Shani Jayanti 2019

Planet SaturnJayanti means anniversary. An anniversary is a date which is remembered or celebrated because a special event happened on that date. Shani is both a planet and one of the Gods of Hinduism. Where Shani Jayanti is observed on Amavasya of a month (no moon day) it is an anniversary both within and without time and space. Shani Jayanti for 2019 occurs on 3 June 2019. On this day, we reflect on Shani – Planet Saturn as servant.


Shani Jayanti is observed on Amavasya Tithi during Jyeshtha month according to North Indian Purnimant calendar. According to South Indian Amavasyant calendar Shani Jayanti falls on Amavasya Tithi during Vaishakha month. It is the name of Lunar month which differs and in both types of calendar Shani Jayanti falls on the same day!

Saturn as Servant

Servant often brings the associations of domestic worker and servile work. A domestic worker can be one an Au pair, a Butler, a Chauffeur, a Cook, an Indentured servant, a Nanny or a Maid. All these would have associations with the sudra caste in Bharat, and Shani is regarded as a sudra. However, we keep in mind that Lord Vishnu tells the foundations of divinity are the sudras, for they provide the base, adhara, for divinity to be embodied in human life.

Saturn brings about Sade Sati, the passing of Saturn over the natal moon. The period of Sade sati starts when Saturn enters the rashi (sign) immediately before the rashi of the natal Moon (location of the Moon at the time of the birth of the individual). The Sade sati period will continue while Saturn transits over this sign and the next two signs, i.e. the birth sign and the sign after it. Saturn spends around ​2½ years in each sign. To cross these three signs it takes about ​7½ years. Thus the name sade sati which literally means seven and a half.

As the Moon is the presiding deity of the Mind, and represents mind in the astrology chart, Saturn serves the mind for 7½ years. How does Saturn serve and what effect does Saturn bring about?

Sade sati is often experienced as a time of deprivation and loss. With deprivation and loss come the notions of penury and suffering. Saturn in fact approaches the moon (the mind) and initiates removal of attachment and deprivation of desires. Attachments and desires cause rebirth. Internal self-discipline is founded on discrimination (viveka) and detachment (vairagya). The mind (via the intellect) is offered the discrimination (do I really need this in my life, do I need this to reach the goal of life?) and detachment, the letting go of that which does not serve our spiritual advance. Over 7½ years Saturn serves us with this experience of putting our affairs before the mind for some serious discrimination. Nothing is gained by reaction; rather, one benefits by examining the situation and discriminating right and wrong for ourselves.

Saturn serves us on the journey of life – we set goals to achieve, and there are the purusharthas, the four great goals of life: dharma (right conduct), artha (wealth necessary to our station in life), kama (satisfaction of our needs) and moksha (achieving release from the round of birthp-death-and-birth-again). Saturn helps us to reach the goals of life through removal of the six enemies of man, the arishadvargas, the inner mental enemies we all have.

These six inner mental enemies are kama (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (attachment), mada (pride or conceit; arrogance), and matsarya (envy,jealousy). As we experience these enemies, it is Saturn that reminds us the world we experience is reaction, reflection and resound. If we are experiencing these reactions then we need to look for them within our own selves. This is the proper meaning of response-ability, for Saturn is the planet of responsibility. Any thing we experience outside of ourselves is within ourselves and our reactions are a form of projection onto another, as the great depth psychologists Freud and Jung taught. Jesus taught this in a more simple form: “Take the plank out of your own eye before you take the splinter from your brother’s eye”…

 

By using computer techniques to enhance minor differences in color, banding in the clouds can be studied in this image of Saturn taken by Voyager I. The color variations seen here are due to traces of elements in the atmosphere.

Saturn as servant allows the light to emerge within. This is the light of atma-balan, strength of the soul. As the soul becomes stronger, its light is readily apparent in dhyana, meditation, and we can raise our inner light from 20 watts to 40 and on and up to 80% light within, for man may achive up to 80% of divinity within. Thereafter, god-madness sets in, and one only lives for a short time, say 21 days or upto a month. Saturn is manda, the slow one, and when one slow, this allows for concentration, and any activity filled with concentration is successful. Bineg slow, one can be single pointed, free from distraction and restlessness, and the goal is achieved easily. There are no prizes for coming first, there is on Speedy Gonzales where life and liberation is concerned. Without sadhana, spiritual effort, one achieves liberation after 22 million lives. With care, concetration and steadiness, one moves up the mountain of divinity more deftly.

Shanaischara Sthava Raja

(The king of prayers addressed to the slow moving planet)
Translated By P.R.Ramachander
(This is a rare stotra addressed to Shanaischara (the slow moving planet Saturn.) Apart from having a Kavacha (armour 2-5) as a part of it, it also has the Shani ashtotara (the 108 names of Shani deva) as a part of it. It indeed is the King of stotras.)

Narada Uvacha:-
Narada said:-

Dhyathava Ganapathim Raja Dharma rajo yudhishtra.
Dheera Shanaischasyeyam chakara Sthavamuthamam.

After meditating on Ganapati, The valorous king Yudhishtra
Told the great prayer addressed to the slow moving Shani.

Shiro may Bhaskari pathu, Bhalam Chaya suthovathu,
Kotraksho drusou pathu Shikhi kanta nibha sruthi.

Let my head be protected by son of the Sun god,
My hairs be protected by son of Chaya devi,
Let he who has a slanted eyes protect my vision,
And let him who has a peacock neck protect my voice

Graanam may Bheeshana pathu, mukham bali mukho avathu,
Skandhou samvarthaka pathu, bhujou may bhayodhovathu.

Let my power of smell be protected by him who is fierce,
Let my face be protected by the God with a fierce face,
Let my shoulders be protected by he who is the fire of destruction,
Let my hands be protected by he who is fearsome.

Sourir may hrudhayam pathu, nabhim may sanaischarovathu,
Graha Raja katim pathu, sarvatho ravi nandana.

Let the son of Sun God protect my heart,
Let my stomach be protected by he who moves slowly,
Let the king of planets protect by hips,
And let the darling son of the Sun God protect everything.

Padhou manda gathi pathu, Krishna pathvaakhilam vapu,
Rakshamethaam paden nithyam Sourer nama balairyutham.

Let the slow mover protect my feet,
Let the black one protect the entire body,
Let him who reads this daily be protected,
By the strength of the powerful son of the Sun God.

Sukhee puthree chirayuscha sa bhaven nathra samsaya,
Souree sanischara krushno neelothphala nibha sani.

Without any doubt he would be blessed,
With pleasure as well as children,
By the son of Sun God, the slow moving one,
The black God and the one who resembles a blue lotus.

Shushkodharo, visalaksho, dur nireekshyo, vibeeshana,
Shikhi kanda nibho, neelaschaya hrudaya nandana.

He with a thin belly, he who has broad eyes, he who has evil sight,
He who is never afraid, He who resembles a peacock neck,
He who is the darling of the heart of the blue Chaya devi.

Kala drushti kotaraaksha, sthoola roma vali mukha,
Deergha nirmamsa gathrasthu shushko goro Bhayanaka.

He who has the death look, he who has a crooked look,
He whose face is covered with long hairs,
He who is long, he who is without flesh in his body,
He who is thin, he who is fearsome,

Neelamsu krodhano roudhrodeerghasmasru jadadhara,
Mandho mandha dgathi khanjo truptha samvarthako yama.

He who is blue, he who is angry, he who is furious,
He who has greatly farsighted, he who has matted hair,
He who is lazy, he who is slow moving, he who is lame,
He who is satisfied, He who is the destroyer and he who is the controller.

Graha raja karaali cha soorya puthro ravi sasi,
Kujo budajo guru kavyo bhanuja simhika sutha.
Kethur devapathi baahu kruthantho nairyashtadja,
Sasi maruth kubherascha, eesaaana sura Atmabhu,
Vishnu haro Ganapathi kumara kama eesawara,
Kartha hartha palayitha, rajyeso rajya dayaka.

King of planets, black one, son of the Sun God,
The Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, venus, Saturn and Rahu and Ketu.
The Indra, fire, god of death, Nairyathi, Varuna
Wind god, god of wealth, Eesaana and Shiva the soul of Earth,
Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, Lord Ganapati, Lord Subramanya, The God of love
The creator, Preserver and Destroyer,
God of all countries, The one who gives kingdom.

Chayasutha shyamalango dhana hartha dhana pradha,
Kroora karma vidhatha cha sarva karmavrodhaka.

The son of Chaya devi, he who has a black body,
He who destroys wealth, he who grants wealth,
He who does cruel deeds, he who is creator,
He who is responsible for obstruction of all deeds,

Thushto rushto kama roopa kamadho, Ravi nandana,
Graha peeda hara santho nakshthreso graheswara,

He who is satisfied, He who is angry,
He who can take any form, He who is loved,
He who is the son of the Sun God,
He who removes problems created by planets ,
He who is peaceful, he who is the lord of the stars,
He who is the Lord of all planets.

Sthirasana, Sthgira gathir mahakayo Maha bala,
Maha prabho, maha kaala, kalathma kala kaalaka.

He who is firmly seated, He who has a firm path,
He who has great body, He who has great strength,
He who is the great Lord, He who is the great God of death,
He who is personification of time, He who is God of death over time.

Adithya bhaya datha, cha mruthyradhithya nandana,
Sathabhiruksha dayitha, tryodhasi thidhi Priya.

He who gives protection of the Sun God,
He who is the son of the Sun God controlling death,
He who is hundred times more angry, He who likes Trayodasi,*
(*The 13th crescent of moon)

Thitjyayathmaka sthira gano nakshatra gana nayaka,
Yoga rasir muhrthathma Kartha dina pathi Prabhu.

The soul of the crescent days, the leader of the groups of stars,
The soul of good times based on yoga and rasi, the doer,
The lord who is the chief of days.

Sami pushpa Priya shyama thrai lokya bhaya dhayaka,
Neela vaasa Kriya sindhur neelanchana chaya cchavi.

He who likes Sami* flowers, He who is black,
He who is fearsome in the three worlds,
He who lives in blue surroundings, he who is like the ocean of action,
He who is bluish black colour for those who observe.
(* A tree of arid lands believed to contain fire)

Sarva roga haro deva sidho deva gana sthutha,
Ashtothara satham naamnaam Sureschaya suthasya ya.

The God who cures all diseases. He who is God, He who is divine,
He who is praised by groups of devas,
These are the 108 names of the son of the Sun God and Chaya devi.

Paden nithyam thasya peeda samastha nasyathi dhurvam,
Kruthwa pooja paden marthyo Bhakthiman ya sthavam sthadhaa.

It is for sure all the troubles will go away if this is read daily,
And those devotees who read and worship with this prayer daily,

Viseshatha sani dine peeda thasya vinasyathi,
Jama lagne sthithir vapi Gochare Kroora rasige,

Especially during Saturdays would get cured of all their problems,
Even though Saturn is in their janma lagna, (birth chart)
Or travels in cruel rasis during its sojourn.

Dasasu cha gathe souro thadha sthavam imam padeth,
Poojayithya sanim bhakthya Sami pushpa akshatham barai.

When they undergoing the dasa of Shani, this prayer should be read,
And Lord Shani worshipped with devotion using,
The flowers of Sami, dried rice and with cloth.

Vidhaya loha prathimaam naro Dukhadhi muchyathe,
Badhaa yaa anya grahaanam cha ya pade thasya nasyathi.

By consecrating a metal statue of Shani they would get rid of all sorrow,
And even if the problem is caused by other planets,
By reading this prayer those problems would also get destroyed.

Bheetho bhayaad vimuchyathe Badho muchyathe bandanath,
Rogi rogad vimuchyathe nara sthavam imam padeth,
Puthravaan, Dhanavaan srimaan Jayathe nathra samsaya,

The one affected with fear would get rid of it,
The one imprisoned would gain his freedom,
The sick man would come out of his sickness,
By reading this prayer with devotion, and without any doubt
He would be blessed with children wealth and luck

Narada Uvacha:-
Narada said:-

Sthavam nisamya Parthasya prathyaksho booth sanaischara,
Dathwa ragno vara kamam Saniswanthardathe thadha,

Hearing the Stotra by Yudhishtra the slow moving God appeared before him,
And granted the king of his desires and Shani vanished from there.

(Yudhishta also is son of Kunthi (Prathu) and can be called Partha.)

Ithi Sri Bhavishya purane Sanaischara sthava Raja SAmpoornam
Thus the king of prayers addressed to the slow moving God which occurs
in Bhavishya Purana (Epic of the future) comes to an end.

 

 

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