two hold weapons. Depicting confidence and ego, he presides over “Tuesday.”

 

• Budh(Mercury): As the god and protector of merchandise, he is mostly represented by the yellow color – wearing yellow clothes and adorned with yellow garlands. In his right hands, he holds a sword and a shield in the left ones.

 

• Brihaspati(Jupiter): Known sometimes as “Guru”, he is the god of wisdom and eloquence. He rides in his vehicle that is pulled by eight horses and these eight animals represent eight branches of knowledge.

 

• Shukra(Venus): Considered as the teacher of demons, he is a god of white complexion and has four hands, two holding a shaft and a vessel while the other two hold a rudraksha.

 

• Shani(Saturn): As the troublesome god, he has the power to break fortunes. It is believed that when he first opened his eyes as a baby, the sun went into an eclipse, denoting his influence on astrological charts.

 

• Rahu: Resembling the god Budh in some aspects, he is a demon that can swallow the sun or moon, eventually causing eclipses. As you must have often heard in Indian movies, the Rahu Kala is considered very inauspicious.

 

• Ketu: Known as the tail of the demon snake, he has a smoke-like complexion. With his supernatural powers, he has a significant impact on human lives.

 

Did you know that knowing all these planets can actually save you from harm and keep away any bad luck from you? It can help you to obtain salvation and remain blessed all your life. If you think this astrological study of the nine planets is interesting, you can stay connected and wait for the second part of this series.