Daśarathkṛta śanaiścara stotram (दशरथ्कृत शनैश्चर स्तोत्रम्)

Prologue – It is said that, a long time ago, the illustrious King Daśaratha, the father of Lord Rāma was wisely counselled and informed of the transit of Saturn in the Asterism/Nakṣatra Rohini (Aldebaran star – Alpha Tauri). It is believed that during this transit, many kings and even kingdoms could get destroyed and great misery may befall the denizens.

To forestall the mishaps and immense misery that could wreck his kingdom, King Daśaratha prayed to Lord Śrī Śanaiścara (Śani deva) and composed the following eight śloka-s (verses) to appease and obtain the grace of the Divine Father. The benevolence of Lord Śani deva was bestowed upon the kingdom of King Daśaratha and its citizens, who escaped the miseries that would have otherwise befallen them.

To this day, one who prays to Lord Śani deva with these śloka-s and the ten attributes mentioned towards the end, obtains His grace and escapes miseries and hardship caused by the transit of Saturn, due to the bad placement or aspects in one’s natal horoscope.

viniyogaḥ (विनियोगः)-

asya śrī śanaiścara stotrasya ।

daśaratha ṛṣiḥ ।

śanaiścaro devatā ।

triṣṭup chandaḥ ।

śanaiścara prītyarthe jape viniyogaḥ ॥

अस्य श्री शनैश्चर स्तोत्रस्य ।

दशरथ ऋषिः ।

शनैश्चरो देवता ।

त्रिष्टुप् छन्दः ।

शनैश्चर प्रीत्यर्थे जपे विनियोगः ॥

Meaning:- This prayer/mantra japa is to invoke Śrī Śhani (Śaniśvara) devata and perform His mantra japa to obtain His complete grace in all aspects, specifically for longevity, stability, continuity in job, profession and business, as well as to gain peace of mind and contentment in life. With His blessings, one gains complete happiness, abundance in wealth etc. The sage (ṛṣiḥ) is the blessed king Daśaratha, the meter (chandas) for the mantra is triṣṭup and the deity is the longevity giver Śrī Śaniścara devata .

Daśaratha uvāca (दशरथ उवाच)-  The illustrious king Daśaratha spoke thus -

koṇo'ntako raudrayamo'tha babhruḥ kṛṣṇaḥ śaniḥ piṃgalamandasauriḥ

nityaṃ smṛto yo harate ca pīḍāṃ tasmai namaḥ śrī-ravi-nandanāya ॥ 1

कोणोऽन्तको रौद्रयमोऽथ बभ्रुः कृष्णः शनिः पिंगलमन्दसौरिः ।

नित्यं स्मृतो यो हरते च पीडां तस्मै नमः श्रीरविनन्दनाय ॥ १ ॥

Saluations to the Divine Lord Śani deva, who is equated with the terrific life terminating Rudra - the destroyer and Lord Yama - the upholder of all dharma and justice. May we meditate upon the tawny brown haired and dark complexioned, very slow moving lord of the planet Saturn, who is also the son of Lord Ravi (Sūrya) deva at all times, to ensure immediate removal of all our miseries.

surāsurāḥ kiṃpuruṣoragendrā gandharva vidyādhara pannagāśca

pīḍyanti sarve viṣamasthitena tasmai namaḥ śrī-ravi-nandanāya ॥ 2

सुरासुराः किंपुरुषोरगेन्द्रा गन्धर्वविद्याधरपन्नगाश्च ।

पीड्यन्ति सर्वे विषमस्थितेन तस्मै नमः श्रीरविनन्दनाय ॥ २ ॥

Oh Lord Śrī Ravi Nandana (Son of Lord Ravi, Śani deva), such is your power, that the transit of the planet Saturn in various constellations, can also deeply impact and bring immense misery to even the celestial Suras (Devas) and Asuras (Daityas), celestial reptilians and all other advanced humanoids and beings of various dimensions.  May we all mediate to invoke your divine grace, to immediately dispel all our adverse and deeply cemented miseries.

narā narendrāḥ paśavo mṛgendrā vanyāśca ye kīṭa-pataṃga-bhṛṅgāḥ

pīḍyanti sarve viṣama-sthitena tasmai namaḥ śrī-ravi-nandanāya ॥ 3

नरा नरेन्द्राः पशवो मृगेन्द्रा वन्याश्च ये कीटपतंगभृङ्गाः ।

पीड्यन्ति सर्वे विषमस्थितेन तस्मै नमः श्रीरविनन्दनाय ॥ ३ ॥

Oh Lord Śrī Ravi Nandana, the unfortunate position of the planet Saturn in one’s horoscope and/or the transit of Saturn, causes deep impact and suffering to all men, irrespective of their status in society, be they common men or people in high positions or wealthy. The effects are also pertinent to animals, birds, insects and all living creatures. May we all mediate to invoke your divine grace, to immediately dispel all our adverse and deeply engraved sufferings and miseries.

deśāśca durgāṇi vanāni yatra senāniveśāḥ purapattanāni

pīḍyanti sarve viṣamasthitena tasmai namaḥ śrī-ravi-nandanāya ॥ 4

देशाश्च दुर्गाणि वनानि यत्र सेनानिवेशाः पुरपत्तनानि ।

पीड्यन्ति सर्वे विषमस्थितेन तस्मै नमः श्रीरविनन्दनाय ॥ ४ ॥

Oh Lord Śrī Ravi Nandana, your transit can affect every nation, fortified dwellings and even highly inaccessible locations. There is absolutely no place that is not impacted by your transit. May we all mediate to invoke your divine grace, to immediately dispel all our adverse and deeply embossed sufferings and miseries.

tilair-yavair-māṣa-guḍānna-dānair-lohena nīlāmbara-dānato vā

prīṇāti mantrair-nija-vāsare ca tasmai namaḥ śrī-ravi-nandanāya ॥ 5

तिलैर्यवैर्माषगुडान्नदानैर्लोहेन नीलाम्बरदानतो वा ।

प्रीणाति मन्त्रैर्निजवासरे च तस्मै नमः श्रीरविनन्दनाय ॥ ५ ॥

Salutations to the Divine Lord Śrī Ravi Nandana, who is easily pleased by charitable acts of donating sesame seeds, beans, molasses, rice pudding, rice paddy, iron, dark clothes and recitation of His mantras and ślokas on a Saturday that is owned by Him.

prayāgakūle yamunātaṭe ca sarasvatī-puṇya-jale guhāyām

yo yogināṃ dhyānagato'pi sūkṣma-stasmai namaḥ śrī-ravi-nandanāya ॥ 6

प्रयागकूले यमुनातटे च सरस्वतीपुण्यजले गुहायाम् ।

यो योगिनां ध्यानगतोऽपि सूक्ष्मस्तस्मै नमः श्रीरविनन्दनाय ॥ ६ ॥

Salutations to the Divine Lord Śrī Ravi Nandana, Who manifests in His most subtle form and bestows His grace upon the yogis and all devotees who pray to Him in caves or in secrecy, by the banks of large rivers and water bodies, such as Prayāga, a place where the holy rivers Gaṅga, Yamuna and the mystical Sarasvatī meet.

anya-pradeśāt-svagṛhaṃ praviṣṭas-tadīya-vāre sa naraḥ sukhī syāt

gṛhād gato yo na punaḥ prayāti tasmai namaḥ śrī-ravi-nandanāya ॥ 7

अन्यप्रदेशात्स्वगृहं प्रविष्टस्तदीयवारे स नरः सुखी स्यात् ।

गृहाद् गतो यो न पुनः प्रयाति तस्मै नमः श्रीरविनन्दनाय ॥ ७ ॥

Salutations to the Divine Lord Śrī Ravi Nandana, Who is also pleased by those who pray to Him to seek His grace at any location including His own house. He bestows His grace upon all beings and brings immense comforts, when He transits His own houses/zodiac signs of Capricorn and Aquarius as well as the star constellations owned by Him. It does take quite a long time for Him to come back and transit His favorable signs and stars, during which times, one who is not a recipient of His grace, experiences great discomfort.

sraṣṭā svayaṃ-bhūr-bhuvanatra-yasya trātā harīśo harate pinākī

ekas-tridhā ṛg-yajuḥ-sāma-mūrtis-tasmai namaḥ śrī-ravi-nandanāya ॥ 8

स्रष्टा स्वयंभूर्भुवनत्रयस्य त्राता हरीशो हरते पिनाकी ।

एकस्त्रिधा ऋग्यजुःसाममूर्तिस्तस्मै नमः श्रीरविनन्दनाय ॥ ८ ॥

Salutations to the Divine Lord Śrī Ravi Nandana, Who is to be mediated as a manifestation of the singular reality with the power to Create, Preserve and Destroy and Who is to be perceived as the embodiment of Lord Hari (Viṣṇu the Preserver) and Lord Hara (Rudra the Destroyer) holding the trident and representing all the triads. He is also the embodiment of all knowledge and the holy scriptures such as the Ṛg, Yajur and Sāma vedas.

Phalaśruti (फलश्रुति)

śanyaṣṭakaṃ yaḥ prayataḥ prabhāte nityaṃ suputraiḥ paśu-bāndhavaiśca

paṭhettu saukhyaṃ bhuvi bhoga-yuktaḥ prāpnoti nirvāṇapadaṃ tadante ॥ 9

शन्यष्टकं यः प्रयतः प्रभाते नित्यं सुपुत्रैः पशुबान्धवैश्च ।

पठेत्तु सौख्यं भुवि भोगयुक्तः प्राप्नोति निर्वाणपदं तदन्ते ॥ ९ ॥

One who recites these eight ślokas on a daily basis at the break of dawn, will be blessed with good, illustrous and obedient children and plenty of cattle. One will be blessed with all kinds of prosperity available in this world and will ultimately attain self-realization and liberation with the grace of the Divine Lord Śani deva.

koṇasthaḥ piṅgalo babhruḥ kṛṣṇo raudro'ntako yamaḥ

sauriḥ śanaiścaro mandaḥ pippalādena saṃstutaḥ ॥ 10

कोणस्थः पिङ्गलो बभ्रुः कृष्णो रौद्रोऽन्तको यमः ।

सौरिः शनैश्चरो मन्दः पिप्पलादेन संस्तुतः ॥ १० ॥

The divine sage Pippala has praised you with the following ten names –

  1. Koṇasthaḥ (the end point – the One who brings an end to one’s happiness or misery based on karmas and placement of Saturn in one’s horoscope).
  2. Piṅgala (reddish-brown or tawny colored one – referring to the color of the planet Saturn and it’s rings).
  3. Babhruḥ (deep brown complexioned one – same as above).
  4. Kṛṣṇa (the dark complexioned Divine Lord).
  5. Raudra (The One who is none other than the embodiment of Lord Rudra, the Destroyer).
  6. Antaka (The One who brings the end to one’s happiness or misery).
  7. Yamaḥ (One who is equivalent to the Lord of Justice and the ruler of Naraka – equivalent to hell).
  8. Sauriḥ (The planet Saturn).
  9. Śanaiścara (The slow moving planet Saturn and also the weekend day Saturday).
  10. Mandaḥ (The slow moving One, who ensures that justice is meted out and one is punished sufficiently for His/Her karmas. Also, for those bearing good karmas, He doles out excellent and long lasting benefits!).

etāni daśa nāmāni prātar-utthāya yaḥ paṭhet

śanaiścara-kṛtā pīḍā na kadācid-bhaviṣyati ॥ 11

एतानि दश नामानि प्रातरुत्थाय यः पठेत् ।

शनैश्चरकृता पीडा न कदाचिद्भविष्यति ॥ ११ ॥

One who recites these ten divine attributes of the Divine Lord Śani deva at the break of dawn/early morning on a daily basis, will be completely rid of all types of miseries and discomforts, especially those attributed to the bad placement of Saturn in one’s natal horoscope. By His grace, one will be bestowed with prosperity and all comforts!

॥ iti śrī-brahmāṇḍa-purāṇe śrīśanaiścarastotraṃ sampūrṇam

॥ इति श्रीब्रह्माण्डपुराणे श्रीशनैश्चरस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ॥

Thus ends this Śrī Śanaiścara Stotra derived from the holy scripture Śrī Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇam.