Shloka 17
Matsya Purana — Navagraha Sacrifice for Planetary Pacification and Prosperity
संस्मरेद्रक्तमादित्यम् अङ्गारकसमन्वितम् सोमशुक्रौ तथा श्वेतो बुधजीवौ च पिङ्गलौ मन्दराहू तथा कृष्णौ धूम्रं केतुगणं विदुः //
saṃsmaredraktamādityam aṅgārakasamanvitam somaśukrau tathā śveto budhajīvau ca piṅgalau mandarāhū tathā kṛṣṇau dhūmraṃ ketugaṇaṃ viduḥ //
One should meditate upon the Sun as red, together with Aṅgāraka (Mars). The Moon and Śukra (Venus) are to be remembered as white; Budha (Mercury) and Jīva/Bṛhaspati (Jupiter) as tawny, yellow-brown. Śanaiścara (Saturn) and Rāhu are to be known as black, and the host of Ketus as smoke-colored.
FAQs
This verse does not address pralaya; it gives a ritual-visualization rule (graha-dhyāna) by assigning traditional colors to the planets and lunar nodes for remembrance and worship.
In the Matsya Purana’s ritual framework, kings and householders perform graha-śānti and daily/occasional worship to reduce obstacles and maintain auspicious order; this verse supplies the correct meditative color-forms used in such rites.
Ritually, it guides accurate Navagraha contemplation and iconographic coloring in worship; such specifications are also used when painting or installing Navagraha representations in temple or shrine contexts.