Saturn- A pauranic view

                               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.

Relevance of devotion in Modern age

                              Relevance of devotion in Modern age


The beauty and greatness of Indian Philosophy is that it is practical. It is not only a view of life, but a way of life as well. It is highly scientific with perfect techniques explained exhaustively adopting which one can slowly develop or evolve to reach his view of life, perfection.
Scriptures mention three approaches for human salvation in realization of his own self, in tune with human temperament by way of action, way of knowledge and by way of devotion. But these ways are not independent and exclusive but inter-dependent and inter-related. Of these,devotion is supposed to be the easiest path. Action and knowledge should blend in devotion and that alone will bring the necessitated grace of the Lord for moksha.
The beauty and easiness of Bhakti lies in the fact that there the enquiry takes an outward form also and ends in the acceptance of a Supreme Being- sacchidananda, who is the originator and master of all creation, the enratured contemplation of whose majesty and attributes leads ultimately to total surrender and absorption in Him. The devotion aiding the knowledge in salvation is compared to a lamp helping the eyes at night to have a clear visibility.
History bears an eloquent testimony to importance of devotion along with knowledge. Devotion is necessary for purification of the mind. Knowledge of the truth can dawn only on pure mind. There is plethora of devotional hymns composed by Shankara, Ramanuja, Appaya Dikshita, though widely they are recognized as stalwarts of philosophy.
Devotion toGod-head has a method and a process of its own. It involves degrees of advancement wherein the infinite is more and more coprehended. This gradual advancement is recognized by our
devotional scriptures.
From the nature of the worshipped, devotion is of two types, Nirguna and Saguna. The ideal devotion is Nirguna which is marked by a desireless state of mind and a selfless and wholly dedicated spirit is  present in it. A person who has cultivated the Nirguna Bhakti does not even care for moksha. The second type is Saguna which is again devotion marked by some kind of desire on the part of the devotee. In the Bhagavad-gita, these are mentioned as arta ( afflicted ), jijnasu ( one desirous of knowledge ), artharthi ( desirous of getting some object ), and jnani (knower of the self ). The Saguna aspect is streesed for the felicitation of upasana( worship ).
Devotion is again of two kinds from the angle of devotee- Sadhya and Sadhana. Sadhya is the highest thing a devotee can aspire for. So it is alsocalled Parabhakti or Paramabhakti.
Sadhana or gauni is again of two types from the technical point of view. They are vihita (vaidhi ) and avihita or raganuga. the devotion arising according to injunctions in the scriptures is termed vaidhi. The love for God without any injunction is called raganuga.

The vaidhi bhakti has been dealt with by many teachers of bhakti who have prescribed various forms of discipline for the realization of true devotion in practical life. But the nine principal modes of self-discipline - shravanam, kirtanam, Vishnoh smaranam, padasevanam, archanam, vandanam, dasyam, sakhyam and atmanivedanam as taught in the Bhagavata is the most poetic, sublime, scientific and psychological relating to the three  aspects nama, rupa and bhava of the Lord. Later teachers add other folds such as the company of the good, observing fasts, celebrating religious festivals, going on pilgrimages, giving alms on selected days and so on.
Viewed from the above, it is very clear that the aim of devotion is to control the senses and the mind and put them on the right path, developing concentration towards a goal.
A doubt is often expressed whether devotion is relevant to modern times. Perhaps the real reason why such a question is asked is because there is a ritualistic side to devotion. It is grossly misinterpreted and misunderstood. To an ordinary man, devotion is nothing more than organizing Bhagawati jagaran on roads causing noise pollution or compelling to part with huge amount in the form of dakshina to
priests in temples and houses on religious days. This is not devotion. Taking baths at odd hours,
doing worship or going on pilgrimage at the cost of family is not devotion. Giving huge donations
pandering to the greed of the pseudo priests and causing inconvenience to the members of family is
not devotion. Like everything in the world, with the passage of time, the spirit of devotion has been lost and faddish notions clouding devotion have led to misunderstanding and misuse. Devotion need not be stagnant or fixed. It has to be reassessed in the present day context with a right to discard the irrelevent aspects and imbibe the values or spirit of it.
Today people suffer because of their disorganized life. They get crushed in the competition of the material world. Indian philosophy declares that this need not be, if the individual knows the art of diligently using hos own abilities and efficiencies. It insists that man is essentially perfect and he has within himself all the resources, ability and energy for building up a supremely successful life for himself and for others in the world. Devotion imparts the art of living by which man discovers in
himself, the equipoise to stand up tolife's situations, meeting efficiently the ever-changing world of challenges he has to meet.
Based upon the psychological facts, the physical movements in devotional ritualism are conceived. The feeling of freshness after the bath, the special loose dress of silk for prayer, the reserved prayer-corner, the burning of scented incense, the sandal wood paste on the forehead, the sparkling lamps,the decorated altar of the Lord,the hymns sung, the flowers - all these are means to conduce the correct external atmosphere to create the required mental attitude.
Offering fruits, nirajana ( waving light before the deity ), breaking cocoanut and offering it, circumambulation and other things connected with devotion are not mere actions but symbolic and convey a deep philosophic sense. Since our mental mood determines our actions, our physical attitude can induce the right memtalmood in us. By strengthening the right physical habits, training the mind becomes simpler and surer. When the mind is conquered, then the entire world is mastered. Constant awareness of the divine self within us the secret of holding the mind away from its roaming and the energies are conserved which achieve spectacular success. Divine ideals have a powerful and uplifting effect upon the mind and the man. The success of great men lies only in the healthy and powerful mind.
Japa is a yraining by which the ever dancng rays of mind are persuaded to behave with some order amd rhythm, and thereby generate in their cooeperative efforts , a sile melody of the mantra chanting. The mind becomes extremely single pointed. The results accrued through the power of concentration are clearly noticable in the world. Men who have distinguished themselves in different fields, owe their success to single pointed efforts with a tenacity of purpose, while failures in life are marked by want of concentration.
It is an experienced fact that prayer in the morning or at any time refreshes both the mind and the body.
The modern age is characterized by abnormal stress and strain. This is due to our false values and moral break up with the divine. Devotion provodes a path. Sitting quietly and meditating is nothing but the art of relaxation advised by modern psychologists. Where we keep the mind ineace, there must be center for it to hold on and that is the feet of the Lord. Thus if for at least ten minuites every day we consciously attempt to rest our mind, it can be revived from all its fatigue, and it can get recharged with all its irressistible potentialities.
Human body is the best self-repairing machine. By getting rest, the body will correct itself. There is no illness which the mind cannot shake off by thossubtle process. That is why inmodern researches, yogas and asanas are advocated to treat complicated and deep rooted diseases like high blood pressure, migraines etc.
Love is an enriching emotion. There is no grief in devotion as the object of devotion does not decay, it is imperishable. There is no hatredness as every thing is considered as play of the Lord. There is no joy or sorrow as the devotee is in supreme ecstacy because his heart is constantly dwelling in His presence. All negative qualities like desire, hatred,greed,jealousy and passion which drain our inner wealth get washed away in devotion. This sublimation in one self leads to the welfare of the society, and the world.then the earthitself will get converted into a blissful state.the saying will come true, ' Ift there is heaven, it is here,it is here, it is here.'
Human excellence can be achieved through devotion. It solves problems like the environmental pollutants such as moral ineptitude, unethical practice in private and public, lack of motivation, the psychic-emotional instability, insecurity, mistrust etc.
Many tensions and problems in society arise because of various relationships among the members. Again devotion comes to our rescue. In Bhakti, relation to God can be imagined and enjoyed in the form of God as the master, the beloved, friend or child. The hidden emotional tones are steamed out through devotion and get sublimated. Then all agitations will quieten themselves.
Through devotion values are inculcated with a positive potential to project into the other spheres of life. Devotion provides the social expressions of meeting people to renew, refresh and reinforce the relationships for better human understanding and support. In true devotion, social and moral duties can never be neglected because the world is as real as God. Love for God extends to love for all, for God in immanent in all. Bhakti then becomes the extension of love to the whole society and reaches the vedantic height of realizing God in others also. Pilgrimages are prescribed in the scriptures to inculcate the spirit of divinity in nature and there by the worship of nature, namely ecology, the most discussed subject of today. Since pilgrimage places are all over the globe, going on pilgrimage can pave way for the national and global integration.
Clash of values is common between generations. But devotion can assume new values by inculcating ethical principles like tolerance, reverence,understanding, compassion in cementing this generation gap, for bhakti many a times crosses the frontiers of age.
Many diseases are traced to diseases of the mind. Addictions to drink, drug, crime and sex are due to this only. People resort to these means to get stimulated, to get a kick when they are tired, depressed and when they feel inwardly empty. Here in the diagnosis, Bhakti can play an important role. They can be made to enjoy the nature of God through bhajans. Slowly that will result in the ultimate realization of one's own self as the source of peace and bliss.
Rama Krshna Paramahamsa classifies all human joys into three categories.
1 Vishayananda - Joy arising from sensual or organic satisfaction.
2 Bhajananda-  Joy arising from the worship of God and devotional singing His name and glory.
3 Brahmananda- Joy arising from the experience of Brahman, from the realization of God, the one infinite self in man and nature.
The first one is natural and ordinary and common to both men and animals.As such, it does not express the true glory of man. The third, on the other hand, is too high and rare and beyond the reach of most human beings. But the second is available to all. Soul-stirring music, learning, hearing or singing of it can save addicts from over dependence on harmful external supports and kicks. Bhakti or bhajan gives stimulation from within and external, undecaying, enriching intoxication. Once the addicts are intiated into the enjoyment of bhakti ( bhajan ), they will be eternally cured. They will automatically give up going for external stimulants like a child who gives up his craze for toys once he learns to enjoy the pleasures of reading books. The same senses which demand gratification from outside and degenerate man can be trained by bhakti technique and put into the service of God and humanity for there is so much good in the world to look at, to hear at, to feelat and to serve at. Gandhiji also referred to bhakti therapy and popularized it as Ramnam. Bhakti is nothing but friendship with God, counselling with God. No matter how powerful anti-drug camps and councellings turn out to be, they will never be a substitute for salutary habits which Indian philosophy offers in the form of discipline of bhakti.
Let alone the various disciplines of bhakti, the mere remembrance of God with a pure heart without doing any ritual and the great words of eternal assurances of the Lord in the Bhagavadgita, ' My devotee shall never perish,' ' I shall save you from all evils', can rekindle in a man a fresh burst of enthusiasm to meet and overcome obstacles in his chosen goal. These sentences of Lord Krishna is a sure antidote against our sagging self-confidence, shrinking dejection and gathering mental depression.
There is always the built in modernity of bhakti resulting from self-updating character. Devotion is more a way of life. It is a mental attitude This attitude will make one realize that the peace and joy are not outside but within ourselves.If this attitude is adopted everywhere including work place, there will be no stress, no strain. Everywhere there will be peace and joy, Nothing will be insurmountable.