Manual of the Nine Planets Sacrifice

...given by me. Arka, Palasha, Khadira, as well as Apamarga and Pippala. 246.

Udumbara, Shami, Durva, and Kusha are the sacrificial sticks Samidh: specific types of wood or grass used to feed a sacred ritual fire in their proper order These nine plants correspond to the nine celestial bodies: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu. In the absence of these, all offerings should be made using only Palasha wood. 247.

Offerings should be made Homa: the act of pouring or placing offerings into the consecrated fire with honey and clarified butter Ghee: purified butter used in Vedic rituals, or combined with curd or milk. One thousand and eight times, or half that amount, shaped into round pills. 248.

The wise man who performs this fire sacrifice attains immense prosperity. The wood sticks should be the length of a span original: "pradesha-matri," the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the index finger...

...should not be longer. 249.

The destruction of disease, the fulfillment of all desires, wealth, sons, intelligence, the removal of sins, long life, and the increase of righteousness Dharma: the path of cosmic and moral order follow in their proper order. 250.

One should offer one thousand and eight, or one hundred and eight, or twenty-eight, or eight [offerings] for each individual planet. 251.

And there should be one offering of clarified butter for each, given with the specific mantras for the nine planets original: "navamantrena," referring to the unique chants for each of the nine celestial bodies by the husband and wife together. 252.

The size of the thumb-joint original: "parva-pramana," using the digits of the finger as a unit of measurement for the offering...