Shani

Shani is one of the Navagraha which are the nine primary celestial beings in Hindu astrology, or Jyoti. Shani is embodied in the planet Saturn. Shani is the Lord of Saturday; the word Shani also denotes the seventh day or Saturday in most Indian languages.

The origin of word Shanicomes from the following: Shanaye Kramati Sa:  i.e. the one who moves slowly, as Saturn takes about 30 years to rotate around the Sun. Shani is also known as Shanaiscarya Shani Bhagavan, Shaneesvara, Saneesvara, Shaneesvaran, Shani Deva.

Shani is a Deva and son of Surya (the Hindu Sun God) and his wife Chhaya (Shadow goddess) and hence also known as Chayyaputra. He is the cousin of Yama, the Hindu God of death. It is said that when he opened his eyes as a baby for the very first time, the sun went into an eclipse, which clearly denotes the impact of Shani on astrological charts. He is known as the greatest teacher. Shani dev is said to be very harmful to those who follow the path of betrayal, backstabbing and unjust revenge. He is known in Hindu scriptures as the greatest trouble giver as well as the greatest well wisher. He is depicted dark in colour, clothed in black; holding a sword, arrows and two daggers and variously mounted on a black vulture or a raven.

“ Om nilanjana samabhasam | Ravi putram yamagrajam ||
Cahaya martanda samhubhutam | Tama namami Shanescharam||”

The person who has Sade Saathi should recite Shani Mahamantra 23000 times within the 7 and ½ years. Shani Mahamantra’s recital should finish within 23 days. Thus, by reciting the Shani Mahamantra by a ‘mala’ ten times a day, it will finish in 23 days. If the person is young, then his parents can do it for him. While this praying is on, the person should eat simple food. He must sleep on the floor on a bed sheet and live the life of a ‘bramhachari’. It should be remembered that the praying of the Shani Mahamantra should be done at one stretch in one sitting at one place. Whoever wants to perform the ‘shanti’, must perform it on all Shanichari Amavahshya’. On a half meter of black cloth, taking the ‘pandraya yantra’, the ‘sindoor’ of God Hanuaman and oil should be mixed and the ‘yantra’ should be created. After tying a coconut without water in it, by tracing the body’s length with it seven times, it should be consigned to flowing water.