Begin this Mars mantra on a Tuesday (the day ruled by Mars), during a waxing phase of the Moon. The ideal time of day to chant a planetary mantra is in the early morning, when all is quiet.
Mantras can be started at any time, however it is best not to start within three days on either side of the dark Moon (New Moon). If possible, start when the Moon is bright and waxing. Some prefer to start mantras on the day ruled by the planet. This is not critical, but for those who want, you may start the Mars mantra on a Tuesday.
How to Chant the Mars Mantra
Chant the Mars (Mangal) mantra 10,000 times. This need not be done in all one sitting. See the Planetary Mantras page for how prayer beads help with counting, and for more tips.
Pronunciation
Daranee garbha sambootam vidyut-kahntee sama-prabam koomahram shaktee hastam-cha mangalam prana-mam mya-ham.
I offer my obeisances to Sri Mangala, god of the Planet Mars, who was born from the womb of the earth goddess. His brilliant effulgence is like that of lightning, and he appears as a youth carrying a spear in his hand.
English translation
Why it Works
The Mars mantra can be seen as a type of prayer that invokes the grace of a planetary energy to lessen its negative effects as revealed in the horoscope.
There are many kinds of astrological mantras. Some are devotional, some are Vedic, and some are Tantric. The mantras given here are mainly devotional. Therefore, while one should be careful to try and pronounce the mantras as accurately as possible, they will still work with individual pronunciations.
For more on how planetary mantras work, see the Planetary Mantras page.