Original text
नाम (मूल) मंत्र: ॐ कें केतवे नमः॥ बीज (तांत्रोक्त) मंत्र: ॐ स्रां स्रीं स्रौं सः केतवे नमः॥ केतु गायत्री मंत्र: ॐ गदाहस्ताय विद्महे अमृतेशाय धीमहि। तन्नः केतुः प्रचोदयात्॥ प्रणाम श्लोक (नवग्रह स्तोत्र से): पलाशपुष्पसंकाशं तारकाग्रहमस्तकम्। रौद्रं रौद्रात्मकं घोरं तं केतुं प्रणमाम्यहम्॥
Transliteration
Naam (mool) mantra: Om Kem Ketave Namah. Beej (tantrokta) mantra: Om Sram Sreem Sraum Sah Ketave Namah. Ketu Gayatri: Om Gadahastaya Vidmahe Amriteshaya Dhimahi Tannah Ketuh Prachodayat. Pranam shloka (from the Navagraha Stotra): Palashapushpasankasham tarakagrahamastakam Raudram raudratmakam ghoram tam ketum pranamamyaham.
The body without a head
Ketu is the other half of the asura Svarbhanu, whose head Vishnu cut off at the churning of the ocean after he had swallowed the amrit (the head is Rahu). Ketu is the body — headless, a chhaya graha or shadow planet, the moon's south node. His Navagraha Stotra verse pictures him "red like the palash flower, head of the stars and planets, fierce, of fierce nature, terrible — to Ketu I bow". The word ketu also means a banner or a comet, and the comet's tail is often seen as his form.
What Ketu governs
Where Rahu hungers, Ketu lets go. In jyotish he is the graha of detachment, past-life karma, intuition, spiritual liberation (moksha), sudden losses, mysterious illnesses, accidents, and research into hidden things. A strong Ketu is associated with insight and spiritual depth; an afflicted one with confusion, isolation, and losses that seem to come from nowhere. Ketu's dasha lasts seven years.
The mantras
- Naam (mool) mantra — ॐ कें केतवे नमः (Om Kem Ketave Namah): the short daily mantra.
- Beej (tantrokta) mantra — ॐ स्रां स्रीं स्रौं सः केतवे नमः (Om Sram Sreem Sraum Sah Ketave Namah): for a formal Ketu anushthan, traditionally completed with 17,000 repetitions.
- Ketu Gayatri: "Om, may we know the one who holds the mace, may we meditate on the lord of amrit; may Ketu inspire us."
How to chant
- Begin on a Tuesday or Saturday — practice varies; both are widely used for Ketu.
- Sit facing north-west. Offer a smoky-coloured or multicoloured cloth, flowers, a lamp and a few grains of sesame or kulthi (horse gram); recite the pranam shloka.
- Chant at least one mala daily; divide 17,000 over the days of a formal anushthan.
- Donations: a blanket, sesame, or food for dogs — Ketu is traditionally linked to them.
Ganesh is the deity most often worshipped for Ketu, and many people chant Om Gan Ganapataye Namah alongside the Ketu mantra.
Benefits traditionally associated with it
These are jyotish beliefs, not guaranteed outcomes.
- Steadiness during a Ketu mahadasha or antardasha, and protection from sudden accidents and losses.
- Insight, intuition and progress in meditation and spiritual practice.
- Traditionally suggested alongside Rahu remedies for Kaal Sarp yoga.
Frequently asked questions
What is the beej mantra of Ketu?
ॐ स्रां स्रीं स्रौं सः केतवे नमः (Om Sram Sreem Sraum Sah Ketave Namah). The naam mantra is ॐ कें केतवे नमः.
Which day is best for the Ketu mantra?
Tuesday or Saturday; traditions differ. Choose one and keep to it.
How many times should it be chanted?
One mala daily; a formal anushthan of the beej mantra is 17,000 in total.
How are Rahu and Ketu related?
They are the head and body of the same asura, Svarbhanu, cut apart by Vishnu after he drank the amrit. They always sit opposite each other in a chart.
Why is Ganesh worshipped for Ketu?
Ganesh is traditionally regarded as the deity who pacifies Ketu, so Ganesh puja and mantras are a common Ketu remedy.
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