Remedies for Rahu
Traditional remedies (upaya) for Rahu: 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 राहवे नमः
Om Rāhave 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 भ्रां भ्रीं भ्रौं सः राहवे नमः
Om Bhrāṃ Bhrīṃ Bhrauṃ Saḥ Rāhave Namaḥ
The seed-syllable form of later mantra manuals. Many teachers advise learning its pronunciation from a guru.
Chant “Om Rahave Namah” (ॐ राहवे नमः) 108 times, especially on Saturdays.
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 Rahu
ॐoṃ भ्रांbhrāṃ भ्रींbhrīṃ भ्रौंbhrauṃ सःsaḥ राrāहhaवेve 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
- Saturday (Shanivar)
Rahu is given Saturday: “Rahu acts like Saturn”.“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
- Durga
Worship Goddess Durga.Deity commonly worshipped for each graha: popular practice; traditions vary by region and family
- Charity (dana) Classical
- Give black gram (urad) or blankets, or help people on the margins of society.
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 Saturday fast is commonly kept for Rahu.
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
- smoky grey
Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra ch. 3: colours of the grahas
- Conduct Later / popular
- Avoid shortcuts and intoxicants, verify information before acting, and keep dealings transparent.
Texts to read or chant
- Rahu Beej Mantra Beej mantra
- Kaya Nashchitra (Vedic mantra for Rahu) Vedic mantra
- Shri Durga Chalisa Chalisa
- Devi Kavacham (Durga Kavach) Kavach
- 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 Rahu is Hessonite (Gomed). Read the cautions before considering one: a gem is never a substitute for the remedies above.