Rahu Beej Mantra: Meaning and How to Chant

Meaning of the Rahu beej mantra

• ॐ (Om) is the primordial sound with which most Vedic mantras begin.
• भ्रां भ्रीं भ्रौं (Bhraam Bhreem Bhraum) are beej (seed) syllables. They are not translated word for word; tradition treats them as the sound-form of Rahu's energy, and सः (sah) seals the invocation.
• राहवे नमः (Rahave Namah) means "salutations to Rahu".

Why the Rahu mantra is chanted

Rahu is a shadow planet (chhaya graha) linked with ambition, illusion, sudden events and anything foreign or unconventional. The Rahu beej mantra is traditionally chanted to calm confusion and anxiety, steady the mind through sudden ups and downs and soften Rahu's difficult periods (mahadasha).

Rahu verse from the Navagraha Stotra

This verse to Rahu comes from the Navagraha Stotra attributed to the sage Vyasa. Many people recite it before or after the beej mantra.

How the Rahu mantra is traditionally chanted

• Day: begin on a Saturday, the day of Rahu.
• Count: the commonly cited total is 18,000 repetitions, about 167 rounds of a 108-bead mala, usually spread over many days.
• Daily practice: many people simply chant one round of 108 every day, or every Saturday.
• Chant after bathing, in a clean and quiet place, with your attention on the sound.

Saturday is the usual day, and many prefer to chant it in the evening or at night. Dark blue or smoky colours are traditional, and some devotees also worship Goddess Durga for Rahu.

Rahu mantra and your Mulank

In numerology Rahu rules the number 4: Mulank 4, for people born on 4, 13, 22 and 31 of any month, and Bhagyank 4. People with these numbers often chant the Rahu mantra to strengthen the planet's good qualities.

Also traditionally recited for Rahu: Durga Chalisa and Navagraha Stotram.

See also

• Mulank 4
• Bhagyank 4
• Durga Chalisa
• Navagraha Stotram

Mantras and chalisas are a matter of faith and tradition, and practices differ between families and teachers. Nothing here replaces medical, legal or financial advice.