by Mangal grah : The Lord of Good Fortune
Mangal grah or Mangal Dev, also known as Angaraka or Kuja, is one of the most interesting Gods of Indian mythology. Unlike other Gods whose birth can be traced by the union of two deities, Mangal Dev, like very few other gods, was, in fact, born of the perspiration of Lord Shiva. It is said that while Mahadev was deep in meditation as he was fond of doing most times, there was a time when a few drops of his sweat fell to the ground, and the result was the birth of an unusual baby who had a red body and four arms. Lord Shiva handed him over to Mother Earth and asked her to bring him up, and thus he has got his other names such as Angaraka (red bodied) and Kuja (a child born of the Earth). Some the other names by which Lord Mangal is known as are Raktavarna (one with a body the colour of blood), Bhauma (son of Mother Earth or Bhumi), and Lohitanga (one who is made of iron or red bodied).
Now, many of us have heard of Mangal grah in negative contexts mainly, as he represents the fourth planet in our solar system (Mangal Grah), which is also reddish in colour, and as a planet who is positioning in someone’s fortunes usually leads to misfortune. In astrological terms, Mangal grah is known to be malefic, and people born under the influence of this planet in certain combinations of houses and charts are known to be mangliks. However, Mangal Dev is not just known for negative reasons. There are many positive causes too, which can be furthered should he be worshipped, as he is the God associated with many noble and brave professions such as being a part of armed forces, a surgeon, athletes, as well as representing other things such as land property and houses, strength, and hard work. Some of the popular mantras associated with Mangal Dev are:
Mangal grah Mantra
“Aum Kum Kujaaya Namah
Om Krim Kum Kujaya Namah
Om Agnirmoordhadivah Kakutpati Prithivya Ayam
Apaang Retaang Si Jinvati Bhoumay Namah”
The Navagraha Mangal Mantra is as follows:
“Dharani GarbhsambhootamVidyutkantisamprabham
KumaramShaktihastam Cha MangalamPranamamyaham”
Lord Mangal grah is depicted as a red-bodied Lord sitting atop his vehicle, a ram, and sometimes also seated beside his consort, Jwalini. Praying to Lord Mangal has been beneficial for those who have had several conflicts in life, including those related to money, property, relationships, marital life, personal improvements in people, who are honest but are still suffering from misfortunes, and those who lead risky lives, which need a lot of courage and strength.
It is said that Lord Shiva was extremely pleased with the penance that Mangal Dev had done as a youngster, and thus, he decided to gift him the Mangal Lok, which is considered even higher in stature than the lok of devas, the ShukrLok. Lord Mangal too is known to be pleased by people, who perform him pujas with a lot of dedication, those who can sacrifice their time and give up pleasures, such as fasting for 21 Tuesdays and grants them their wishes.
