Deities & devotionNavagraha: Saturn
Shani
Saturn, the slow, stern graha of discipline.
Try it at home
On a Saturday, chant Om Sham Shanaishcharaya Namah, or do one patient, careful task you have been putting off.
Optional, as always. Adapt it to your family, region and health.
The wisdom
Shani is the planet Saturn as a god, son of Surya and Chhaya, dark and slow-moving, riding a crow. Saturday (Shanivara) is his day.
Shani stands for patience, hard work and facing the results of one's actions.
What the evidence says
Evidence: TraditionalThe value rests on lived tradition and reasoning, not on tests.Astrology's claims that the grahas shape people's lives are not supported by research. Worship of the grahas is a matter of faith and tradition. Fear of periods such as sade sati is a belief, not a prediction.
How we rate evidenceSignificance
What it means to the people who keep it. Faith-based meaning is described as belief, not as proven fact.
Devotees offer sesame oil and black sesame on Saturdays and pray to Hanuman, who is held to protect from Shani's hardships.