Salutations to the lord Shani whose complexion is bluish black (similar to dark Persian-blue), who is the son of Sun, the elder brother of Yamraj and born of Chhaya- the wife of Martand (Sun).
नीलांजन समाभासं रविपुत्रं यमाग्रजम्।
छाया मार्तण्ड सम्भूतं तं नमामि शनैश्चरम्।।
जो नीले काजल के समान आभा वाले, सूर्य के पुत्र, यमराज के बड़े भाई तथा सूर्यपत्नी छाया और मार्तण्ड (सूर्य) से उत्पन्न हैं, उन शनैश्चर को मैं नमस्कार करता हूँ.
The popular names of Saturn are- Shani, Chaayasunu, Tarnitanaya, kona, arki, shauri, manda, pangu, asit, yamraj, mrityu, suryasuvan, shanaishchar, krishang, kapilaksha, Patangi, Krod, Kroorlochan, dukkh and neelkaya. In the sequence of nine planets Saturn is the last planet– Sun, Mercury, Venus, Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. In Vedic astrology 7 planets signify following things of Kalpurush-
कालस्यात्मा भास्करश्चित्तमिन्दु: सत्वं भौम: स्याद्वच्श्चन्द्रसूनु: ।
देवाचार्य: सौख्यविज्ञानसार: काम: शुक्रो दुःखमेवार्कसूनु : ।
Sun is the self of kalpurush, Moon is his mind, Sattva Mars, Speech is Mercury, Happiness and knowledge is Jupiter, Venus is Eros and Saturn is his suffering. Suffering (दुःख ) of all kind is the work of Saturn.
Saturn is the most feared among all planets because it is considered to be the number one Malefic in Vedic astrology. In his major period Shani unleashes his power, people experience Saturn’s intensity in his major period (mahadsha). It is often inauspicious in worldly matters but good for spiritual longing. Saturn is the teacher and judge who bestows the fruit of karma. Saturn means solitary states, restrictions, enclosures, states of entrapment, sadness, despair and melancholy. Eighth century Arabian Astrologer Abu Mashar describes the nature of Saturn thus – “With regard to Saturn; his nature is cold, dry, bitter, black, dark, violent and harsh. Sometimes it is too cold, moist, heavy and of shrinking wind. He eats much and is honest in friendship. He presides over works moisture, husbandry and farming; over owners of land, construction of estates, rivers, and lakes; over measuring things, divisions of estates, land and much property, and estates with their wealth; over avarice and bitter poverty. Over domiciles, sea travel, long sojourn abroad, evil journey, over blindness, over corruption, hatred, guile, craftiness, fraud, disloyalty, harmfulness; over being withdrawn into one’s self, over loneliness, lust for power, pride, haughtiness and boastfulness, over those who enslave men and rule, as well as over deeds of wickedness, force, tyranny, and rags. Bondage, imprisonment, distraint, fettering, caution, reflexion, pondering, testing, over much thinking, honest speech, aversion from speech, over persistence in a course…He is scarcely angry, he wishes no one well, presides over old men, reverses the fortune, confusion, affliction, hard life, straits, loss, death, inheritance, orphanage, all old things, thieves, grave diggers, low born, eunuch, over long reflection, little speech, over secret, he presides over self destruction and boredom.”
In Uttar Kalamrit we find all the above significations ( karakatva) in nutshell. If such traits like Stubbornness, quarrelsome attitude, or lonely disposition are more prominent in the horoscope; it simply means there is bad affliction of Saturn on that individual. Such people behave like Saturn- frightening others, inflicting misery on others deliberately, humiliating people without reason; being selfish they cook only sin , without realizing the effect of karma.
According Sage Parashar (BPHS), Kurma (Sanskrit: कूर्म ‘Turtle’, ‘Tortoise’) incarnation Lord Vishnu was from Saturn ‘कूर्मो भास्करपुत्रस्य’. In his second incarnation of Kurma, lord Vishnu sustained the mount Mandar during the great churning of ocean. In the image of tortoise, the nature of Saturn can be understood. Saturn sustains LIFE. Tortoise is one of the slowest creature on earth and lives longer than any animal on the earth. Turtle has one of the longest lifespans of any animal, and some are known to have lived longer than 150-200 years. A giant tortoise named Advaita was brought to India by Lord Wellesley, who handed it over to the Alipur Zoological Gardens which lived for 250 years. A Galápagos tortoise named Harriet was collected by Charles Darwin in 1835; it died in 2006, having lived for at least 176 years. Saturn is the slowest among planets and karaka of longevity and agility. Saturn’s sign are watery and airy both, its first sign Capricorn is half earthly and half watery; while Aquarius is an airy (also watery) sign. Tortoise lives both on the land and the water. Saturn is the karaka of spirituality, perfection, Tapa, Yoga and Sannyasa. Kurma is the only animal that possesses these qualities. Bhagwat Gita gives simile of Kurma while describing a man of Perfection –
यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वशः।
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता।।
When, like the tortoise which withdraws on all sides its limbs, he withdraws his senses from the sense-objects, then his wisdom becomes steady.
Saturn gives perfection but with lot of pain, suffering and tapah. Saturn signifies time; time matures and ripens things, time also devours it, so as Saturn. The nature of Saturn is separation, closing, cutting off, deep refection, melancholy, knowledge of hidden things, passivity, seriousness and loneliness. These qualities are required for philosophical contemplation. Saturn is called Manda means slow, Saturn’s involvement slows down the activity and its process. It endows one with great patience and perseverance.
People with Saturn as the ruling plant have no ordinary destiny. Saturn sets people apart from the rest- divine or demonic, blissful or bowed down to deepest sorrow. Hitler was born with Libra ascendant, Saturn was his ruling planet; it made him a heinous hatemonger and a demon. On the contrary, Ramakrishna Paramhansa was born with Aquarius lagan, ascendant lord Saturn was exalted in 9th house of dharma; Saturn made him one of the greatest devotee of goddess kali. Saturn is the planet of opposite, it gives men both with slowness and stupidity and power of intelligence and contemplation. It is famously called teacher because it is only in his major period that people learn the important lessons of life. Saturn teaches even in madness and extreme depression in which generally people commit suicide. Saturn is negation of Mars, whatever Mars signifies, Saturn negates it. Mars is impulsive, Saturn is passive-mercurial; it is psychic. We can understand it well with the nature of suicide under influence of both.
