(Read this everyday, surely all problems would disappear.)
Translated by Mr. Gautam Prakash
सरस्वती सुमीरूं मोरी माय, गणपत लागूँ तोरे पाय।
तो सिमरियां सुख संपत्ति थाय, गोरी सुत मोहि बुद्धि बताय।
गुरु प्रणाम करि शीश नवाऊँ, शनिदेव की कथा बणाऊ।
Once upon a time all the nine planets meet together in the heaven and start squabbling, claiming himself the greatest. During the squabble they decided to go to the lord Indra (God of Rain) on the issue and ask him to judge which one of them is greatest. All of them went to the lord Indra and ask him to tell which one of them is greatest, lord Indra think it a complicated issue and he did not want to get into the mess, because he did not wanted to make any of them disgruntle. So he suggested to all of the nine planets to go on the earth where there is a king name Vikramaditya, he is well known on earth for his justice. Then all the nine planets came to King Vikramaditya and ask him to judge who is the greatest. King Vikramaditya understood that it is a critical issue because all of nine planets were great in their powers and if he will say any of them small then he has to be face their anger. After thinking a lot a trick came in his mind and he ordered his servants to bring Nine thrones of different metals of Gold, Silver, Bronze, Copper, Lead, Tin, Zinc, Asbestos and Iron, and ordered his servants to put the Golden throne in the front and Iron throne in the back of all other thrones.
Servants do the same and placed the Golden Throne in the front and all other thrones behind that and Iron throne in the last. After placing the Thrones, King Vikramaditya ask all nine planets to take their seats stating that the greatest one will sit in the front and the smallest will sit in the last. Shani Dev (Lord Saturn) got understand that King Vikramaditya is telling him smallest. Shani Dev (Lord Saturn) got angry on the King that he has humiliated him by stating him the smallest. Then Shani Dev said to King Vikramaditya that you are not aware of my powers. The Moon remains in a Rashi for 2 and ¼ days, Sun, Venus and Mercury remains in a Rashi for a Month, Mars for 1 and ½ month, Jupitar is for 13 months, Rahu and Ketu always travel in reverse direction and remain only for 18 months and I remain in a Rashi for 7 and ½ Years and Shani Dev warned King Vikramaditya that very soon you have to face my wrathful act. King Vikramaditya said that he will face the future, whatever is in his fortune. All other planets except Shani Dev became happy by his decision and went back but Shani Dev was very angry over king for this.
When the time passes King Vikramaditya forget all about what Shani Dev said and he was living his life. Now the 7 ½ Dasha of Shani Dev starts over the King. Shani Dev makeup himself like a trader of horses and come to the state of King Vikramaditya. When he came to his state the praise of his horses come into the notice of the king. The king went to the trader and chosen one of the finest horses for himself, as soon as the king ride on the horse the horse ran into the deep forest and suddenly he droped the king from his back and disappeared. The King was surprised and found himself alone in the desolate forest, now he was tired and thirsty too. He was looking for someone and finally he found a shepherd grazing his cattle. He asked the shepherd for water and shepherd gave him water to drink. After drinking water the king was happy and he gave his ring to the shepherd. Then the King ask him the way to the nearest city and started towards the directed direction. After arriving to the nearest city the king sat outside a jewelry shop. On that day there was a very good selling in the jewelry shop and the jeweler thinks him lucky for him so he brought the king at his home with him without, knowing that he is a king of another state. The Jeweler offered food to the king at his home, as soon as the king was having food he saw a strange incident, a golden necklace which was hanging on the peg of the wall of the house was swallowed by the peg. The King Vikramaditya was watching all this but kept all this up to himself. When the jeweler came in the room and did not found the necklace on the wall he blamed the king that he has stolen his precious necklace, but the king refused and said please check in the house. The jeweler got very angry and took him to the king of that state. The king of the city threatened and asked Vikramaditya in various ways about the necklace but Vikramaditya said that he did not steal the necklace it is just because of his misfortune that he was at wrong place and at a wrong time. The king of the city ordered his soldiers to cut the arms and legs of the thief. Soldiers take the thief to the crossroad of the city and cut his arms and legs and left him to let die on the road. Several days passed and now the Vikramaditya is on the mercy of the wayfarers that were passing from that way, they give water and food to him and by this way he was living his life.
One day an oil man was passing through that way, he saw the hand and leg chopped person on the road and asked to the soldiers to take that person to his home. Soldiers allowed him to take the person at his home. Now the oil man put Vikramaditya on his masher, Vikramaditya calls the bulls and bulls move on his voice and by this the oil man was getting his work done and in return he gives food and shelter to the Vikramaditya, by this way days passed and now the 7 ½ dasha of Shani Dev was over on the Vikramaditya. After completion of the 7 ½ Dasha of Shani Dev one night when it was raining Vikramaditya started singing a song. The princess of that state listened to and Spellbound over the voice, she ordered her servants to find the person who was singing the song. The servants search around the city and find the person who was singing the song. Then servants came to the princess and tell her that a handicapped person is singing the song. Now the princess insists her parents that she will get married to this person only. The queen and the king exhort the princess not to get married to the handicapped person, and explained her that this is a mismatch but the princess persist on her mind and refused her parents that she will get married to that person otherwise she will die. Then the king and the queen bow before the insistence of the princess and call oil man to make preparations for the marriage. The oil man said to the king that he is a poor man and you are the king, how I could make arrangements for the marriage of the princess, but the king said what is to be happened would happen, don’t afraid and go to your home and make arrangements whatever is in there fortune they will get. By hearing this oil man went to his home and start preparations for the wedding and on an auspicious time both the princess and Vikramaditya got married. Now, the princess and Vikramaditya startes living in the royal palace.
One night when Vikramaditya was sleeping with his newlywed wife, Shani Dev came in his dream and asked him, how was the time, what you face in the past years? Vikramaditya greet the Shani Dev and apologise for his mistake and said that you are the greatest among all other planets, he made mistake on that day and said he face a very hard time in the past. After hearing this the Shani Dev asked him to wish anything. Vikramaditya wished Shani dev to make him the same like before and he also said to Shani dev that you had given me so much pain, I request you not to give that much pain to other humans. Shani Dev give him blessings and announce that whoever will pray of him, hear his story, meditate him, feed flour to ants will never get pain and will be free from all sufferings, by saying this the Shani Dev disappears.
In the morning Vikramaditya wake up and saw his arms and legs and become very happy. He told the whole story to his wife and came down to the court of the king where king and other ministers were sitting. The king was also surprised to see Vikramaditya and asked him about his arms and legs. Vikramaditya tell him the whole story and tell that he is the king of Ujjain and due to the anger of Shani Dev he faced this hard time. After knowing this the king and the queen became very happy that her daughter weds to a king. When days passed the people of the state talks about the story of the Vikramaditya, now the story came to the knowledge of the jeweler, the Jeweler was sorry and very afraid that he accused of theft on the king’s son in law.
The Jeweler called the people of his community and tell them the whole story. The Jeweler and his community decide to go to the king and apologize for his mistake and they do the same. The king of that state said that you go to the king Vikramaditya and whatever the punishment he orders, you will have to suffer the punishment he gives you. Jeweler did the same and went to the king Vikramaditya and bowed before him and said that he made a great mistake on that day and ask king Vikramaditya to punish him for his mistake. King Vikramaditya said that it was not his fault it was because of his misfortune, Shani Dev was angry on him and the shadow of Shani Dev was on him but now that time has been passed, you need not to be afraid, now everything is fine. The Jeweler said that his mind is still unrest and his mind will only be in peace when you (king Vikramaditya) will come to his home and take dinner, only then he will believe that he has forgiven him. King Vikramaditya agreed on his proposal of dinner and said if you wish so I will come to your home and on the decided date the king Vikramaditya went to the Jeweler’s home. The Jeweler organised a very big party and was very happy to see him, he served food to the king himself. When the king Vikramaditya was having dinner he saw one strange thing again, everyone saw that the peg that had swallowed the necklace was now spewing it out. King tell everyone to look at the wall, now everyone who was present in that room see the strange incident and everybody was praising the truth of the king. Now, the king said that he didn’t tell this before because if he would have told this nobody would have believed him, but now everything is in front of you. Now, the Jeweler requested him to get married to his daughter and king Vikramaditya got married to his daughter. After living for several days in the royal palace of his Father in law, king Vikramaditya ask permission to go to his own state. The King agreed with him and gave several diamonds, horses, elephants and gifts to him. Now king Vikramaditya arrived in his state he people of his state became very happy to see him again. As soon as the king Vikramaditya reached to his palace he told the whole story to his people and announced that Shani Dev is the greatest among all nine planets and asked his people to worship the lord Shani Dev to get rid of all pains and sorrow.
