Shani Dev Vrat Katha

Part 1: The Dispute of the Nine Planets

Once a dispute arose among the nine planets about who was the greatest of all. The Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu all claimed their own superiority. When they could not decide among themselves, they went to Devraj Indra. Indra was perplexed and said, "I cannot decide this. Let us go to King Vikramaditya on earth; he is a lover of justice."

Part 2: Vikramaditya's Judgement

All the planets reached Vikramaditya's court. The king heard them and thought that if he called any one the greatest, the rest would be offended. He had nine seats made: of gold, silver, bronze, brass, lead, tin, copper, mica and iron. He said, "All must sit on these in order. The earlier a seat comes, the greater the one who sits on it." Shani received the iron seat, which was the last.

Shani Dev said in anger, "O king, you have insulted me. I punish people for two and a half years to seven and a half years. Now you too must bear my wrath." The king said humbly, "Whatever is in my fate will happen."

Part 3: The Test of Sade Sati

After some time Shani's Sade Sati began for the king. Shani came in the guise of a horse trader and sold the king a beautiful horse. As soon as the king mounted the horse, it flew away with him to a distant forest and vanished. The king wandered in the forest. Restless with hunger and thirst, he reached a city. A merchant gave him shelter there, but that very night a necklace was stolen from the merchant's house and the blame fell on the king. The king of that city ordered that his hands and feet be cut off.

King Vikramaditya, without hands and feet, reached the house of an oil-presser. The oil-presser gave him the job of sitting at his oil press. The king stayed there and went on worshipping Shani Dev. One night he sang the raga Malhar. Hearing that raga, the princess of that city was charmed. She found out who the singer was and insisted on marrying Vikramaditya. The king refused, but the princess stood firm. In the end the marriage took place.

Part 4: Forgiveness and the Spread of the Vrat

One night Shani Dev came in a dream and said, "Vikram, you had insulted me; now your test is over." The king humbly bowed at his feet and said, "Lord, I insulted you unknowingly. Please forgive me. Please do not give such suffering to anyone else." Shani forgave him and his hands and feet became as they were before.

The king returned to his kingdom and said to his people, "From today let Shani Dev be worshipped and the vrat kept on Saturdays." He ordered that Shani's katha be read and heard every Saturday. From then the Saturday vrat became popular.

The person who keeps the Saturday vrat with faith and listens to this katha gets relief from Shani's affliction and success in his undertakings.

Thus ends the complete Shani Dev Vrat Katha