This week, I will discuss someone who adds a touch of somber reality to our lives; while the planet associated with him has colourful rings around it, he remains the dark, taciturn figure in the cosmos- Shani Dev the lord who rules number eight! The darkness that envelopes shimmering stars, the great obscure that allows stars to dazzle with greater luminousness is Shani, the son of the shadows.
He is a person, who people acknowledge through their silence; Unlike most Devas, who encourage people to have euphoric celebrations in their honour, Shani is celebrated with bated breath and dread in the heart! Don’t you wonder why?
Well, Shani’s birth was a deception. The Sun God, Surya was married to Sanjana- they were seemingly a happy couple, who shared much love and concern for each other. But while Sanjana loved her husband, his scorching brightness was too much for her to bear. She needed time off to sort this problem out and she left her home but left behind her shadow, Chhaya, to take her place. Surya couldn’t figure out the difference (no surprises there)!
Chhaya was perfect, she found it easy to be the shadow that Surya needed. A reticent, shy and prayerful woman fulfilling all of Surya’s needs and soon she was going to bear him a baby. A devout woman, she did complex penances to please Lord Shiva, who was extremely impressed with her, blessed her saying her child would be wiser and more intuitive than all others, he would be able to look into the truth of things. Everything was going fine right up till Shani’s birth- he was born dark, just like the dark shadow complexion his mother actually had. Surya was so shocked at the un-Aryan look of his son that he went into an eclipse! Nothing could repair the father–son relationship after that; in fact, some legends speak about Shani cursing his father to be hidden in the shadows, which was put right by Shiva by making a subtle change – which is why we have eclipses, but that is a matter of conjecture.
Shani’s family life was far from perfect, his looks and attitude made him difficult to cuddle and love. This obviously left indelible marks on his personality. His deep desire to pursue the hidden truth, makes him seem a bit dangerous and intimidating. And then there was a stepbrother to deal with- Yama, the Wise God of death, who did not treat his younger brother gently. In fact, a childhood fight left him lame, which is why, Shani moves slowly around the sun, taking almost 30 years to complete a single orbit.
Despite all his difficulties, Shani pursues the truth will a single-minded devotion. He values effort and hard work and looks into the true value of things. He believes that we shouldn’t wait for the afterlife to be rewarded. His brother, Yama, judges and rewards in the afterlife; his rewards are abstract and often confusing. Shani was clear that people deserved material rewards that they could understand and value. So, Shani puts his hand out to bless you, but you won’t be able to hold all that he gives.
By Sheila Bhattacharya
Also Read –
The story of the nine planets or the NavGrahas
