AstrologgerChandra Mantra
Reviewed by Neha Tripathi, Editor ·
Chandra Beej Mantra
ॐ श्रां श्रीं श्रौं सः चन्द्रमसे नमः
Om Śrāṁ Śrīṁ Śrauṁ Saḥ Chandramase Namaḥ
Jaap count: 11,000 over the course of a practice, or 108 daily
Chandra is the Moon, and in Jyotish the graha of the mind (manas), of feeling, and of the mother. The Moon sign, not the Sun sign, is the one Vedic astrology reads first, and the Moon's nakshatra sets the whole dasha sequence. Mantras to Chandra are chanted on Mondays and on Purnima, and by those running a Chandra dasha. As with the other grahas here, there is not one mantra but a family, each with its own use.
The 4 Chandra Mantras
"Chandra Mantra" is not a single verse. These are the forms in traditional use, each with its own purpose and count.
| Form | Opening | Jaap count |
|---|---|---|
| Chandra Beej Mantra | ॐ श्रां श्रीं श्रौं सः चन्द्रमसे नमः | 11,000 over the course of a practice, or 108 daily |
| Chandra Beej Mantra (the "Chandraya" form) | ॐ श्रां श्रीं श्रौं सः चन्द्राय नमः | 108 daily |
| Navagraha Stotra (Chandra verse) | दधिशङ्खतुषाराभं क्षीरोदार्णवसम्भवम्। | 108, or 11 times on a Monday |
| Chandra Gayatri Mantra | ॐ अमृताङ्गाय विद्महे कलारूपाय धीमहि। | 108 |
Chandra Beej Mantra
ॐ श्रां श्रीं श्रौं सः चन्द्रमसे नमः
Om Śrāṁ Śrīṁ Śrauṁ Saḥ Chandramase Namaḥ
The seed form. Śrāṁ, śrīṁ and śrauṁ are sound-seeds tuned to the graha rather than words with a dictionary sense, and the closing phrase is a salutation to Chandramas, the Moon. This is the form traditionally counted for a Chandra japa.
Jaap count: 11,000 over the course of a practice, or 108 daily
Text checked against: drikpanchang.com, Chandra Mantras (Chandra Beej Mantra 2)
Chandra Beej Mantra (the "Chandraya" form)
ॐ श्रां श्रीं श्रौं सः चन्द्राय नमः
Om Śrāṁ Śrīṁ Śrauṁ Saḥ Chandrāya Namaḥ
The same beej mantra with the Moon named as Chandra rather than Chandramas. Both forms are in use and both are given by DrikPanchang; the Navgrah Mantra page in this section uses this one. Keep to whichever you were given.
Jaap count: 108 daily
Text checked against: drikpanchang.com, Chandra Mantras (Chandra Beej Mantra 1)
Navagraha Stotra (Chandra verse)
दधिशङ्खतुषाराभं क्षीरोदार्णवसम्भवम्। नमामि शशिनं सोमं शम्भोर्मुकुटभूषणम्॥
Dadhiśaṅkhatuṣārābhaṁ Kṣīrodārṇavasambhavam, Namāmi Śaśinaṁ Somaṁ Śambhormukuṭabhūṣaṇam.
The Chandra verse of the Navagraha Stotra attributed to Vyasa. It describes him before bowing: white as curd, conch and snow, born of the ocean of milk, the ornament on Shiva's crown — and salutes him as Shashi and Soma. Some Hindi editions read "kṣīrārṇavasamudbhavam" in the first line; the sense is the same.
Jaap count: 108, or 11 times on a Monday
Text checked against: Navagraha Stotra, verse 2 (bhaktibharat.com, Navagrah Stotra)
Chandra Gayatri Mantra
ॐ अमृताङ्गाय विद्महे कलारूपाय धीमहि। तन्नः सोमः प्रचोदयात्॥
Om Amṛtāṅgāya Vidmahe Kalārūpāya Dhīmahi, Tannaḥ Somaḥ Prachodayāt.
Built on the Gayatri metre. It names him as the one whose body is amrita, the nectar of immortality, and whose form is the kalas, the phases by which the Moon waxes and wanes, then asks that Soma direct the intellect. Another widely taught form reads "kṣīraputrāya vidmahe amṛtatattvāya dhīmahi, tanno chandraḥ prachodayāt".
Jaap count: 108
Text checked against: drikpanchang.com, Chandra Mantras (Chandra Gayatri Mantra)
Chandra is associated with the mind, but these mantras are not a treatment for anxiety, low mood or sleeplessness, and not a reason to delay seeing a doctor.
When and how to chant
Day: Monday, and Purnima (the full-moon day)
- Monday is Chandra's day; the evening, once the Moon has risen, is the usual time, and Purnima the day of the month most often chosen.
- Face north-west, the direction tradition gives the Moon. Offer water or milk to the Moon (arghya) and white flowers.
- A crystal (sphatik) mala is traditional. Count in rounds of 108; the full Chandra japa of 11,000 is spread across the days of a practice.
- White is the colour associated with him, and rice, milk and white cloth are the usual items given in charity on a Monday.
- Begin on a Monday in the bright fortnight (Shukla paksha) and keep the same time each day once begun.
Benefits, as tradition holds them
Chandra mantras are traditionally taken up during a Chandra mahadasha or antardasha, when the Moon is weak or afflicted in a chart, and by anyone wanting a steadier mind through an unsettled stretch. Tradition links the Moon with the mother, with rest and with emotional balance, which is why its remedies are gentle ones: water, milk, white flowers and regular evening practice. These are the reasons tradition gives; they are not claims about outcomes.
Where is the Moon in your chart?
Chandra is read through your Moon sign, its house, and whether a Chandra mahadasha or antardasha is running. All three come from your birth date, time and place — a calculation, not a guess.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
What is the beej mantra of Chandra?
Om Śrāṁ Śrīṁ Śrauṁ Saḥ Chandramase Namaḥ. A second form ends "Chandrāya Namaḥ" instead; both are in use. The full traditional Chandra japa is 11,000 repetitions over a practice, or one mala of 108 daily.
What is the Chandra mantra in English?
In English letters the beej mantra reads Om Shraam Shreem Shraum Sah Chandramase Namah. The Navagraha stotra verse begins Dadhi-shankha-tusharabham, "white as curd, conch and snow". Both are given above in Devanagari and in transliteration, with their meaning.
On which day should the Chandra mantra be chanted?
Monday, which is named for the Moon (Somvar), in the evening after moonrise. Purnima is the day of the month most often chosen, and a practice is usually begun on a Monday of the bright fortnight.
How many times should the Chandra mantra be chanted?
One mala of 108 daily is the common prescription. For a full Chandra japa the traditional total is 11,000 repetitions of the beej mantra, spread across the days of the practice.