The Ketu Chalisa - the forty-verse hymn to Ketu Dev, the south lunar node (shadow planet), recited for relief from Ketu dosha and for spiritual progress.
जय जय श्री केतु देव प्रभु, छाया ग्रह महाराज।
करहु कृपा निज दास पर, राखहु जन की लाज॥
जय जय श्री केतु सुखकारी। छाया ग्रह तुम जग में भारी॥
ध्वज रूप तन शोभा न्यारी। मोक्ष दायक तुम परम उदारी॥
अर्ध शरीर तुम्हारा माना। धड़ रूप जग में पहचाना॥
समुद्र मन्थन में तुम आये। राहु संग तुम शीश कटाये॥
केतु दोष जो कुण्डल माहीं। ध्यान धरे तेहि कष्ट न नाहीं॥
मंगल वार जो पूजन कीजे। मन इच्छित वरदान सो लीजे॥
धूम्र वस्त्र धूप जो लगावे। तिल का भोग तुम्हें जो लावे॥
लहसुनिया धारण जो कीजे। केतु की कृपा सो जन लीजे॥
मोक्ष मार्ग तुम्हीं से सोहे। अध्यात्म ज्ञान जन तुमसे मोहे॥
रोग व्याधि सब दूर हो जावे। केतु देव जो शरण में आवे॥
जो जन तुमको शीश नवावे। अध्यात्म ज्ञान सो जन पावे॥
संकट से जन मुक्ति पावे। भय बाधा सब दूर सिधावे॥
साधना में जो जन ध्यान लगावे। केतु कृपा से सिद्धि पावे॥
मानसिक भ्रम सब दूर हो जावे। शान्ति सुख जन सो पावे॥
श्रद्धा से जो ध्यान लगावे। सो नर निर्भय जग में जावे॥
केतु देव की महिमा भारी। पूजत नर नारी सब प्यारी॥
कलियुग में महिमा अति न्यारी। भक्तन के तुम हो हितकारी॥
ग्रह दोष सब दूर हो जावे। केतु कृपा सब सुख पावे॥
जो यह पाठ करे चालीसा। पूरण आस करे जगदीशा॥
केतु देव की कृपा जो पावे। सो नर भव सागर तर जावे॥
केतु देव चालीसा, पढ़े सुने जो कोय।
केतु दोष सब दूर हों, मंगल मंगल होय॥
Jai jai Shri Ketu dev Prabhu, chhaaya grah Maharaaj.
Karahu kripa nij daas par, raakhahu jan ki laaj.
Jai jai Shri Ketu sukhkaari. Chhaaya grah tum jag me bhaari.
Dhvaj roop tan shobha nyaari. Moksh daayak tum param udaari.
Ardh shareer tumhaara maana. Dhad roop jag me pehchaana.
Samudra manthan me tum aaye. Raahu sang tum sheesh kataaye.
Ketu dosh jo kundal maahi. Dhyaan dhare tehi kasht na naahi.
Mangal vaar jo poojan keeje. Man ichchhit vardaan so leeje.
Dhoomra vastra dhoop jo lagaave. Til ka bhog tumhe jo laave.
Lahsuniya dhaaran jo keeje. Ketu ki kripa so jan leeje.
Moksh maarg tumhi se sohe. Adhyaatm gyan jan tumse mohe.
Rog vyaadhi sab door ho jaave. Ketu dev jo sharan me aave.
Jo jan tumko sheesh navaave. Adhyaatm gyan so jan paave.
Sankat se jan mukti paave. Bhay baadha sab door sidhaave.
Saadhna me jo jan dhyaan lagaave. Ketu kripa se siddhi paave.
Maanasik bhram sab door ho jaave. Shaanti sukh jan so paave.
Shraddha se jo dhyaan lagaave. So nar nirbhay jag me jaave.
Ketu dev ki mahima bhaari. Poojat nar naari sab pyaari.
Kaliyug me mahima ati nyaari. Bhaktan ke tum ho hitkaari.
Grah dosh sab door ho jaave. Ketu kripa sab sukh paave.
Jo yah paath kare Chalisa. Pooran aas kare jagdeesha.
Ketu dev ki kripa jo paave. So nar bhav saagar tar jaave.
Ketu dev Chalisa, padhe sune jo koy.
Ketu dosh sab door ho, mangal mangal hoy.
Frequently asked questions about Ketu Chalisa
What is Ketu?
The south lunar node - the other shadow planet, the trunk left when the head became Rahu, and shown with a flag, dhvaj roop, as the Chalisa says. He is the moksha-karaka, the graha of detachment and release.
When is the Chalisa recited?
On Tuesdays and Saturdays, and during a Ketu mahadasha or antardasha. Devotees read it before a multicoloured or grey flower with a til-oil lamp, often alongside Ganesha worship.
What does Ketu signify in a chart?
Detachment, sudden loss, spiritual insight, and skill that arrives without being learnt. Where Rahu grasps, Ketu drops - which is why a strong Ketu can give mastery in one narrow thing and no interest in anything else.
What is given in daan for Ketu?
Sesame, a multicoloured blanket, a flag, a coconut, lead and iron. Feeding dogs, and worship of Ganesha, are the acts the tradition names with it.
Is Ketu bad for worldly life?
He is difficult for accumulation and easy for renunciation - the classical texts read a Ketu period as one where things fall away and understanding grows. Whether that is loss or relief depends on what the chart is asking; the Mahadasha tool shows when his period runs.
About the Ketu Chalisa
The Ketu Chalisa - the forty-verse hymn to Ketu Dev, the south lunar node (shadow planet), recited for relief from Ketu dosha and for spiritual progress.
A chalisa is a devotional hymn of forty (chalis) verses (chaupais), framed by opening and closing dohas (couplets). The Ketu Chalisa above is given in both Hindi (Devanagari) and English (Hinglish, Roman script) so you can read it in whichever script you are most comfortable with - switch between the two using the buttons above. It is traditionally recited with devotion, often after a bath and before the deity, especially on the day associated with the deity.
A chalisa is forty verses. It is not the short lamp-song (that is an aarti) and not a longer Sanskrit stotram. Other forty-verse hymns are on the Chalisa index. For japa of a compact formula use a mantra. If you are keeping a fast, the story is under Vrat Katha.
