The story of SATURN god

                                       Om neelanjana samaa bhaasam
                                       ravi putram yama grajam
                                      chaaya maarthaanda sambhoodham
                                      tam namami shaneeshwaram


 

Shani's Bija Mantra
The Bija mantra is most powerful and potent, ensure physical and mental cleanup and purity before chanting this mantra.

Om praam preem proum saha shaneeshwaraaya namaha
Om aing hreeng shreeng shung shaneeshwaraya namaha
Om shreem sham shaneeshwaraya namaha

About Shani:

Shani (SATURN) is also known as Shanaishchara, Pingala, Bhabru or Roudra. Shani is considered the most powerful planet in the universe and every living being on earth is influenced by the blue rays of Saturn, who gives good and bad results according to one's own Karma (deeds), resulting in good effects for good deeds (dharma) and bad effects for bad deeds (adharma). Saturn is known as the magistrate, who is the lord of Truth, Justice, Honesty, Sincerity and Duty.

Saturn goes around an ecliptic path and makes one round in 30 years traversing through the 12 zodiacal signs. Shani influences one's consciousness and gives the awareness of right and wrong to all humans. Saturn represents a cold and dry nature, makes you slow and inert, but, sophisticated and gives the feeling of confinement.

It is said that, Saturn can raise one's status to the skies and at the same time, drop one into abyssmal depth. Saturn's sight is very powerful, the lesser gods, sages, demigods, gods and even the trinities cannot escape the powerful sight of Saturn.

The story of SATURN god

Lord Brahma began creating the universe, as he created seven rishis (sages), he instructed them to aid him in his creation by engaging in procreation. The seven rishis are Vashishta, Marichi, Pulastya, Pulaha, Atri, Angiras and Kratu. Kashyapa is the son of Marichi, he married the 13 daughters of Daksha-prajapathi. Kashyapa's 1st wife out of the 13, is Aditi, who gave birth to 12 sons, and by the blessings of Lord Vishnu, they united to become one and came to be known as Surya.

Being the eldest son of Kashyapa, Surya ruled Jambu Dweepa (Asian continent). Surya got married to Samugnya who gave birth to 4 sons and a daughter - Vaivashvata manu, Yama, twins Ashwini Devas and a sister Yamuna. Samugnya could not tolerate the heat of Surya and so she created a shadow of herself called Chaayadevi left her with Surya and silently returned to her father's home. Chaayadevi looked exactly like Samagnya and Surya could not make out that she is a shadow. He lived with Chaayadevi and she gave birth to 2 sons, Saavarni Manu and Shani, and 2 daughters, Dhabadhi and Viyati. Chaayadevi began ill-treating her stepsons after she gave birth to her own sons and this made Yama angry and he kicked Chaayadevi with his leg. Chaayadevi cursed Yama that his legs get rotten over time, and as time went by, Yama's legs began to rot and the distressed Yama sought his father Surya's help to remove the curse on him. Surya advised Yama to meditate and propitiate Lord Shiva to get the curse removed. Yama did severe penance and pleased Lord Shiva and received his blessings and came to be known as YamaDharma and Lord Shiva crowned him as the Lord of Death - YamaDharma.

After this incident, Surya learned that a true mother will never curse her son and Chaayadevi is Samagnya's shadow. He began ignoring Chaayadevi's sons Saavarni Manu and Shani, and 2 daughters, Dhabadhi and Viyati. Surya did not perform his duties that a father normally does for his sons. This angered Shani and he saw Surya's one wheeled chariot driven by seven horses, with his powerful sight, the chariot could not move and came to a halt, such is the power of Shani Dev. Surya hated Shani for his powerful sight and the feelings of hatred grew to such a level that Chaayadevi's children have to fend for themselves, they could not receive their father's guidance.

Shani performed severe penance and received several boons and blessings from Lord Shiva and worked very hard to make something of himself that the world would value him forever. Lord Shiva gave Shani a significant planetary position and said that Shani must preside over every living being's Karmas (deeds), good or bad, and accordingly reward or punish. This rule applies to everyone, the lesser gods, sages, demigods, gods, trinities, the humans and every other living beings on all the 7 worlds. Lord Shiva said, from Sarveshwara (Lord Shiva himself) to every living being, Shani must conduct his duty without any partiality. And, Shani agreed and began his duties sincerely, ever since.

As Shani went about doing his duties, he did not see any difference between the gods and rewarded and punished according to their Karmas, so, every god was afraid of Shani and they respected him out of fear. One day, Shani went to Kailash, Lord Shiva's abode and Shiva welcomed him and asked why he is here and if everything is being done as told, to which Shani replied that he is performing all his duties without fail and he has now come to afflict Lord Shiva himself, the Sarveshwara. Lord Shiva laughed and said that he gave powers to Shani and asked Shani to see every living being with his powerful sight and reward or punish accordingly, but, this does not mean that Shani can start afflicting Lord Shiva himself, if he does that, then the world's process of dissolution would get affected, since, Shiva is the presiding trinity responsible for this task. Shani said that he cannot show partiality or any favor to the most supreme god, even if he is the most supreme, he still has to be afflicted by Shani's powerful sight. Lord Shiva said Shani that, if he can find him and afflict and if he has the powers to do so, then he can go ahead, so saying, Shiva disappeared in a trice and Shani stood there until the lord appeared again after a while. Upon appearance, Shiva said, that he is the supreme most god and Shani could not afflict him and he was hiding himself inside a donkey for 7 and half minutes, to which Shani replied that it is due to his affliction that Lord Shiva has to hide himself inside a donkey for 7 and half minutes and he has completed his affliction of the lord and told that it was Shiva himself who stated to Shani that he should afflict every living being including the gods and trinities in all the 7 worlds, starting from Sarveshwara. Upon hearing this, Lord Shiva was immensely pleased with Shani's sincerity in his duties that he blessed him and conferred the title of an Eshwara, and said that the 7 worlds would henceforth respect and recognize Shani as Lord Shani-Eshwara (Shaneeshwara).

Lord Shaneeshwara used his powerful sight and made Ravana (the powerful demon) weaker everyday that Ravana began loosing his real strength day by day and finally lost the war against Lord Rama and was killed.

Speaking of Lord Shaneeshwara's powerful sight, according to Shani Purana, once there was a plan to celebrate Lord Ganesha's birthday in Kailash and invitations were sent to all the gods in all the worlds and the sages. Lord Surya began preparations to attend the celebrations and Shani was a small boy at that time and insisted that he wants to go with his father, Surya did not want to take Shani along, since, he knew about Shani's powerful sight and was afraid that something untoward may happen to those whom Shani meets in Kailash, so, Surya left without Shani. Eventhough Shani was a small boy, his knowledge and smartness was indeed great, that he went and reached Kailash on his own and Surya was shocked to see Shani coming to attend the celebrations. Everyone present there, did not know about Shani's powerful sight and welcomed the little boy and as Shani was looking at each of them, they all began feeling weak and some kind of affliction. The effect was, as if, Shani was already in the role of a significant planet. Lord Shiva, knowing the reason for the divine birth of Shani, called upon his consort Parvathi and advised her to keep his son Ganesha away from Shani's powerful sight and apprised parvathi of Shani's divine purpose of birth and his natural powers. But, parvathi was very proud of her powers, being the supreme goddess and wife of a trinity, she felt there is no power in the world that can afflict her own creation, Lord Ganesha. So, she did not hide Ganesha and left him to play freely with all the child. As Ganesha came near Shani, Shani's sight fell on Ganesha, immediately Ganesha's head rolled down and disappeared. Everyone was shocked to see this and Goddess Parvathi when she learned about this incident, got angry and cursed Shani that his legs go rotten. The curse immediately took effect and Shani's legs were affected. The search for Ganesha's head began and no one could find the head in all the 7 worlds, and so, an elephant's head was placed and Shiva brought back Ganesha to life. Shani in due course of time performed severe penances and pleased Lord Shiva with his devotion that he offered him several boons and blessed Shani.

Thus, is the greatness of this blue planet known as SATURN. Lord Ganesha's only affliction by Shani was fated that he loose his head, being a most powerful God, the AdiDevatha himself was afflicted and Ganesha in order to avoid future affliction, asked Shani to write behind his back that Shani will not afflict Ganesha today, but, would come back tommorrow to afflict. Puranas (Legend) has it that everyday Lord Shani visits Ganesha to afflict him, Ganesha shows his back, Shani reads what he wrote and returns the next day, everyday, to this day.

The power of Lord Shani's affliction is controlled by sincere prayers to Lord Ganesha. It is said that Lord Shani deals with one's karmas with an iron hand and true repentance for bad deeds or sins, knowing or unknown, and prayers to Ganesha would reduce Lord Shani's afflictions.

Lord Shani affects all humans with 3 seven and half year cycles during a man's lifetime and affects gods to a lesser extent, for seven and half minutes according to their karmas.