Saturn - A Pauranic view

                              
Saturn is in many ways the most fascinating of all the planets and is certainly the most sensational in appearance. It not only has nine moons, but also is surrounded by three circular rings which form a sort of frill or collar around its middle portion.
Astronomically planets exist. Astrology and religion deify them because of their profound influence on the earthly lives.
This deity seems, under different names to have always held a high place in Indan religion, by virtue of its prominence in the heavens being the biggest and the extent to which its influence is gelt upon the earth by being the slowest in motion leaving an effective impact on the yerrestrial events for a long time.
The observation of the movement of this planet to the fourth house, eighth house with reference to the location of moon in the birth chart and seven and a half period coinciding with the transit of Saturn over the moon corelating to the events on the earth must have excited the keenest curiosity amonst a childlike and inquisitive people and at the same time, the imagination was left to account for the existence of phenomena which in a non-scientific age, are altogether beyond the kuman ken. Here the Puranas serve as resource material on various issues relating to the planets. The nature and features of the planets have been delineated in a beautiful garb of stories for retention and various remedial measures have been suggested for averting the evil influence and courting the benign favour from the heavenly bodies. Thus the Puranas serve a great purpose in bridging the gap between science and practice, which is the need of the hour.
Shanaischarah - The proper name of the planet is Shanaishchara. Shanaih means slowly, chara means moving. So slow moving planet is Saturn.
The various epithets used for Saturn are referred to in Skanda Purana thus:
Sauri - Son of the Sun , Shanaishchara - Slow- moving, Manda - dull or slow, Krishna - dark , Ananta - endless , Antaka - destroyer , Yama- controller, Pishanga - tawny , Chhayasuto - son of Chhaya , Babhru - reddish brown, Sthaira - steady , Pippalayanah - one whose abode is the holy fig tree . These epithet- names are enjoined to be uttered in the morning to keep away the wrath of Shani.

Padma Purana refers to other epithets of Saturn such as Grahanam Graharaja - king of the planets, Sarvamaheshwarah - supreme controller of all , Kalarupi Mahagraha - great planet in the form of time , Jatilah - wearer of matted locks, Vajra roma - possessing hair like vajra ( iron ), Danavanam bhayankarah - terrible to demons.
Son of the Sun - Sanjna, the daughter of Vishwakarma was the wife of the Sun and bore him three children , Manu Vaivasta, Yama and the goddess Yami ( The Yamuna river ). Sanjna , who was unable to bear the dazzling brilliance of Surya ( The Sun god ) ordered her maid Chhaya ( that is her own shadow or image ) to attend on her husband and went to the forest for performing penance. The Sun taking Chhaya to be his wife Sanjna, begot by her three other children namely Savarni Manu, Shanashchara ( Saturn ) and a daughter Tapati ( Tapti river ).
Brahma Purana states that the second son of the Sun , brother of Manu, Shanaishchara attained planethood worshiped by all.
Skanda Purana attributes to Saturn's planethood to his devotion and Lord Shiva's grace.
Most fierce and cruel - Chhaya upon one occasion being offended with Yama , the son of Sanjna on account of her ill - treatment towards her step- children , denounced an imprecation upon him, and there by let it be seen that she was not Sanjna , his mother. The Sun came to know about the actual happening and cursed Saturn, the son of Chhaya to become cruel and fierce, crooked in return of his mother's crookedness. Varaha Purana refers to this anecdote.
This legend perhaps forms the basis for the well-established astrological principle on Saturn- Sun opposition. Skanda Purana states that even great gods and demons fear his look. There is not a single being in the universe who is not oppressed by Saturn.
Saturn's downward look and lameness-
This is referred to in the Ganapathi khanda of Brahmavaivata Purana. Saturn is depicted as a devotee of Krishna. At the behest of Shiva, Vishnu and other sages, Saturn went to bless Ganesha at his birth. Saturn stood with his eyes downward. On being asked, Saturn told the reason. Once Saturn being in meditation did not look at his wife, the daughter of Chitraratha approaching him. So she cursed Saturn that whatever he would look at directly, would be reduced to ashes.Afterwards when she knew that Saturn's action was not intentional but as he was busy in meditation, he was anaware of his surroundings, she repented her act but could not free her husband from the curse. So Saturn said to Parvati that he never looked directly at any one to avoid destruction. But when Parvati insisted that Saturn should look at her son to bless him on that festive occasion, with great hesitation, Saturn looked at the child Ganesha only to see the child's head getting cut off and flying off into Lord Krishna in Goloka and the body lying on the lap of Parvati drenched in blood. When all fainted out of grief, Vishnu reached the banks of the river Pushpabhadra and finding a king elephant with herd cut off the head of the elephant giving boons to the herd and fixed it upon the child 's body and revived it through spiritual powers. Parvati was happy to see the child alive but got angry with Saturn and cursed him that he would be devoid of a limb. The Sun, Yama, sage Kashyapa and others became furious at Parvati's behaviour as it was Parvati who insisted on Saturn's looking at the child and the fault was not of Saturn. Parvati also realized her folly and said that curse once uttered could not be taken back, so Saturn would be a little lame and blessed him with kingship among the planets, long life. to remain a peer among the yogis and with devotion to Vishnu.

Saturn and Ashwaththa
According to Brahma Purana, the worship of sacred fig tree ( Peepal ) in a specified manner is said to mitigate the rigours of the influence of Saturn in a person's horoscope and confer prosperity.
In the heaven, there were two cruel sons of Kaitabha namely Ashwaththa and Pippala. Ashwaththa used to assume the form of Fig or Peepal tree and devour the brahmins who came there to cut the twigs for sacrifice. Pippala , assuming the form of a singer used to devour the students who came to learn the vedas from him. The number of brahmins dwindled. So the sages started doing penance and came to Saturn who was also practising penance. Saturn agreed to kill the demons on the completion of his penance without completing which he said that he was powerless in uprooting the demons. The sages , in turn offered their powers accrued from their penance to Saturn upon which Saturn went to the demon ( in the form of Peepal tree) in the guise of a brahmin. As usual the demon devoured the son of the Sun. Saturn's one direct look at inside of the stomach of the demon was enough to reduce him to ashes. Then Saturn went as a disciple to the other demon and when the demon devoured Saturn, the latter's one direct look at inside the stomach of Pippala burnt him to ashes. Agastya and other sages being pleased gave numerous boons to Saturn. Saturn then himself said,
" Whoever touches Peepal tree on every Saturday regularly , all his undertakings will be successful and will be free from the miseries caused by Saturn."
" Whoever takes bath in Ashwaththa Tirtha, all his wishes will be fulfilled."
" Whoever after getting up in the morning on Saturday touches Ashwaththa tree ( Peepal), all his troubles from the planets will be mitigated."
Legend of Pippalada and Saturn
This is referred to in Skanda Purana. Pippalada , a sage boy and nephew of the famous sage Yagyavalkya, a desolute without parents or any one to look after him, lived in a wretched condition in a jungle. Once sage Narada met the boy and the boy wanted to know the cause of his miseries. Narada told him that the wretched condition was due to the placement of Saturn in Lagna ( first house ) in his horoscope. The boy was very upset and became angry with Saturn. An angry look of Pippalada at Shani dropped him ( Saturn ) down the sky. Narada requested Saturn not to look straight at the boy and put back the planet in the sky and advised the boy not to anger Saturn. Narada said that Saturn when placed in the eighth house in a horoscope tormented even the deities. Saturn in Lagna and in the second house in a horoscope are not good.
The intensity of Saturn's effulgence is referred to here in an event that took place when Saturn was a child. Saturn saw the feet of his father, the Sun, as soon as he was born and the father who came to see the new-born baby, had to cover them with a cloth. But that did not save him. He got both of his feet burnt. Hence in all idols, they are said to be even now covered with leather.
The boy felt sorry for making saturn fall from the sky and asked Narada some remedy. To this, Narada replied that planets, cows, kings and brahmins when worshipped become pleased and when insulted burn the offenders. Narada asked Pippalada to pray to Saturn. Pippalada prayed and Saturn being pleased granted a boon to the boy who requested the planet not to trouble children below sixteen years of age ( baala).
The recitation of stotra by Pippalada on Saturday in the morning, taking oil bath, placing the image of Saturn made of iron downwards in oil and bathing with the same oil, offerings of sesame and oil, gift of black cow, performing homa with the twigs of Shami tree, worship of Saturn with sesame oil and black ( dark blue ) flowers, black cloth and offering incense are mentioned as effective measures in nullifying the distress caused by Saturn as well as conferring properity.
Saturn and Rohini
It is believed that when Saturn attacks the star Rohini, great disaster occurs. This is referred to in Skanda Purana, Padma Purana , Mahabharata etc.
When king Dasharatha was ruling his kingdom with righteousness, everything was flourishing. Once the astrologers told him that the son of the Sun ( Saturn ) , then in the end of Krththika star would break the constellation Rohini which indicated terrible drought. Drought would lead to dearth of food, then men, then the total extinction of all religious rites. Hearing this, Dasharatha became furious and obstructed the path of Saturn which was going towards Rohini and threatened to kill Saturn if he did not give up going to Rohini. Saturn was pleased with the king's concern for human welfare and valour and did not attack Rohini. The planet granted the king a boon upon which Dasharatha requested Saturn that the latter should not trouble any person who takes oil bath on Saturday.
This explanation is in support of the custom of taking oil-bath on Saturdays especially in South India. This is highly scientific.It is well-known that Saturn is karaka for diseases caused by vata ( wind ) like Rheumatism, Paralysis, diseases of joints etc. Regular oil massage keeps away these diseases.
Giving seasame seeds and iron on saturdays for a year is recommended as a remedial measure to keep away the adverse effects of transit of Saturn.
Performance of Shanti-homa with seasame, sacrificial sticks and rice-grains on Saturdays is prescribed as an antidote against the trying period of seven and a half years of Saturn's rule on any individual.
Even hearing or reading the dialogue between the king and Saturn is recommended in SkandaPurana for overcoming the evil effects of Saturn.
The same story is narrated in PadmaPurana and here Dasharatha asked Saturn to free all men, deities, demons, birds and reptiles from his shackles. Here Saturn justified the term ' graha'. It means ' to catch'. The very existence of the planets is to torment the beings and confer prosperity on them when they pray and worship the planets. So the only remedy to free from the clutches is to recite the prayer of Saturn once or twice in a day. Prayer to Saturn by Dasharatha is given in the SkandaPurana.
A very simple prayer is given in Brhat stotraratnakara thus-
Suryaputro deerghadeho vishalakshah Shivapiyah,
Mandacharah prasannatma peedam dahatu me Shainih.

May Saturn who is the son of the Sun, long-bodied, broad eyed, beloved of Shiva ( or devotee of Shiva ), slow-moving,who is joyous by nature burn my pain !
In the words sage Parashara, Saturn bestows logevity as well as prosperity. Astrologically Saturn is the unconditional taker of life also. This sums up the entire truth. Man's life on this life is determined by the fruits of his actions done in his previous birth. Saturn is the dispenser of justice. This planet's exaltation in the zodiac sign 'thula' ( scales or libra ) justifies this fact.
Since Saturn's influence on earthly life is more prominent and profound than any other planet's , most of the sufferings in life are attributed to him. But sufferings alone ennoble man by paving path way to salvation by discipling the individual. Thus Saturn, a planet of spirituality is the real deliverer of man from the miseries of birth and death also.