Informative

Celebrating Lord Saturn (Shani Janmotsav)

Known as the God of Justice, Lord Shani is often feared by people. However, most people don’t know that He is one of the most generous Gods and provides people with opportunities, prosperity, and success, all in accordance with their Karma. On His Birthday, we understand the Lord, His story, and His Sadhana in this blog.  

The Sun, A Shadow and the Dark Lord

The Sun God’s wife, Saranyu, wasn’t able to bear His heat and hence left her shadow behind, who was named Chhaya. Chhaya translates to shadow, and she looked exactly like Saranyu and performed all her duties while Saranyu performed penance in the forests. Meanwhile, Chhaya gave birth to Lord Shani, and as soon as He was born, a Solar Eclipse occurred.

This was symbolic of the impact the Lord had on the universe. Lord Shani gets his dark complexion because Chhaya performed penance during her pregnancy, and unknowingly the Sun God’s rays fell on her. As a result, her womb got burnt, resulting in the baby’s complexion going dark. 

Understanding Lord Saturn 

Known as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Lord Saturn settles the accounts for our good and bad deeds. He is depicted with a limp that he got while fighting with his brother Yama (The Lord of Death) in childhood. The other notable signs in his appearance are – 

• He is seen wearing blue or black robes.
• He is seen riding a vulture or an iron chariot drawn by eight horses.
• He holds a bow, an arrow, an ax, and a trident.

One of the most misunderstood Lords, all Shani Dev does is settle the accounts of all the good and evil deeds for people in their current lifetimes. It’s as good as paying the Karmic debts and getting our illusions cleared. Therefore, instead of fearing the Lord, it’s beneficial to perform His Sadhana, especially on His Birthday, to ensure you get the benefits of His grace. 

Shani Sadhana 

Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight. If not, you can sit on a chair or a couch, ensure your back is straight. First, thank Lord Shani for helping you understand Karma, Karmic debts and for blessing you with the wisdom to choose right from wrong and perform good deeds. Now, chant the following Mantra – 

ॐ शं शनेश्चराय नमः 

Om Sham Shaneshcharaya Namah 

Chant this Mantra for 108 times. Once done, thank Lord Shani for settling your Karmic accounts in full and for blessing you with strength through the settling process. 

Now perform the Mayur Pankh Mudra and then slowly open your eyes, look at your palms and touch your palms to your forehead. 

You can perform this Sadhana on the day of Lord Shani’s Birthday and also every Saturday to ensure your strength and good fortune multiply along with the wisdom to perform good deeds. 

We hope this blog helped you understand Lord Shani, His story, and His Sadhana better. For spiritual guidance, please write to us at info@chamundaswamiji.com.