Remedies for Ketu
Traditional remedies (upaya) for Ketu: its mantras, day, deity, charity, fasting, colour and devotional texts, with their sources.
Traditional devotional practice
These are traditional devotional practices (upaya) described in Jyotish and Dharmashastra texts. They are offered for faith and reflection, with no promise of any result, and they never replace medical, psychological, legal or financial advice. Chant and give within your means: no remedy needs anything to be bought.
Mantras
Nama-mantra Later / popular
ॐ केतवे नमः
Om Ketave Namaḥ
The graha's name with Om and namah; it needs no initiation. Commonly chanted 108 times (one mala) on the graha's day.
Beej mantra Later / popular
ॐ स्रां स्रीं स्रौं सः केतवे नमः
Om Srāṃ Srīṃ Srauṃ Saḥ Ketave Namaḥ
The seed-syllable form of later mantra manuals. Many teachers advise learning its pronunciation from a guru.
Chant “Om Ketave Namah” (ॐ केतवे नमः) 108 times.
Nama-mantra ("Om … namah" with the graha’s name in the dative): the simplest form of graha japa, needing no initiation, as commonly taught
Beej mantras of the Navagrahas: later Tantric and popular mantra manuals; not given in BPHS
Beej mantra of Ketu
ॐoṃ स्रांsrāṃ स्रींsrīṃ स्रौंsrauṃ सःsaḥ केkeतtaवेve नnaमःmaḥ
10 syllables, 18 matras · Underlined syllables are guru (long or heavy) and are held about twice as long as laghu (short) ones.
The voice is your device's synthetic speech. It is only approximate and may mispronounce Sanskrit (vowel length, visarga, conjuncts). Learn from a teacher or an authentic recording.
Day, worship, charity and fasting
- Day Later / popular
- Tuesday (Mangalvar)
Ketu is given Tuesday: “Ketu acts like Mars”; some traditions take Thursday.“Shanivad rahuh, kujavat ketuh” (Rahu acts like Saturn, Ketu like Mars): a standard Jyotish maxim, used here for the nodes’ day and hora
- Deity worshipped Later / popular
- Ganesha
Worship Lord Ganesha, for example on Tuesdays or on Chaturthi.Deity commonly worshipped for each graha: popular practice; traditions vary by region and family
- Charity (dana) Classical
- Give a multi-coloured blanket, sesame or food to those in need, and care for stray dogs.
Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, the remedial (shanti) chapters on the dashas: propitiation by worship, japa and charity (dana); Yajnavalkya Smriti, Acharadhyaya, Graha-shanti prakarana (graha worship, samidh and dakshina)
- Fasting (vrat) Later / popular
- A Tuesday fast is commonly kept for Ketu (some keep Thursday or Saturday).
Fast only if your health allows it; during pregnancy, illness or on medication, ask your doctor first.Weekday vratas: popular vrata-katha tradition, not a BPHS prescription
- Colour Classical
- mixed / grey-brown
Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra ch. 3: colours of the grahas
- Conduct Later / popular
- Make time for meditation and quiet reflection, and stay grounded in practical duties.
Texts to read or chant
- Ketu Beej Mantra Beej mantra
- Ketum Krinvanna (Vedic mantra for Ketu) Vedic mantra
- Sankatanashana Ganesha Stotram Stotra
- Ganapati Atharvashirsha Stotra
- Navagraha Stotram Stotra
Navagraha Stotra attributed to Vyasa; Aditya Hridayam (Valmiki Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda); other texts as listed in the Bhakti library with their own sources
Gemstone
The traditional gem of Ketu is Cat’s eye (Lahsuniya). Read the cautions before considering one: a gem is never a substitute for the remedies above.