🕉 Chandra (Moon) Mantra

Chandra (Moon) is considered the significator of the mind, mother, emotions, sleep, water element, memory and peace of mind. When Chandra is weak or afflicted in the kundali, or its difficult dasha is running, tradition recommends its mantra japa, charity and the worship of its presiding deity. Below are all four kinds of Chandra mantras with meaning, the japa method and remedies.

📖 Full text — with meaning

Tap «Roman (English) script» to see the original Devanagari text.

Beej and laghu mantras — the graha-shanti tradition; Vedic verse — as given in Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (ch. 84), text checked against Shukla Yajurveda 9.40; Pauranik — the Navagraha Stotra composed by Vyasa.

💡 Essence

The purpose of chanting Chandra's mantra is not to «please» the planet, but to awaken its good qualities (the mind) in your own life and to gain the strength to bear its difficult results.

📿 Japa counter (mala of 108)

📅 Next auspicious days (from our panchang)

• 26 Oct (Monday)
• 2 Nov (Monday)
• 9 Nov (Monday)
• 16 Nov (Monday)
• 23 Nov (Monday)
• 30 Nov (Monday)

Dates are for Delhi sunrise; see today's panchang for your city.

🪔 How to chant / recite

1. Start: Take a sankalpa and begin on the first Monday of the bright fortnight (shukla paksha), or on any Monday.
2. Time: Morning after bath; Monday is special.
3. Seat & direction: On a woollen/kusha asana, facing north-west (vayavya) (or east/north).
4. Mala & count: One mala (108) of the beej or laghu mantra daily; by tradition the total count for the beej mantra is 11,000 — do such a big anushthan only after checking the kundali and under an acharya's guidance.
5. Conclusion: At the end of the anushthan, the tradition is a havan of one-tenth the japa count, charity (rice, milk, silver) and feeding a brahmin/someone in need.

🛕 Puja vidhi (step by step)

🧺 Items needed

• Shivalinga or picture of Shiva-parivar
• Pure water and raw milk (abhishek)
• Bilva leaves (three-leaved, unbroken)
• Dhatura, aak flowers (as per tradition)
• White sandalwood, bhasma, akshata
• Incense, ghee lamp
• Fruits and sweets as bhog
• Rudraksha mala (for japa)

🪷 Procedure

1. Bathe and wear clean clothes; clean the puja place and spread a fresh cloth on the altar (chowki).
2. Do achamana (sip water three times) and purify hands and mouth; sit on an asana and calm the mind.
3. Light a lamp of ghee or sesame oil — by tradition the lamp is kept to the deity's right.
4. Take water, akshata (unbroken rice) and a flower in the right hand and make the sankalpa — your name, gotra, place, date and the purpose of the puja, spoken or in the mind; then let the water fall to the ground.
5. First remember Shri Ganesha (Om Gam Ganapataye Namah).
6. Do abhishek on the Shivalinga with water, then milk (and if possible curd, ghee, honey, sugar — panchamrit), then water again, chanting «Om Namah Shivaya».
7. Offer white sandalwood and bhasma, akshata, bilva leaves (smooth side towards the linga), dhatura and aak flowers.
8. Show incense and lamp, offer bhog; then chant the mantra / recite Shiv Chalisa / Rudrashtakam.
9. Sing «Om Jai Shiv Omkara»; the parikrama of a Shivalinga is half — the outlet (somasutra) is not crossed.
10. Finally perform aarti, offer pushpanjali (flowers) and do parikrama (or turn around in your place).
11. Ask forgiveness for any mistakes in the puja, distribute the prasad and take it yourself.

⚠️ Rules & precautions

• Ketaki flowers and tulsi are traditionally not offered to Shiva; turmeric-kumkum is offered to Mother Parvati, not on the linga.
• Bilva leaves should be unbroken; a bilva leaf can be washed and offered again.
• Monday, Pradosh (trayodashi) and Masik Shivaratri are special days for Shiva.
• Water/milk offered on the linga should not fall at the feet — pour it into a plant.

🎁 Items to donate (on Monday)

• Rice
• Milk
• Silver
• White cloth
• Mishri (rock sugar)

🌿 Other remedies for Chandra

• Offer water/raw milk on the Shivalinga on Mondays.
• Serve your mother and take her blessings.
• Offer arghya to the Moon on Purnima.
• Keep the Monday fast (as per tradition).

🌟 Benefits (as per tradition)

• A prayer for favourable results in the areas Chandra signifies — the mind, mother, emotions, sleep, water element, memory and peace of mind.
• Strength of mind and patience during a difficult dasha/antardasha of the planet.

These are traditional beliefs described in scriptures; results are understood to depend on faith, discipline and one's own actions.

❓ Frequently asked questions