| History of Shani Shingnapur |
History of Shani Shingnapur
In our routine lives,
there is a great importance of the kindness and the power of God Shani.
Shani occupies the seventh place among the nine planets which govern the
world. This is viewed as unlucky in conventional astrology. As per ‘Kaagol
Shastra’, the distance of Shani from the earth is 9 crore miles. Its radius
is about one billion and 82 crore and 60 lakh kilometers. And its gravitational
force is 95 times higher than that of the earth. Planet Shani takes 19
years to complete one revolution around the Sun. The astronauts have viewed
the Shani’s colours as beautiful, strong, influencing and eye-catching.
It has twenty two satellites in its ring.
Shani’s gravitational
power is more than that of the Earth’s. Therefore, when we think good or
bad thoughts and make plans, they reach Shani by the strength of his power.
In astrological terms, the bad influence is considered as unlucky. But
the result of good deeds will be good. Therefore, we must understand God
Shani as a friend and not as foe. And for bad deeds, he is Sade Saathi,
disaster and an enemy.
As regards the birth of
Shani, there are different stories. Foremost and accepted is the one in
the ancient ‘Scanda Poorana’ of Kasi Khanda which is as follows.
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God Soorya was married
to Daksha Kanya Sadnya. Sadnya could not tolerate the radiance of God Surya.
She used to feel that by doing penance she could increase her brilliance.
Or, by the power of her penance, she could diminish the glare of God Surya.
But for God Surya, she was a spouse worshipping wife. From God Surya, she
had three children. One was Vaivastahva Manu. The second was Yama Raj.
And the third was Yamuna. Sadnya loved her children very much. But, she
was very upset with the radiance of God Surya. One day, she thought that
she would separate from God Surya, go to her parents’ home and undertake
great penance. And if there was opposition, she would go far away to a
lonely and undertake great penance.
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By strength of her penance,
Sadnya created a ‘Chaya’ (shadow) of herself and named her Suvarna. And,
and then the shadow of herself became Suvarna. After handing over the children
to Chaya, Sadnya told her that Chaya would thereafter play the role of
womanhood and nurse her three children. She told her if any problem arose,
she should call her and she would come rushing to her. But she cautioned
her that she must remember that she was Chaya, not Sadnya, and nobody should
know this difference.
Sadnya hander over her
responsibilities to Chaya and went away to her parents’ place.
She went home and told
her father that she could not stand the radiance of God Surya. And therefore,
without telling her husband she had come away. Listening to this, her father
scolded her very much and told her that without being called, if the daughter
returns home, both her and her father would be cursed. He told her to go
back to her home immediately. Then, Saudnya began to worry that if she
went back, what would happen to the responsibilities which she had given
to Chaya. Where would Chaya go?
And their secret would
be exposed. So, Sadnya went to the dense jungles in Uttar Kurukshetra and
took repose there.
She was fearful of her safety
in the jungle because of her youthfulness and beauty. And she changed her
form into that of a mare so that none could recognize her and started her
penance. Elsewhere, the union of God Surya and Chaya begot three children.
God Surya and Chaya were happy with each other. Surya never doubted anything.
The children of Chaya were Manu, God Shani and Putri Bhadra (Tapti).
As per the second story,
the creation of God Shani was the result of Maharishi Kashyap’s great ‘yagna’.
When God Shani was in the womb of Chaya, Shiv Bhaktini Chaya was so engrossed
in penance of God Shiva that she did not care for her food even.
She prayed so intensely
during her penance that the prayers had a profound influence on the child
in her womb. As a result of such a great penance of Chaya, without food
and shade in the blazing sun, the complexion of God Shani became black.
When God Shani was born, Surya was surprised to see his dark complexion.
He began to doubt Chaya. He insulted Chaya by saying that this was not
his son.
From birth itself, God
Shani had inherited the great powers of his mother’s penance.
He saw that his father
was insulting his mother. He saw his father with a cruel gaze. As a result
his father’s body was charred black. The horses of God Surya’s chariot
stopped. The chariot would not move. Worried, God Surya called out to God
Shiva. God Shiva advised God Surya and explained to him about what had
happened. That is, because of him the respect of mother and child had been
tarnished and insulted. God Surya accepted his fault and apologized. And
regained his earlier glorious looks and the power of his chariot’s horses.
Since then, God Shani became a good son to his father and mother and an
ardent disciple of God Shiva.
Udasi Baba
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Late Baburao Laxman Bankar
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Balasaheb T, Bankar 09822607326
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