If you already know the Chandra Mantra and are specifically searching for the Chandra Beej Mantra, you are asking the right question. The Beej Mantra – Om Shraam Shreem Shraum Sah Chandramase Namah – is not simply a longer version of Om Som Somaya Namah. The two mantras work differently, on different dimensions of the Moon’s influence, and the Beej Mantra is specifically the astrological remedy form – the one prescribed when a qualified Jyotisha has identified a weak or afflicted Moon in the birth chart and needs a mantra that works at the level of the chart’s planetary energy, not simply at the surface level of emotional soothing. This article covers what makes the Beej Mantra specifically different, what each syllable does, and the complete practice for both daily chanting and serious astrological remedy.
Beej Mantra vs Name Mantra: The Fundamental Difference
Most Chandra mantra articles treat all Moon mantras as interchangeable. They are not. Understanding the difference determines which one to use for your specific situation.
| Feature | Om Som Somaya Namah (Name Mantra) | Om Shraam Shreem Shraum Sah Chandramase Namah (Beej Mantra) |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Chandra’s name in the dative case with a bow (Namah). Addresses Chandra by his Soma identity. | Chandra’s three seed syllables + identifying seal + name in dative case. Addresses Chandra at the level of his primordial sonic energy. |
| How it works | Devotional resonance – creates a relationship of loving attention with Chandra’s nourishing quality. Works primarily at the emotional and experiential level. | Vibrational alignment – the three Beej syllables encode Chandra’s entire energetic frequency in concentrated sonic form. Works at the level of the subtle body and the chart’s planetary energy. |
| Speed of effect | Faster for emotional relief – practitioners typically notice calming within 7 days | Slower but deeper – the Beej Mantra works at a more fundamental level. Effects become apparent at 21 to 40 days. |
| Best for | Daily practice, before sleep, emotional support, informal moments of anxiety | Astrological remedy for weak or afflicted Moon, Moon Mahadasha support, serious chart-level Moon issues |
| Requires initiation? | No – accessible to all | No – documented in classical sources, accessible to all with sincere intent |
| Daily count | 11 or 21 times informally; 108 in formal practice | 108 times minimum in formal Monday practice; 1,008 on Purnima |
Think of it this way: the Name Mantra is a conversation with Chandra. The Beej Mantra is a tuning fork – it vibrates at Chandra’s own frequency and invites your energy field to match it.
The Two Classical Forms: Chandramase vs Chandraya
You will encounter the Chandra Beej Mantra in two forms that differ only in the final word. Both are correct. Neither competitor article explains what the difference is.
Chandramase = to Chandramas. Chandramas is the Moon’s specific identity as the measurer of time – Chandra (the shining, gladdening one) + Masa (measure, month). The Moon is the original timekeeper – its 29.5-day cycle defines the month (Masa) in the Vedic calendar. This form addresses Chandra in his most complete cosmic role: not just as a planet but as the governing principle of time, cycle and rhythm in the natural world. Most Jyotisha prescriptions use this form because it invokes Chandra’s astrological authority most completely.
Chandraya = to Chandra. Chandra alone – the shining one, the gladdening one, the deity. This form is simpler and more widely used in North Indian practice and in many Navagraha puja traditions. It addresses Chandra as the deity directly, without the specific time-measuring dimension of Chandramase.
Which to use: Both are valid and both produce genuine results. If you are chanting for astrological remedy (weak Moon, Moon Mahadasha, chart-level issues): Form 1 (Chandramase) is the more formally correct form for Jyotisha practice. If you are chanting in a general Navagraha puja context or have received the mantra as Chandraya from a teacher: use Form 1. Consistency matters more than which form – choose one and maintain it.
Shraam Shreem Shraum: Every Syllable Explained
| Syllable | Devanagari | Lunar phase it encodes | What it invokes in the practitioner | Sanskrit root |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shraam | श्रां | Waxing Moon (Shukla Paksha – growing light) | The initiating quality of Chandra’s energy: beginning, opening, the first movement of emotional intention, the capacity to start new cycles. Invokes the Moon’s quality of beginning that makes new growth possible. | Shr (the consonant cluster of luminosity, from the same root as Shri/Sri – radiance) + Aa (long opening vowel of beginning and manifestation) + Anusvara (the nasal completion hum) |
| Shreem | श्रीं | Full Moon (Purnima – complete light) | The nourishing, abundant, graceful quality of Chandra at his most complete. Shreem is also Lakshmi’s primary Beej – the sound of grace, beauty, abundance and fulfilled nourishment. Invokes the Moon’s capacity to give fully and completely. | Shri (radiance, grace, the quality of Lakshmi) + ee (the sustained high vowel of fullness and completion) + Anusvara |
| Shraum | श्रौं | Waning Moon (Krishna Paksha – withdrawing light) | The releasing, completing, dissolving quality of Chandra. The capacity to let go of what has been fulfilled, to complete cycles gracefully, to transition from fullness back to receptivity. Invokes the Moon’s wisdom of releasing. | Shr + au (the diphthong of completion and culmination, the same au-sound that appears in Sanskrit words of completion) + Anusvara |
| Sah | सः | The identifying seal | Connects the three Beej sounds specifically to Chandra – preventing the energy from dispersing diffusely and directing it precisely to the Moon. | Visarga – the aspirated final consonant that identifies and seals |
The three Beej syllables together encode the Moon’s complete cycle – waxing, full, waning. Chanting them in sequence is like playing the Moon’s own rhythm back to the universe. Your emotional life, which follows the same rhythm naturally, realigns with it.
Chandra Beej Mantra Benefits: What the Astrological Form Specifically Does
Because the Beej Mantra works at the level of planetary energy (not just emotional experience), its benefits are specifically astrological in nature. This does not mean they are abstract – they manifest in very specific life areas.
Strengthening Weak Moon in the Birth Chart
A weak Moon – one with low Shadbala (planetary strength score), or placed in Scorpio (its debilitation sign), or heavily influenced by malefics without benefic protection – produces a characteristic cluster of symptoms: poor memory, lack of emotional self-confidence, the feeling of being emotionally depleted or “running on empty,” disturbed sleep, and a quality of inner life that feels pale or colourless even when external circumstances are reasonable. The Chandra Beej Mantra, chanted daily for a minimum of 40 days, progressively strengthens the Moon’s positive qualities in the practitioner’s energy field – beginning with the sleep quality (typically the first area to shift, within 7 to 14 days) and progressing to emotional confidence and memory over the following weeks.
Addressing Kemadruma Yoga
Kemadruma Yoga occurs when the Moon has no planets in the signs on either side of it (neither the 2nd nor the 12th sign from the Moon contains a planet). Classically, this creates a quality of emotional isolation – the Moon, which needs the support of other planets to express its full nourishing quality, finds itself alone. The experienced manifestation is a persistent feeling of aloneness even in company, difficulty receiving support from others, and emotional highs and lows that lack the grounding influence that surrounding planets would normally provide. The Chandra Beej Mantra is specifically prescribed for Kemadruma Yoga because the Shraam-Shreem-Shraum sequence reintroduces the complete lunar cycle into the practitioner’s energy field – compensating, through sound, for the planetary isolation the chart shows.
Moon Mahadasha Support (10-Year Period)
During Moon Mahadasha – a 10-year period governed entirely by Chandra in the Vimshottari Dasha system – all Moon themes become magnified. If the Moon is well-placed, this is a period of emotional richness, creative abundance and deepening relationships. If the Moon is weak or afflicted, 10 years of intensified Moon difficulties becomes the context for daily life. The Beej Mantra, maintained daily throughout the Mahadasha, is the primary sonic remedy for this extended period – specifically because the Beej form works at the chart-level energy (where the Mahadasha operates) rather than only at the surface-level experiential quality.
Chandra Dosh Remedy
Chandra Dosh refers broadly to all forms of Moon affliction in the birth chart – from simple weakness to specific malefic influences (Saturn conjunction/Visha Yoga, Rahu conjunction/Shakata Yoga, eclipses affecting the natal Moon). The Chandra Beej Mantra is the standard Jyotisha prescription across all forms of Chandra Dosh. The specific Dosh determines the intensity of the remedy (how many repetitions, whether combined with other planetary mantras) but the Beej Mantra is universally the starting point.
The 28 Names of Chandra: At a Glance
The tradition preserves 28 classical names of Chandra – one for each of his 28 Nakshatra stations (the 27 Nakshatras plus Abhijit). GuruKripa’s article mentions them but does not list them. These names can be chanted as a prefix to the Beej Mantra on specific Nakshatras or as a standalone Namaavali (name recitation) practice:
| Name | Meaning | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chandra | The shining, gladdening one | Soma | The bearer of divine nectar |
| Indu | The bright drop, the luminous | Vidhu | The knower, the wise |
| Shashin | The hare-marked one (the hare in the Moon) | Sitamshu | The one of cool rays |
| Kumuda | The one who delights the earth (kumuda = white lotus that blooms at night) | Udupati | Lord of the stars |
| Sudhakara | The maker of nectar (Sudha = nectar, Kara = maker) | Shubhrangshu | The one of auspicious rays |
| Oshadhisha | Lord of plants and herbs | Nakshatranath | Lord of the Nakshatras |
| Kalanidhih | Treasure of all the arts (Kala = art/skill) | Himanshu | The cool-rayed one (Hima = snow/cold) |
| Rajanipati | Lord of the night | Abja | Born of water (also the name of the lotus) |
| Jyotsnapati | Lord of moonlight (Jyotsna = moonlight) | Amritasyu | The one who gives Amrita |
| Mriganka | The deer-marked one (the deer that some see in the Moon’s pattern) | Candamas | The Moon-measurer (the time-keeper) |
The Pearl (Moti): Chandra’s Gemstone Protocol
The Pearl is Chandra’s gemstone – worn to amplify the Moon’s positive qualities in the birth chart alongside the Beej Mantra practice. Together, the mantra and the gemstone form the most complete Chandra remedy available.
| Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Type of Pearl | Natural sea pearl (not cultured pearl or shell pearl). South Sea pearl or Basra pearl are considered most effective. Minimum weight: 3 to 5 Ratti (approximately 0.55 to 0.92 grams). The pearl must be unheated and untreated. |
| Metal for setting | Silver – Chandra’s metal. The pearl is set in pure silver (ideally 92.5% silver) with an open back so the stone touches the skin. |
| Finger | Little finger (Kanishtha) of the right hand – the finger associated with Mercury/Moon in the hand’s planetary map. Some traditions use the ring finger of the right hand – follow your Jyotisha’s guidance. |
| Day and time to wear | Monday morning during Shukla Paksha (waxing Moon fortnight). Ideally within 1 hour of sunrise. After the Chandra Beej Mantra has been chanted 108 times. |
| Energisation before wearing | Place the ring in raw milk for 20 minutes the night before. On Monday morning: wash in Ganga Jal or clean water. Hold the ring and chant Om Shraam Shreem Shraum Sah Chandramase Namah 108 times over it. Then wear. |
Complete Practice Guide
Daily Practice
- Time: Monday Brahma Muhurta (before sunrise). Or at Sandhya (dusk) on any day – Chandra’s presence increases after sunset.
- Preparation: Bathe. White clothing. Place a Chandra image or the Moon’s symbol before you. Offer white flowers and a small vessel of milk.
- Opening – Dhyana Shloka (once): Dadhishankhatusharabham Kshirodarnava Sambhavam – Namami Shashinam Bhaktya Shambhor Mukuta Bhushanam. Visualise Chandra Dev – cool, white, seated on a white lotus, radiant as moonlight.
- Main Japa: Om Shraam Shreem Shraum Sah Chandramase Namah – 108 times on a white crystal or pearl mala. Move one bead per complete mantra. Do not cross the Meru bead.
- Closing: Sit in silence for 3 minutes. Offer the milk to a plant or to running water.
Monday Fast (Somavar Vrat)
The Monday fast amplifies the Beej Mantra significantly. Options in increasing intensity: one meal of white foods only (milk, curd, rice, white fruits); fruits and liquids only; full Nirjala (water only) fast from sunrise to moonrise. Even the mildest option – one white-food meal on Mondays – produces a noticeable enhancement of the mantra’s effect when maintained for 16 consecutive Mondays.
Purnima Intensive
On Purnima (full moon) evening – ideally outdoors in direct moonlight:
- Chandra Beej Mantra: 1,008 times (10 mala rounds). At minimum: 108 times.
- Arghya (offering to the Moon): After completing the count, hold a copper or silver vessel of milk toward the Moon and offer while chanting Om Shraam Shreem Shraum Sah Chandramase Namah three times. The Arghya is the most important single physical act of Chandra worship – the direct offering of the Moon’s own nourishment (milk, which the Moon governs) back to Chandra himself.
- Chandra Yantra meditation: If you have a Chandra Yantra, place it where moonlight falls on it during the practice.
For Serious Astrological Remedy (Kemadruma, Chandra Dosh, Moon Mahadasha)
- Daily: 108 repetitions – no exceptions, even on non-Mondays
- Monday: 1,008 repetitions
- Purnima: 1,008 repetitions
- Complete Purashcharan (for Mantra Siddhi): 11,000 repetitions – at 108 daily, approximately 102 days
- Alongside Pearl gemstone (after chart assessment by qualified Jyotisha)
- Monday Somavar Vrat maintained throughout the remedy period
The Chandra Beej Mantra is the mantra I prescribe most frequently for a specific type of client – the person who comes not with a dramatic crisis but with a persistent, low-grade dissatisfaction with their own inner life. They cannot point to one specific problem. They describe it as “I just feel off” or “I used to be more optimistic” or “my memory is not what it was.” When I look at the chart, I consistently find Moon-related issues: a debilitated Moon, a Moon in tight conjunction with Saturn (Visha Yoga), or a Moon in Kemadruma – alone, without planetary support on either side.
For these clients, the Beej Mantra produces results that are gradual and unmistakable rather than sudden and dramatic. After 21 days of daily practice, the sleep quality improves – this is always the first shift. After 40 days, the morning emotional state changes: instead of waking into an already-anxious day, there is a brief window of natural equanimity before the day’s concerns arrive. After 60 days, the memory shows measurable improvement. After 90 days, the quality of the practitioner’s relationships has typically shifted – they report being more available to others, less emotionally reactive, and more genuinely nourished by their connections.
The most consistent finding across three decades: the Pearl gemstone combined with the Beej Mantra produces results that neither produces alone. The mantra without the Pearl works but slowly. The Pearl without the mantra works for some chart configurations but not for afflicted Moon situations. Together – Pearl worn since a Monday morning on which the mantra was chanted over it, combined with daily Beej Mantra practice – produces the most consistent and reliable Moon strengthening I have observed in any single prescription.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Wikipedia – Chandra: the 28 classical names of the Moon, Oshadhipati (lord of herbs), Nakshatranath (lord of Nakshatras), the 27 Nakshatra wives, the Moon’s governance of the month (Masa)
- Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra – Kemadruma Yoga definition and effects; Visha Yoga (Moon-Saturn); Moon Mahadasha (10 years in Vimshottari Dasha); Chandra as Manah-karaka; Pearl as Chandra’s gemstone; debilitation in Scorpio, exaltation in Taurus
- Wikipedia – Navagraha: Chandra’s role in the nine-planet system, his association with Monday (Soma-vara), the Chandra Beej Mantra as the standard Navagraha Moon remedy
- Rigveda – Soma as divine nectar and as the Moon; the 15 Chandra Kalas and their correspondence to the 15 lunar tithis; Shreem as Lakshmi’s primary Beej syllable in the Shakta mantra tradition
Moon Mantra Benefits: complete Chandra Mantra guide for mind, emotions and healing
Navagraha Mantra meaning: all 9 planet mantras with complete pronunciation guide
Adityaya Somaya Mangalaya Mantra: the collective Navagraha mantra explained
Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra: the companion practice for Moon-Saturn (Visha Yoga)
Narendra Kumar Chaubey is a Jyotisha Acharya with over 30 years of experience, based in Bihar and serving clients across India in Vedic astrology, mantra shastra, Vastu and ritual practice.
He completed his formal training at Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University (KSDSU), one of India’s oldest and most respected institutions for Vedic and Sanskrit scholarship, where he studied Jyotisha shastra, mantra vidya and related classical sciences. KSDSU’s tradition of rigorous Sanskrit education — tracing directly to the Mithila region’s centuries-old pandit lineage — forms the foundation of his practice.
Over three decades, Narendra Kumar Chaubey has worked with thousands of individuals and families across Bihar and across India, offering guidance in:
- Kundli (birth chart) analysis — identifying karmic patterns, planetary periods and life path guidance through classical Jyotisha
- Palmistry (Hasta Samudrika) — reading the hand according to the classical Samudrika Shastra tradition
- Vastu Shastra — assessment and correction of living and working spaces according to directional and elemental principles
- Mantra and Pooja vidhi — performing and guiding all categories of puja, havan, and mantra sadhana for personal, family and business situations
- Predictive Jyotisha — transit analysis, muhurta (auspicious timing) selection and remedial guidance
He works across four languages — Sanskrit, Hindi, English and Bhojpuri — making classical knowledge accessible to practitioners across educational backgrounds and regions.
His writing for ABMantra brings the precision of classical Vedic training to practical mantra guidance: not general advice but specific prescriptions grounded in shastra, lineage and 30 years of direct practice with real situations.
