Steady effort and routine are the best companions in study. Tradition links learning with the 4th and 5th houses, Mercury and Jupiter; below are options starting at ₹0.
The planets tradition looks at for this topic
lord of the 4th (early education) house
Tradition
lord of the 5th (intellect) house
Tradition
Mercury: a karaka of the 4th; learning and intellect
Classical text · Phaladīpikā XV.17 (V. S. Sastri)
Phaladīpikā XV.17 (V. S. Sastri)
Jupiter: karaka of the 5th; knowledge and teachers
Classical text · Phaladīpikā XV.17 (V. S. Sastri)
Phaladīpikā XV.17 (V. S. Sastri)
No gem for a child under 12 (gem_rule R6), and no fasting; only conduct, mantra/prayer and seva.
The planets linked in your chart
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Eating or sharing a simple grain or fruit linked with the planet, on its weekday.
Mercury
Mercury's grain: green gram (moong)
On Wednesday, include moong dal, moong chilla or sprouted moong in a meal.
When: Wednesday
Classical text · Phaladīpikā (V. S. Sastri) II.28
Phaladīpikā (V. S. Sastri) II.28
Do / don't
Do
Keep quantities in line with your health and your doctor's advice
Mercury
Green vegetables and green fruit
On Wednesday, add green foods such as spinach, bottle gourd, green peas or guava to your plate.
When: Wednesday
Tradition
Do / don't
Don't
Skip anything you are allergic to or your doctor has ruled out; for health, the doctor comes first
Fasting (₹0 free)
The planet's weekday fast or Ekadashi, within your health; ask a doctor if unwell, pregnant or on medicines.
Mercury
Wednesday fast
On Wednesday, eat one simple meal (such as moong khichdi) or only fruit; remember Ganesha or Vishnu in the morning.
When: Wednesday, starting on a Shukla-paksha Wednesday
Tradition
Do / don't
Do
Choose how many Wednesdays suits you; tradition often mentions 7, 11 or 21
Don't
If you are unwell, pregnant or on medication, skip the fast or ask your doctor first
Mercury
Ekadashi fast
Tradition links Mercury with devotion to Vishnu; on Ekadashi, keep a fruit fast or eat once, without grains.
When: Ekadashi of each fortnight
Tradition
Do / don't
Don't
If you are unwell, pregnant or on medication, skip the fast or ask your doctor first
Conduct (₹0 free)
Everyday conduct tied to what the planet signifies: respect for elders, honesty, discipline.
Mercury
Heeding elders, listening to scripture, keeping the mind clean
For planets adverse in transit, Praśna Mārga lists this conduct: obey elders, listen to the Vedas and Puranas, keep the mind pure. Read or listen to a good text for a little while each day.
When: Daily
Classical text · Praśna Mārga XXII.31 (Raman tr.)
Praśna Mārga XXII.31 (Raman tr.)
Mercury
What Mercury signifies
Phaladīpikā links Mercury with the learned man, the artisan, the clever accountant and the Vishnu devotee. So Mercury's remedies focus on study, writing and honest dealings (this form of conduct is tradition).
When: —
Classical text · Phaladīpikā II.18 (V. S. Sastri)
Phaladīpikā II.18 (V. S. Sastri)
Mercury
Truthful speech and fair dealings
Think before you speak, don't mock anyone, keep your accounts clean, keep promises on time, and speak kindly to sisters, aunts and young children.
When: Daily
Tradition
Do / don't
Do
Help a student with their studies a little
Don't
Avoid lies, harsh words and muddled debts
Colour / clothes / direction (₹0 free)
Clothes or flowers in the planet's colour on its weekday, and the direction linked with it.
Mercury
Green
For planets adverse in transit, Praśna Mārga prescribes clothes and flowers of the planet's colour; Mercury's is green. On Wednesday wear something green, even a handkerchief or a border, and keep green leaves or durva in worship.
When: Wednesday
Classical text · Praśna Mārga XXII.27 (Raman tr.)
Praśna Mārga XXII.27 (Raman tr.)
Do / don't
Do
A light green is fine; the point is remembrance, not fashion
Mercury
Direction: north
Phaladīpikā gives north as Mercury's quarter. You may face north while studying or writing, and place Mercury on the north side in worship.
When: While studying or in worship
Classical text · Phaladīpikā II.15 (V. S. Sastri)
Phaladīpikā II.15 (V. S. Sastri)
Service (₹0 free)
Feeding cows, dogs, birds or ants, serving elders and people in need; never harming any creature.
Mercury
Green fodder for a cow
On Wednesday, feed green grass or green fodder to a cow, or at a nearby gaushala.
When: Wednesday
Tradition
Do / don't
Don't
Never give animals stale, salty or plastic-wrapped food
Mercury
Grain and water for birds
Keep soaked moong or bird grain and a bowl of clean water on the roof or balcony.
When: Wednesday or daily
Folk practice
Do / don't
Do
Change the water daily and keep the bowl clean
Don't
Don't cage birds or buy them to 'set free'
Tree care (₹0 free)
Watering or planting the tree linked with the planet (e.g. shami for Saturn, peepal for Jupiter).
Mercury
Apamarga (chirchita)
BPHS names apamarga as Mercury's samidh (sacred fuel) in havan, so tradition treats it as Mercury's plant. Plant it in a pot or yard, or water it where it grows (planting and watering are tradition).
When: Wednesday
Classical text · BPHS (Santhanam) 84.21–22
BPHS (Santhanam) 84.21–22
Do / don't
Do
Its burr-like seeds stick to clothes; plant it a little away from where children play
Mercury
Tulsi or any green plant
Tradition links Mercury with Vishnu; grow tulsi or any green plant at home and tend it on Wednesday.
When: Wednesday
Tradition
Do / don't
Don't
Don't break branches or leaves without need
Mantra / stotra / recitation (₹0 free)
The planet's name-mantra, beej mantra or a stotra, a few calm minutes a day.
Mercury
Name mantra: ॐ बुधाय नमः
After bathing in the morning, sit somewhere quiet and chant 'ॐ बुधाय नमः' 108 times (one mala).
When: Wednesday morning, or daily
Tradition
Do / don't
Do
Chanting is considered a help in focusing the mind; mind the feeling more than the count
Mercury
Beej mantra: ॐ ब्रां ब्रीं ब्रौं सः बुधाय नमः
A beej mantra from the tantric tradition; chant it 108 times on Wednesday.
When: Wednesday
Tradition
Mercury
Reciting the Vishnu Sahasranama
BPHS names Maha Vishnu as Mercury's presiding deity. Read or listen to the Vishnu Sahasranama on Wednesday (the choice of stotra is tradition).
When: Wednesday
Classical text · BPHS (Santhanam) 3.18
BPHS (Santhanam) 3.18
Do / don't
Don't
If pronunciation is hard, listening is enough; don't worry about getting it wrong
Lamp / temple visit / pilgrimage (₹0 free)
Lighting a lamp on the planet's weekday or visiting a temple linked with it.
Mercury
A lamp in worship
BPHS describes offering the planet flowers and cloth of its colour, sandal, a lamp and incense. On Wednesday evening, light a ghee lamp at your home shrine and place green durva.
When: Wednesday evening
Classical text · BPHS (Santhanam) 84.15–16
BPHS (Santhanam) 84.15–16
Mercury
Visiting a Vishnu or Ganesha temple
Phaladīpikā counts 'the place where Vishnu is kept' among Mercury's places. Visit a Vishnu temple on Wednesday; in North India, visiting a Ganesha temple on Wednesday is also tradition.
When: Wednesday
Classical text · Phaladīpikā II.15 (V. S. Sastri)
Phaladīpikā II.15 (V. S. Sastri)
Do / don't
Don't
Don't make a temple visit a bargain for results; it is time for devotion
Lal Kitab (₹0 free)
Simple, harmless totke from Lal Kitab (a separate tradition); nothing that harms rivers, animals or property.
Mercury
Respect for sisters, daughters and aunts
Lal Kitab links Mercury with sisters, daughters and aunts. Meet them with affection, and now and then give a small green gift (green bangles or a handkerchief).
When: Wednesday
Lal Kitab
Lal Kitab (a separate tradition)
Mercury
Keeping teeth and mouth clean
Lal Kitab links Mercury with the teeth; clean your teeth well every day (a habit, not a treatment; for any dental problem, see a dentist first).
When: Daily
Lal Kitab
Lal Kitab (a separate tradition)
Mercury
Giving whole moong
On Wednesday, give a little whole moong at a temple or to someone in need.
When: Wednesday
Lal Kitab
Lal Kitab (a separate tradition)
Do / don't
Don't
Don't put anything into a river or pond
Charity (₹0–₹51)
Giving a small item linked with the planet, within your means, to someone in need on its weekday.
Mercury
Charity named in the texts: gold
Both BPHS (84.25) and Praśna Mārga name gold as Mercury's gift. This is information; don't go beyond your means.
When: Wednesday
Classical text · BPHS (Santhanam) 84.25
BPHS (Santhanam) 84.25
Mercury
Today's small form: moong, green vegetables, notebooks and pens
On Wednesday, give moong dal or green vegetables to someone in need, or notebooks and pens to a student.
When: Wednesday
Tradition
Do / don't
Do
Whatever you give should be clean and useful
Don't
Don't borrow to give, or give for show
Mercury
Feeding someone grain cooked in milk
BPHS lists grain (paddy) cooked in milk as Mercury's offering when feeding Brahmins. Today's form (tradition): feed kheer or milk-rice to someone in need.
When: Wednesday
Classical text · BPHS (Santhanam) 84.23–24
BPHS (Santhanam) 84.23–24
Herbal bath (₹0–₹99)
A bath with water steeped in the planet's herbs; skip it if your skin reacts.
Mercury
Bathing with the planet's herbal water
For planets adverse in transit, Praśna Mārga mentions pouring the planet's medicated water over the body.
When: —
Classical text · Praśna Mārga XXII.32 (Raman tr.)
Praśna Mārga XXII.32 (Raman tr.)
Mercury
For Mercury: nutmeg, honey, unbroken rice
Add a pinch of nutmeg powder, a few drops of honey and a little unbroken rice to a bucket of water and bathe. Lists differ between traditions.
When: Wednesday morning
Tradition
Do / don't
Do
Patch-test on your hand first; stop if your skin reacts
Don't
With any skin condition or allergy, ask your doctor first; for health, the doctor comes first
Root (jadi)
A plant root linked with the planet, worn in cloth or an amulet; traditions name different roots.
Mercury
Vidhara root
Tradition gives the vidhara root for Mercury: on Wednesday it is worn tied in green cloth or on a green thread on the arm.
When: Wednesday, Shukla paksha
Tradition
Do / don't
Do
Buy from a reliable source; how to check is in the genuineness guide
A pandit performs the planet's japa or havan with a sankalp in your name; agree the cost beforehand.
Mercury
Mercury's Vedic mantra japa: 9,000
BPHS gives 9,000 as the japa count for Mercury's Vedic mantra (opening: 'उद्बुध्यस्व…'). A pandit takes the sankalpa, worships the planet and then does the japa; it is often spread over several days or pandits.
Sankalpa puja by a pandit: what happens, what it costs
Sankalpa, Ganesha puja, Mercury puja (green cloth and flowers), mantra japa and a small havan. Usually ₹251–₹2,100 (from a short puja to one with havan); the full 9,000 japa can cost more, so ask in writing first.
When: Wednesday
Tradition
Do / don't
Don't
Stay away from pujas sold through fear or promises of quick results
Praśna Mārga names 'garuda' (emerald) as Mercury's gem, in the context of adverse transits; wearing the gem of a chart's benefic planet is today's tradition. Gold or bronze, little finger, Wednesday (metal, finger and day: tradition).
When: Wednesday, Shukla paksha
Classical text · Praśna Mārga XXII.29 (Raman tr.)
Praśna Mārga XXII.29 (Raman tr.)
Do / don't
Do
Only when this planet is a functional benefic for your chart (gem rule)
Under our rule Mercury is eligible for these lagnas: Vrishabha, Mithuna, Kanya, Tula, Makara, Kumbha
If you buy, ask for a lab certificate with its number; how to check is in our genuineness guide
Don't
No gem for children under 12; don't take up a gem during pregnancy, illness or grief
No gem is 'necessary'; the ₹0 options come first, and wearing one is your choice
Eating or sharing a simple grain or fruit linked with the planet, on its weekday.
Jupiter
Jupiter's grain: Bengal gram (chana)
On Thursday, include chana dal, besan kadhi or besan chilla in a meal.
When: Thursday
Classical text · Phaladīpikā (V. S. Sastri) II.28
Phaladīpikā (V. S. Sastri) II.28
Do / don't
Do
Keep quantities in line with your health and your doctor's advice
Jupiter
Yellow foods: turmeric, banana, yellow fruit
On Thursday, add yellow foods such as turmeric, banana, papaya or mango.
When: Thursday
Tradition
Do / don't
Don't
If your doctor has limited sweet fruit, skip it; for health, the doctor comes first
Fasting (₹0 free)
The planet's weekday fast or Ekadashi, within your health; ask a doctor if unwell, pregnant or on medicines.
Jupiter
Thursday fast
On Thursday, eat one simple yellow meal (such as chana dal or besan); remember Vishnu in the morning, and you may read or hear the Thursday vrat katha.
When: Thursday, starting on a Shukla-paksha Thursday
Tradition
Do / don't
Do
Choose how many Thursdays suits you; tradition often mentions 16
Don't
If you are unwell, pregnant or on medication, skip the fast or ask your doctor first
Jupiter
Ekadashi fast
Tradition links Jupiter with devotion to Vishnu; on Ekadashi, keep a fruit fast or eat once, without grains.
When: Ekadashi of each fortnight
Tradition
Do / don't
Don't
If you are unwell, pregnant or on medication, skip the fast or ask your doctor first
Conduct (₹0 free)
Everyday conduct tied to what the planet signifies: respect for elders, honesty, discipline.
Jupiter
Heeding elders, listening to scripture, keeping the mind clean
For planets adverse in transit, Praśna Mārga lists this conduct: obey elders, listen to the Vedas and Puranas, keep the mind pure. Read or listen to a good text for a little while each day.
When: Daily
Classical text · Praśna Mārga XXII.31 (Raman tr.)
Praśna Mārga XXII.31 (Raman tr.)
Jupiter
What Jupiter signifies
Among the house karakas, Phaladīpikā names Jupiter for the 5th (children) and 9th (dharma, fortune). So Jupiter's remedies focus on respect for children, teachers and dharma (this form of conduct is tradition).
When: —
Classical text · Phaladīpikā XV.17 (V. S. Sastri)
Phaladīpikā XV.17 (V. S. Sastri)
Jupiter
Respect for teachers and mentors
Remember your teachers, mentors and elders; meet or call them now and then; teach children patiently; when you advise someone, do it honestly.
When: Daily, especially Thursday
Tradition
Do / don't
Do
Pass on what you have learnt
Don't
Don't mock or insult teachers, gurus or scripture
Colour / clothes / direction (₹0 free)
Clothes or flowers in the planet's colour on its weekday, and the direction linked with it.
Jupiter
Yellow
For planets adverse in transit, Praśna Mārga prescribes clothes and flowers of the planet's colour; Jupiter's is yellow. On Thursday wear something yellow, even a handkerchief, and keep yellow flowers in worship.
When: Thursday
Classical text · Praśna Mārga XXII.27 (Raman tr.)
Praśna Mārga XXII.27 (Raman tr.)
Do / don't
Do
A light yellow or saffron is fine
Jupiter
Direction: north-east
Phaladīpikā gives the north-east as Jupiter's quarter. You may face north-east in worship or study, and keep the north-east corner of the home clean.
When: In worship or study
Classical text · Phaladīpikā II.16 (V. S. Sastri)
Phaladīpikā II.16 (V. S. Sastri)
Service (₹0 free)
Feeding cows, dogs, birds or ants, serving elders and people in need; never harming any creature.
Jupiter
Serving elders and teachers
On Thursday, do a small task for an elder at home, a teacher or a holy person; sit with them and listen.
When: Thursday
Tradition
Jupiter
Soaked chana dal and jaggery for a cow
On Thursday, feed a cow or at a gaushala a little soaked chana dal with a piece of jaggery.
When: Thursday
Folk practice
Do / don't
Don't
Give only a little; never give animals stale, salty or plastic-wrapped food
Tree care (₹0 free)
Watering or planting the tree linked with the planet (e.g. shami for Saturn, peepal for Jupiter).
Jupiter
Peepal
BPHS names peepal as Jupiter's samidh in havan, and Phaladīpikā also counts the aśvattha (peepal) among Jupiter's places. On Thursday, water a peepal's roots or plant one in an open space (watering and planting are tradition).
When: Thursday morning
Classical text · BPHS (Santhanam) 84.21–22
BPHS (Santhanam) 84.21–22
Do / don't
Do
Peepal grows into a large tree; plant it in open ground, away from walls and foundations, with permission
Jupiter
Banana plant
Folk practice links the banana plant with Jupiter; on Thursday, water it, with a pinch of turmeric in the water.
When: Thursday
Folk practice
Do / don't
Don't
Don't break branches or leaves without need
Mantra / stotra / recitation (₹0 free)
The planet's name-mantra, beej mantra or a stotra, a few calm minutes a day.
Jupiter
Name mantra: ॐ बृहस्पतये नमः
After bathing in the morning, sit somewhere quiet and chant 'ॐ बृहस्पतये नमः' 108 times (one mala).
When: Thursday morning, or daily
Tradition
Do / don't
Do
Chanting is considered a help in focusing the mind; mind the feeling more than the count
Jupiter
Beej mantra: ॐ ग्रां ग्रीं ग्रौं सः गुरवे नमः
A beej mantra from the tantric tradition; chant it 108 times on Thursday.
When: Thursday
Tradition
Jupiter
Reciting the Vishnu Sahasranama
Read or listen to the Vishnu Sahasranama on Thursday.
When: Thursday
Tradition
Do / don't
Don't
If pronunciation is hard, listening is enough
Lamp / temple visit / pilgrimage (₹0 free)
Lighting a lamp on the planet's weekday or visiting a temple linked with it.
Jupiter
A ghee lamp
BPHS describes offering the planet flowers and cloth of its colour, sandal, a lamp and incense. On Thursday, light a ghee lamp at your home shrine or beside a banana plant (the ghee lamp is tradition).
When: Thursday evening
Classical text · BPHS (Santhanam) 84.15–16
BPHS (Santhanam) 84.15–16
Jupiter
Visiting a Vishnu or Navagraha temple
On Thursday, visit a Vishnu temple or a Navagraha temple for Brihaspati's darshan, and offer yellow flowers.
When: Thursday
Tradition
Do / don't
Don't
Don't make a temple visit a bargain for results; it is time for devotion
Lal Kitab (₹0 free)
Simple, harmless totke from Lal Kitab (a separate tradition); nothing that harms rivers, animals or property.
Jupiter
A saffron or turmeric tilak on the forehead
After bathing, put a small tilak of saffron or turmeric on the forehead.
When: Daily or Thursday
Lal Kitab
Lal Kitab (a separate tradition)
Do / don't
Don't
Skip it if your skin reacts
Jupiter
Respect for father, teachers and holy people
Lal Kitab links Jupiter with the father, grandfather and teachers; respect them and seek their blessing on Thursday.
When: Thursday
Lal Kitab
Lal Kitab (a separate tradition)
Jupiter
Chana dal or turmeric at a temple
On Thursday, give a little chana dal or turmeric at a temple.
When: Thursday
Lal Kitab
Lal Kitab (a separate tradition)
Do / don't
Don't
Don't put anything into a river or pond
Charity (₹0–₹51)
Giving a small item linked with the planet, within your means, to someone in need on its weekday.
Jupiter
Charity named in the texts: robes (yellow silk)
BPHS (84.25) names robes as Jupiter's gift, and Praśna Mārga names yellow silk. This is information; don't go beyond your means.
When: Thursday
Classical text · BPHS (Santhanam) 84.25
BPHS (Santhanam) 84.25
Jupiter
Today's small form: chana dal, turmeric, yellow cloth, books
On Thursday, give chana dal and turmeric to someone in need or at a temple, or a book to a child.
When: Thursday
Tradition
Do / don't
Don't
Don't borrow to give, or give for show
Jupiter
Feeding someone curd rice
BPHS lists curd and rice as Jupiter's offering when feeding Brahmins. Today's form (tradition): feed curd rice to someone in need.
When: Thursday
Classical text · BPHS (Santhanam) 84.23–24
BPHS (Santhanam) 84.23–24
Herbal bath (₹0–₹99)
A bath with water steeped in the planet's herbs; skip it if your skin reacts.
Jupiter
Bathing with the planet's herbal water
For planets adverse in transit, Praśna Mārga mentions pouring the planet's medicated water over the body.
When: —
Classical text · Praśna Mārga XXII.32 (Raman tr.)
Praśna Mārga XXII.32 (Raman tr.)
Jupiter
For Jupiter: turmeric, liquorice root, yellow mustard
Add a pinch of turmeric, a little liquorice root and a few yellow mustard seeds to a bucket of water and bathe. Lists differ between traditions.
When: Thursday morning
Tradition
Do / don't
Do
Patch-test on your hand first; stop if your skin reacts
Don't
With any skin condition or allergy, ask your doctor first; for health, the doctor comes first
Root (jadi)
A plant root linked with the planet, worn in cloth or an amulet; traditions name different roots.
Jupiter
Banana root or a turmeric knot
Tradition gives the banana root (or a whole turmeric knot) for Jupiter: on Thursday it is worn tied in yellow cloth or on a yellow thread on the arm.
When: Thursday, Shukla paksha
Tradition
Do / don't
Do
A turmeric knot is easy to find at home and is the lowest-cost form
The rudraksha of the planet's mukhi (e.g. 7-mukhi for Saturn), with a genuineness check.
Jupiter
Five-mukhi rudraksha
Tradition links the five-mukhi rudraksha with Jupiter. Wear it on a yellow or red thread at the neck or wrist. It is the most common rudraksha, so the price should be modest.
When: Thursday
Tradition
Do / don't
Do
Buy one with an X-ray or lab report; the mukhi lines should run clearly top to bottom
Don't
Don't overpay for a five-mukhi; avoid glued or carved fakes
A pandit performs the planet's japa or havan with a sankalp in your name; agree the cost beforehand.
Jupiter
Jupiter's Vedic mantra japa: 19,000
BPHS gives 19,000 as the japa count for Jupiter's Vedic mantra (opening: 'बृहस्पते अति यदर्यो…'). A pandit takes the sankalpa, worships the planet and then does the japa; it is often spread over several days or pandits.
Sankalpa puja by a pandit: what happens, what it costs
Sankalpa, Ganesha puja, Brihaspati puja (yellow cloth and flowers, chana dal), mantra japa and a small havan. Usually ₹251–₹2,100 (from a short puja to one with havan); the full 19,000 japa can cost more, so ask in writing first.
When: Thursday
Tradition
Do / don't
Don't
Stay away from pujas sold through fear or promises of quick results
Praśna Mārga names 'pushyaraga' (yellow sapphire) as Jupiter's gem, in the context of adverse transits; wearing the gem of a chart's benefic planet is today's tradition. Gold, index finger, Thursday (metal, finger and day: tradition).
When: Thursday, Shukla paksha
Classical text · Praśna Mārga XXII.29 (Raman tr.)
Praśna Mārga XXII.29 (Raman tr.)
Do / don't
Do
Only when this planet is a functional benefic for your chart (gem rule)
Under our rule Jupiter is eligible for these lagnas: Mesha, Karka, Simha, Vrishchika, Dhanu, Meena
If you buy, ask for a lab certificate with its number; how to check is in our genuineness guide
Don't
No gem for children under 12; don't take up a gem during pregnancy, illness or grief
No gem is 'necessary'; the ₹0 options come first, and wearing one is your choice
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