Negating influences

Those who beleive in astrology are sometimes frightened when inauspicious predictions are made about their future.They wonder how they will face the onslaught of planets that do not look favourably upon them. They forget that the best way to overcome fear and difficulty is to worship God and meditate upon Him.
It is a well known fact that no light from another source can match the brilliance of Sunlight.In the same way a Planet can never have the power of God. With God on our side we need not fear planetary influences.
According to R.Narayanan who gives discourses , those who fear that one or the other of the navagrahas could harm them , the Kolaru padhigam of Gnanasambandar is reassuring.
As the story goes , Sambandar ( Nayanmar - shaivite ) made the locked door of the Vedaranyam temple to open with just one verse from the Kolaru Padhigam. When Kulachirai nayanar , the minister of Koon Pandian( A king who practised jainism and a hunch back , hence the name koon pandian)requested Sambandar to come to Madurai to convert the king to Saivism. Tirunavukkarasar ( Nayanmar - shaivite ) protested that the planets were not in an auspicious formation. The aim of Tirunavukkarasar must have been to prompt Sambandar to sing of the greatness of Lord Shiva in face to face with the planets. And that is when Sambandar sang the Kolaru Padhigam.
It is easy to recite and the theme that runs through the verses is that the devotees of Lord Shiva will not be harmed by the planets. For those who are unable to recite all of it , recitation of the first verse at least would be enough.
The verse says that if Uma Devi's consort Lord Shiva who plays the veena and wears the faultless Moon and the Ganga on His head , resides in a person s heart , the planets cannot harm that person .
A similar thought is expressed in Arunagirinathar s Kandar Alankaram in praise of Lord Muruga. He says that planets cannot harm anybody whose hearts have been occupied by Lord kumara , the one who wears different kinds of ornaments on his feet and who has six heads and 12 arms.
It is interesting to note that Arunagirinathar mentions two feet , six ornaments , six faces , a flower garland and 12 arms all adding up to 27 , which is the total number of planets. (It is to be understood that Hinduism has several symbolic representations each serving as a code with an inner deep meaning )
Thanking God for all the happiness He showers and seeking His guidance through turbulent times are the ways in which mental peace can be bestowed.
Reference from : " The Hindu " newspaper and internet sources