Grahas are afflictions which affect various aspects of human life. They are of different categories: bhūta, prēta, piśāca, rākṣasa, brahmarākṣasa, bālagraha, nivāta, ḍākinī, śākinī, rudragraha, viṣṇugraha, brahmagraha, kr̥tyāgraha, kūṣmāṇḍa-graha, yakṣiṇī-graha, kāmagraha, madagraha, unmādagraha, unmattagraha, jalagraha, skandagraha, vaināyakagraha, dhanagraha, dēvagraha, vētāla, kinnarīgraha, bhūtinī, daitya, apsaragraha, nāginīgraha, etc. To destroy the various afflictions, mantra-śāstra offers a range of mantras that can be employed:
शूलिनी शरभश्चैव शिवपञ्चाक्षरी तथा |
वनदुर्गा महेशानि तथैव खड्गरावणः ||
हनुमान् भैरवश्चैव वटुकः क्रोधभैरवः |
प्रत्यङ्गिरा वीरभद्रस्त्रैलोक्यविजया तथा ||
नारसिंहो महेशानि महाशरभशूलिनी |
चण्डकाली भद्रकाली प्रोक्ता रुद्रमुखोद्भवाः |
महापाशुपतास्त्रं चाघोरास्त्रं तथैव च ||
The mantras prescribed are:
(1) śūlinī durgā
(2) Sharabhēśvara
(3) Shiva Pañcākṣarī
(4) Vanadurgā
(5) Khaḍgarāvaṇa (discussed elaborately in Kriyōḍḍīśa Tantra and in ākāśabhairava Kalpa)
(6) Hanumān
(7) Bhairava
(8) Vaṭuka
(9) Krōdhabhairava (described in ākāśabhairava Kalpa and Bhairavārcāpārijāta)
(10) Pratyaṅgirā
(11) Vīrabhadra
(12) Trailōkyavijayā (of Skandayāmala and Yuddhajayārṇava upatantra)
(13) Narasimha
(14) Mahāśarabhaśūlinī (the compound mantra of śarabhēśvara with his consorts)
(15) Chaṇḍakālī (the eighty-six lettered vidyā attributed to Aṅgīrasa)
(16) Bhadrakālī (of uttarāmnāya who is the samaṣṭi of Kātyāyanī, Kālarātri, Gr̥dhramukhī and upāmnāya dēvatā of Triśakti Chāmuṇḍā)
(17) Laghu and Mahāpāśupata
(18) Aghōra mantra