GRAHAPĪḌĀ (Adverse planetary effects on children) Astrologers hold the view that planets affect or exercise some influence on the lives of people. According to that given hereunder is a brief description of planets, which affect a child from its very birth as also of remedial measures to keep the child free from such adverse planetary effects. On the very day of the birth of the child a female planet called Pāpinī affects it as a result of which it will refuse all food and be lying turning its head this way and that. Pāpinī will tap the health not only of the child but of the mother also. Bali (sacrificial offering with flesh, fish and liquor as also waving with flowers and fragrant materials and lighted lamp, and smearing the child's body with sandal paste, mancetti powder, tātiri flower, bark of pachotti, are remedies against the attack of Pāpinī. Burning of buffalo dung also is useful. On the second night after the birth of the child another female planet called Bhīṣaṇī attacks it. Symptoms of the attack are coughing, deep breath and shrinking of bodily organs. The remedies for the attack are: smearing of the body with paste made in sheep's urine of tippalī (long pepper), rāmacca, root of “Kaṭalāṭi” and sandalwood. The child should also be exposed to the fumes got by burning the horn tooth and hairs of the cow. And, with the above-mentioned things bali should be offered to the planet. On the third night the female planet called Ghaṇṭālī affects the child. Frequent crying, yawning, shivering and loss of appetite are the main symptoms of the attack. Smearing the body with a paste of lotus styles, añjana stone and tooth of cow and elephant mixed with goat's skin is a good remedy for the illness. The child should be treated with the fumes got by burning the leaves of nāguṇa (a tree) and bilva and bali as aforesaid should also be offered. Kākolī (female planet) affects the child on the fourth night. Shivering, loss of appetite, frothing and wandering of the eyes are the main symptoms of the attack. In this case bali should be offered with liquor and flesh; the body should be smeared with a paste in horse's urine of elephant's tusk and the outer skin of snakes. The child should also be subjected to the fume of tamarind and margosa leaves. Haṁsādhikā (female planet) affects the child on the fifth night. Yawning, breathing out alone and closing of fingers are the main symptoms of the attack. Bali with fish etc. should be offered to this planet, and the child smeared with a paste of goat-horn, roots of the vātyala plant, bark of pāchotti (Tilva) manayola and haritāla. Phalkārī (female planet) attacks the child on the sixth night. Startling, fainting, waking frequently from sleep and crying much, loss of appetite and turning the body round and round are the chief symptoms of the attack. In this case bali with fish etc. is called for. The child is also to be exposed to the fumes produced by the burning of dried tamarind, gulgulu, Kottam and elephant's tusk. Muktakeśī (female planet) attacks the child on the seventh night. Bad odour, yawning, weakening of body and cough form the main symptoms of the attack. Exposure to fumes produced by burning leopard's teeth and the smearing of the body with a paste made of orris root and cow's dung and urine should also be done. Śrīdaṇḍī (female planet) attacks the child on the eighth night. Wandering of the eyes, crying and also making a barking noise and quick movement of the tongue are the main symptoms. Bali with fish etc. and smearing the body with a paste of orris root, mustard seed and garlic are the treatment for the attack. The terrible female planet, Ūrdhvagrāhī attacks the child on the ninth night. Startling, breathing out alone and biting the fists of both hands form the chief symptoms of the attack. Smearing of the body with a paste of red sandalwood, Costus speciosus etc. and exposure to fumes produced by burning the hairs and nail of the monkey are remedies for the illness. Rodanī attacks the child on the tenth night. Incessant crying and bodily fragrance and blue colour are the main symptoms of the attack. Exposure to fume produced by burning margosa leaves and application of a paste made of orris root, tamarind are good remedies. Bali should be offered with fried paddy, flesh and barley rice. For thirteen days from its birth the child should be treated in the above manner. A terrible female planet called Pūtanā attacks the child when it is one month old. Crying like the crow, frequent breathing, smell of urine on the body and reddening of the eyes are the chief symptoms of the attack. Remedies thereof are as follows: bathing in cow's urine and exposure to the fumes got by burning cow's teeth, bali to be offered with yellow clothes. red flower, red sandalwood, lamps lighted, three varieties of pāyasa (pudding), liquor, gingelly seeds and flesh. Bali with the above materials should be offered for seven days under an ‘Ung’ tree on the southern side. Mukuṭā, (female planet) attacks the child two months old. Coldness of the body, vomiting, parching of mouth etc. are the chief symptoms. Remedy for the attack is offering of bali with flower, Sandalwood, clothes and bread (all black in colour) and lighting of lamps and fuming. Gomukhī attacks the child, in the third month. Abnormal sleep, exessive urination etc. are the main symptoms of the attack. Bali in the morning with barley, flesh, milk, rice etc. and exposure to the fumes of ghee at noon are the treatment for the illness. To bathe the child in water boiled with the leaves of five trees is also good. Piṅgalā attacks the child, when it is four months old. Excessive coldness of body, bad odour and emaciation of body are the main signs of the attack. Piṅgalā's attack often proves fatal. During the fifth month the planet Lalanā attacks the child. Weakness, blood coming out of the mouth, and excretion yellow in colour are the main symptoms of the attack. Bali with fish etc. on the southern side of the house is the treatment for it. Paṅkajā attacks the child during the sixth month. Various kinds of awkward movements, crying in awkward and peculiar voice are the main symptoms of the attack. Offerings of liquor, fish, flesh, rice, flowers etc. will cure the illness. During the seventh month Nirāhārā attacks the child. Bad odour, tooth-ache etc. are the main symptoms. Bali with fish, flesh etc. is the cure. Yamunā attacks the child during the eighth month. Skin eruptions etc. are the chief symptoms. No special treatment is required for this. During the ninth month Kumbhakarṇī attacks the child. Fever, vomiting and abnormal crying form the chief symptoms. Bali with flesh and liquor is the cure for it. Tāpasī attacks the child during the tenth month. Refusing to eat food and rolling of the eye-balls form the main symptoms. Bali on level ground with flesh etc. is the remedy for it. During the eleventh month Rākṣasī attacks the child. No treatment is called for. Cañcalā attacks the child during the twelfth month. Breathing problems, palpitation etc. are the main symptoms. Bali during the first half of the day with Kalmāṣa etc. is the remedy. During the second year of its life the child is attacked by Rodanī. Shivering of the body, crying and emission of blood and urine form the main symptoms. In such cases bali should be offered with pudding of molasses and gingelly seeds made into small balls. Also an idol should be made of gingelly seeds and it should be bathed in gingelly water. The child should further be exposed to the fumes got by burning the leaves of five trees. Caṭukā (a female planet) attacks the child during the fourth year. Fever, swellings, and weakness of limbs are the main symptoms. Bai with fish, flesh, gingelly seeds and also fuming form the treatment. Pañcālā attacks the child when it is five years old. Fever, weakness of limbs are the symptoms. Bali with flesh, rice, etc. and fuming with the excretion of sheep form the treatment. Bathing in water boiled with leaves of jack fruit tree, peepal tree etc. is also good. Dhāvanī attacks the child when it is six years old. Thinning of face, tastelessness of mouth and weakness of limbs are the main symptoms in such cases. Bali for seven days with the above-mentioned things and bathing in kanjunny (Bhṛṅgarāja creeper) water are the treatment. Yavanā attacks the child in the seventh year. Speechlessness, vomiting, laughing and crying for no apparent reason form the symptoms. Bali with liquor, flesh, pudding etc. and fuming and bathing form the treatment. Jātavedā attacks the child in the eighth year. The child refuses food and cries. Bali with cooked gingelly, gingelly bread and curds, and bathing and fuming form the treatment. Kālā (Kālī) attacks the child during the ninth year. Feelings of fear, roaring etc. are the symptoms. Bali with gingelly rice, gingelly bread, gingelly powder, Kalmāṣa and pudding form the treatment. Kalahaṁsī attacks the child during the tenth year. Fever, burning sensation and emaciation are the symptoms. Bali for five days with bread called Paulik and rice mixed with ghee, exposure to fumes of margosa leaf and smearing the body with a paste of Kottam form the treatment. Devabhūti attacks the child when it is eleven years old. Then he will utter harsh and cruel words. Bali and smearing as above form the treatment. Valikā attacks the child in the 12th year. Frequent hiccoughs is the symptom. Treatment is the same as above. Vāyasī attacks the child when it is 13 years old. All the limbs except the face get emaciated. Treatment is as follows: bali with red rice, red sandal-wood and red flowers; bath in water boiled with the leaves of five trees; and exposure to the fumes of margosa and mustard. Yakṣiṇī attacks the child when it is fourteen years old. Awkward physical expressions, stomach-ache, fever and thirst are the symptoms. Bali with flesh, rice etc. and bathing etc. as above form the treatment. Muṇḍikā attacks the child when it is fifteen years old. Various kinds of pains, bleeding etc. are the symptoms. The mother of the child is to be treated for this. Vānarī attacks the child during the 16th year. Falling down, continuous sleep and fever form the symptoms. Bali during three nights with pudding etc. and bathing and fuming as above form the treatment. Gandhavatī attacks the child during the seventeenth year. Agitation of limbs and crying are the symptoms. Bali with Kalmāṣa etc. and bathing and fuming as above form the treatment. The following mantra should be repeated in all balis and gifts. Oṁ namaḥ sarvamātṛbhyo bālapīḍāsaṁyogaṁ bhuñja bhuñja cuṭa cuṭa Sphoṭaya sphoṭaya sphura sphura gṛhāṇa gṛhāṇa ākaṭṭaya ākaṭṭaya kaṭṭaya kaṭṭaya evam siddharūpo jñāpayati hara hara nirdoṣe kuru kuru bālikāṁ bālaṁ striyaṁ puruṣaṁ vā sarvagrahāṇāmupakramāt-cāmuṇḍe namo devyai hruṁ hruṁ hrīm apasara duṣtagrahān hram tadyathā gacchantu gṛhyatām anyatra panthānam rudro jñāpayati.
[Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 299] .