AstrologgerBudh Mantra
Budh is the graha of intellect, speech and commerce — Mercury in the Western scheme, held in Jyotish to govern analytical thinking, learning and the spoken and written word. Mantras addressed to him are chanted on Wednesdays, during Budh Mahadasha and Antardasha, and by anyone needing clarity in communication or business. As with the other graha mantras here, there is no single one — the family below serves different occasions.
The 4 Budh Mantras
"Budh Mantra" is not a single verse. These are the forms in traditional use, each with its own purpose and count.
| Form | Opening | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Budh Beej Mantra | ॐ ब्रां ब्रीं ब्रौं सः बुधाय नमः | 9,000 over the course of a practice, or 108 daily |
| Budh Moola Mantra | ॐ बुं बुधाय नमः | 108 daily, on a Wednesday |
| Budh Gayatri Mantra | ॐ गजध्वजाय विद्महे सुखहस्ताय धीमहि। | 108 |
| Navagraha Stotra (Budh verse) | प्रियङ्गुकलिकाश्यामं रूपेणाप्रतिमं बुधम्। | — |
Budh Beej Mantra
ॐ ब्रां ब्रीं ब्रौं सः बुधाय नमः
Om Brāṁ Brīṁ Brauṁ Saḥ Budhāya Namaḥ
The seed form. Brāṁ, brīṁ and brauṁ carry no dictionary sense of their own — tantric sound-seeds tuned to the graha — and the mantra closes as a plain salutation to Budh by name.
Count: 9,000 over the course of a practice, or 108 daily
Budh Moola Mantra
ॐ बुं बुधाय नमः
Om Buṁ Budhāya Namaḥ
"Buṁ" is Budh's own seed syllable; the rest is a bare salutation by name. This is the one usually given to someone beginning the practice.
Count: 108 daily, on a Wednesday
Budh Gayatri Mantra
ॐ गजध्वजाय विद्महे सुखहस्ताय धीमहि। तन्नो बुधः प्रचोदयात्॥
Om Gajadhvajāya Vidmahe Sukhahastāya Dhīmahi, Tanno Budhaḥ Prachodayāt.
Built on the Gayatri metre. It names him Gajadhvaja, "the elephant-bannered one", holding comfort or ease in hand, then asks that Budh direct the intellect. Published collections give a second common version naming him Saumyarupa, "of gentle form", instead.
Count: 108
Navagraha Stotra (Budh verse)
प्रियङ्गुकलिकाश्यामं रूपेणाप्रतिमं बुधम्। सौम्यं सौम्यगुणोपेतं तं बुधं प्रणमाम्यहम्॥
Priyaṅgukalikāśyāmaṁ Rūpeṇāpratimaṁ Budham, Saumyaṁ Saumyaguṇopetaṁ Taṁ Budhaṁ Praṇamāmyaham.
Budh's verse from the nine-verse Navagraha Stotra attributed to the sage Vyasa. It describes him as dark as a priyangu flower-bud, of matchless form, gentle and endowed with gentle qualities, before bowing to him.
When and how to chant
Day: Wednesday
- Wednesday is the day associated with Budh; morning is the time usually kept.
- Face north while chanting. A mala of green-coloured beads or pearl-adjacent stones is traditional where observed; a plain rudraksha mala serves otherwise.
- Count in rounds of 108.
- Green moong dal, green clothing, and bronze or brass items are commonly donated on Wednesdays.
What tradition holds
These mantras are traditionally taken up during Budh Mahadasha and Antardasha, for clarity in speech and communication, for business and commerce, and wherever analytical thinking feels clouded. A well-placed Budh is held to give sharp communication and business sense; an afflicted one, indecision or speech difficulties. These are the reasons tradition gives for keeping these mantras; they are not claims about outcomes.
Is Budh actually placed against you?
A mantra is chosen for a placement, not for a planet in the abstract. Whether Budh is running your Mahadasha, retrograde at your birth, or neither, depends on your birth date, time and place — which is a calculation, not a guess.
Watch and chant along
Related mantras
Frequently asked questions
What is the mantra of Budh?
There is no single one. The shortest is the moola mantra, Om Buṁ Budhāya Namaḥ. The beej mantra, Om Brāṁ Brīṁ Brauṁ Saḥ Budhāya Namaḥ, is the more widely chanted seed form. The gayatri and the Navagraha Stotra verse are set out above, each with Devanagari, transliteration and sense.
How should the Budh mantra be chanted 108 times?
Facing north, counting one full round of 108 beads. Wednesday morning is the time usually kept.
What should be done to strengthen a weak Budh?
Tradition points to the mantras above, chanted on Wednesdays, alongside donating green moong dal, green clothing, or bronze items on the same day. These are the remedies tradition gives, not a substitute for addressing what an afflicted Mercury actually shows in a chart.
What is the beej mantra of Budh?
Om Brāṁ Brīṁ Brauṁ Saḥ Budhāya Namaḥ. Brāṁ, brīṁ and brauṁ are seed syllables tuned to the graha rather than words with their own meaning, and the mantra closes with a salutation to Budh by name.