Śani Mantra
Śani Mantra, “the mantra of Śani”
The Śani mantra is the Vedic mantra śaṃ no devīr abhishṭaye that Brahmā prescribes for the pūjā of Śani in the Śani vrata. Śrī Kṛshṇa tells it to Yudhishṭhira in the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa, in the account of Pippalāda.
The setting
In a famine of the Tretā Yuga, Kauśika Muni left one of his boys on the road. The boy lived on the fruits of a pīpala tree and did tapas; Nārada gave him the saṃskāras and the Dvādaśākshara mantra, and Bhagavān Vishṇu blessed him. When Nārada told him that Śanaiścara had caused his suffering, the boy brought Śanaiścara down from the sky by his gaze, and Śani fell on a mountain and was lamed. Brahmā came with the devas, named the boy Pippalāda, and blessed him: those who remember Pippalāda on a Saturday will not suffer Śani’s affliction for seven births. Then Brahmā had Śani restored to the sky, for he has no fault, and taught the Śani vrata.
On a Saturday one anoints oneself with oil and gives oil to brāhmaṇas. An iron image of Śani is set in an iron vessel with oil and worshipped every Saturday for a year, with black flowers, two black cloths, kasāra, sesame and cooked rice, and all is given to a brāhmaṇa with a black cow, a black blanket, sesame oil and dakshiṇā. In this pūjā the mantra is used.
The mantra
शं नो देवीरभिष्टय आपो भवन्तु पीतये। शं योरभि स्रवन्तु नः॥
śaṃ no devīr abhishṭaya āpo bhavantu pītaye | śaṃ yor abhi sravantu naḥ ||
In plain sense: “May the divine waters be auspicious to us for our help and for drinking; may they flow towards us with welfare and well-being.”
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 114
Brahmā adds that one should also pray to Śani with the stuti of names that Śani himself taught King Nala in a dream, by which Nala regained his kingdom.
The phala
One who keeps this vrata every Saturday for a year and completes the udyāpana by rule never suffers Śani‘s affliction. Śrī Kṛshṇa adds that whoever hears the account of Śanaiścara with bhakti and gives an iron image of Śani in a kalaśa of oil to a brāhmaṇa with dakshiṇā never suffers Śani’s affliction.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 114
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 114