Shani Dev is the son of Surya Dev

Shani is the son of Surya (Sun god) and Chaya (wife of Sun god). He is also the brother of Lord Yama (god of death). As an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, Shani was given the authority to reward or punish people for their good and bad deeds. Shani is often dreaded in astrology since when Shani afflicts a horoscope, the individual suffers bad luck.

✨Lord Shani Dev’s personality✨

The term Shani literally means one who moves very slowly. A legend says Shani kicked his foster mother as a young boy when she was delaying to feed him. Therefore it is said she cursed him to become lame in one leg. This is however symbolic. Shani moves very slowly in the horoscope (29.5 years to complete one revolution around sun) when compared to other planets and this is why he is said to be Mandha (slow moving) or lame.

The different names of Shani are Saura, Krura-dris, Krura-lochana, Mandu, Pangu, Saptarchi and Asita. The statues of Shani-dev are shown wearing blue or black dress. Shani is black in color and rides a vulture or crow on an iron chariot drawn by eight horses. The weapons holds in his hands are a bow, an arrow, an axe and a trident.

✨What is Sade Sati✨

Shani has a very long orbit around the sun and takes about 29.457 years to complete one rotation around the sun. During every rotation, Saturn visits all the zodiac signs in succession. Hence, Saturn visits a person’s horoscope once in every 25 years affecting them for about 7 and half years. This is called Sade Sati period. In every individual’s life, this period will come two or three times. Rarely a long living person can face four Sade Sati periods also.

✨Why Sade Sati Period is for 7.5 years?✨

As a slow moving planet, Shani stays for about 2.5 years in a zodiac sign. The effects of Shani in a person’s horoscope starts 2.5 years before the arrival of Shani and lasts for 2.5 years more after Shani leaves for the next zodiac sign. Therefore in total the period of Shani’s effect on a zodiac sign is for 7.5 years during every cycle.

✨Shani’s evil looks started right at his birth✨

Shani’s looks are said to cause misfortune to people. When Shani was born, he casted his looks on his father Surya and immediately the Sun god went into an eclipse period. Hence the belief that Saturn’s looks are evil started right during Shani’s birth.

✨Mantras to please Shani Dev ✨

ऊँ प्रां प्रीं प्रौं सः शनये नमः।
Om pram prim praum sah shanaye namah!

ऊँ शं शनैश्चाराय नमः।
Om Sham Shaneishcharaya namah!

✨Shani Maha Mantra:✨

ॐ निलान्जन समाभासं रविपुत्रं यमाग्रजम।
छायामार्तंड संभूतं तं नमामि शनैश्चरम॥

" Om nilanjana samabhasam | Ravi putram yamagrajam || Cahaya martanda samhubhutam | Tama namami Shanescharam||"

✨Other Shani Mantra:✨

ऊँ श्रां श्रीं श्रूं शनैश्चाराय नमः।

ऊँ हलृशं शनिदेवाय नमः।

ऊँ एं हलृ श्रीं शनैश्चाराय नमः।

ऊँ मन्दाय नमः।।

ऊँ सूर्य पुत्राय नमः।।