Nala’s Śani Stuti
Nala Śani Stuti · nala śani stuti, “the praise of Śani taught to Nala”
Nala’s Śani Stuti is the name-stuti of the graha Śani that Śani Deva himself taught in a dream to King Nala, who had lost his kingdom. By that stuti Nala regained his kingdom. It stands in the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa, Chapter 114, inside Brahmā‘s teaching on the Śani vrata, which Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa reports to the king.
The stuti calls Śani dark as blue collyrium, born of Chāyā and Mārtaṇḍa, son of Arka and of Sūrya, king of the pretas, dark-bodied, cruel, and the giver of pure understanding. It grants all desires. Śani himself promises that he is pleased with whoever praises him with these names, and that fear from him will not come to that person even in a dream.
The setting
Pippalāda had made Śanaiścara fall from the sky, and Brahmā came with the devas and told him to set Śanaiścara in the sky again, for in truth he has no fault. Brahmā then taught that the grahas should not be slighted, and gave the rule of the Śani vrata. Within that teaching Brahmā says that to King Nala, who had lost his kingdom, Śani Deva taught in a dream a prayer-mantra of his own, and that by this same name-stuti Nala regained his kingdom. So one should pray to Śani with that stuti.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 114
The stuti
नीलाञ्जनप्रख्यं नीलवर्णसमस्रजम् ।
छायामार्तण्डसम्भूतं नमस्यामि शनैश्चरम्।nīlāñjanaprakhyaṃ nīlavarṇasamasrajam |
chāyāmārtaṇḍasambhūtaṃ namasyāmi śanaiścaram |I bow to Śanaiścara, dark as blue collyrium, with a garland matching his blue colour, born of Chāyā and Mārtaṇḍa.
नमोऽर्कपुत्राय शनैश्चराय
नीहारवर्णाञ्जनमेचकाय ।namo’rkaputrāya śanaiścarāya
nīhāravarṇāñjanamecakāya |Salutation to Śanaiścara, the son of Arka, dark as mist-coloured collyrium.
नमोऽस्तु प्रेतराजाय कृष्णदेहाय वै नमः।
शनैश्चराय क्रूराय शुद्धबुद्धिप्रदायिने॥namo’stu pretarājāya kṛshṇadehāya vai namaḥ |
śanaiścarāya krūrāya śuddhabuddhipradāyine ||Salutation to the king of the pretas, salutation to the dark-bodied one, to Śanaiścara, the cruel one, the giver of pure understanding.
The close, in the voice of Śani Deva:
य एभिर्नामभिः स्तौति तस्य तुष्टो भवाम्यहम्।
मदीयं तु भयं तस्य स्वप्नेऽपि न भविष्यति।ya ebhirnāmabhiḥ stauti tasya tushṭo bhavāmyaham |
madīyaṃ tu bhayaṃ tasya svapne’pi na bhavishyati |Whoever praises me with these names, with him I am pleased; fear from me will not come to him even in a dream.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 114
The names, in order
- Nīlāñjanaprakhya, dark as blue collyrium
- Nīlavarṇasamasraj, with a garland matching his blue colour
- Chāyāmārtaṇḍasambhūta, born of Chāyā and Mārtaṇḍa
- Śanaiścara, the slow-moving one
- Arkaputra, the son of Arka
- Nīhāravarṇāñjanamecaka, dark as mist-coloured collyrium
- Sūryaputra, the son of Sūrya
- Pretarāja, the king of the pretas
- Kṛshṇadeha, the dark-bodied one
- Krūra, the cruel one
- Śuddhabuddhipradāyin, the giver of pure understanding
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 114
The phalaśruti
- By this stuti King Nala regained his kingdom.
- One who prays to Śani with it gains all desires.
- Śani Deva is pleased with one who praises him with these names, and fear from him will not come to that person even in a dream.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 114
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 114