The Story of Shani Dev and King Vikramaditya
Indian mythology curse & boon stories. moral stories for kids.Indian mythology stories. Bed time stories from grandpa
Once upon a time, the nine celestial planets—Surya (Sun), Chandra (Moon), Mangal (Mars), Budh (Mercury), Brihaspati (Jupiter), Shukra (Venus), Shani (Saturn), Rahu, and Ketu—got into an argument among themselves about who was the greatest. Each one claimed superiority over the others. Unable to conclude, they went to Lord Indra, king of the gods, seeking judgment. They said, “You are the king of all deities. Please resolve our dispute and tell us who among us is the greatest.”
Hearing this, Indra became anxious and replied, “I do not have the authority to declare one of you greater or lesser than the others. I cannot make this decision. However, there is one solution. On Earth, there lives a just and wise king—Vikramaditya—who is known for resolving the sufferings of others. Go to him; he will settle your dispute.”
Following Indra’s advice, all the planetary deities descended to Earth and appeared in the court of King Vikramaditya. They explained their dilemma and requested his judgment.
The king was troubled upon hearing their plea. He thought, “If I declare one greater, the others may become angry. But I must find a solution.” So, he devised a plan. He had nine thrones made from different metals: gold, silver, bronze, brass, lead, tin, zinc, mica, and iron. The thrones were arranged sequentially—gold at the front, iron at the back.
Then, King Vikramaditya invited each of the nine planetary deities to take a seat according to the order of the thrones. He said, “Whichever seat is in the foremost position represents the greatest, and the one in the last position represents the least.”
Shani Dev (Saturn) found his seat—the iron one—placed at the very end. Realizing this, he became furious. “The king has considered me the least,” he thought. Enraged, Shani Dev said, “This king does not know my power. The Sun stays in a zodiac sign for one month, the Moon for two and a quarter days, Mars for one and a half months, Jupiter for thirteen months, and Venus and Mercury for a month each. But I remain in a zodiac sign for two and a half years or even seven and a half years (Sade Sati). Even great deities have suffered under my influence. Lord Ram suffered exile during my Sade Sati. When I afflicted Ravana, Rama and Lakshmana attacked Lanka and destroyed his entire lineage. O King! Be warned, for now it is your turn.”
King Vikramaditya replied calmly, “Whatever is destined to happen will happen.” All other planets left satisfied, but Shani Dev departed in anger.
After some time, Shani Dev’s Sade Sati (and a seven-and-a-half-year period) began for King Vikramaditya. Disguised as a horse trader, Shani Dev arrived in the king’s city with many beautiful horses. The king, hearing of the trader's arrival, ordered his horse-keeper to purchase the finest horses. Amazed by the quality and price, the horse-keeper informed the king, who then chose one splendid horse and mounted it.
The moment the king mounted the horse, it bolted at great speed, carrying him deep into the forest before vanishing. Alone and lost, the king wandered in the jungle, suffering from hunger and thirst, until he came across a cowherd who gave him water. Grateful, the king removed a ring from his finger and gave it to the cowherd as a token of thanks before heading toward a nearby city.
In the city, the king sat at a wealthy merchant’s shop, introducing himself as “Vika” from Ujjain. Seeing his noble demeanor, the merchant gave him water and food. That day, the merchant’s business flourished beyond expectation. Considering “Vika” a man of fortune, the merchant invited him home for a meal.
During the meal, a strange thing occurred—a necklace hanging on a peg appeared to be swallowed by the peg itself. After the meal, the necklace was nowhere to be found. Since only “Vika” had entered the room, he was accused of theft. Despite his denial, he was taken to the city officer, who presented him before the king (of that city). The officer said, “He appears to be a noble person, but the merchant insists that no one else entered the room, so the suspicion falls on him.”
The king ordered that “Vika” be punished and commanded that his hands and feet be cut off. The order was carried out, and Vikramaditya was left disabled.
Some time later, an oilman took him home and made him sit at his oil press, instructing him to shout commands to the oxen. One night during the rainy season, while still under Shani’s affliction, Vikramaditya began to sing in the Malhar raga. His song was so melodious that the princess of the city was enchanted and sent her maid to find out who was singing.
The maid discovered that the singer was a limbless man at the oilman’s house. The princess, upon hearing this, made a vow: “I will marry this man, no matter what.” The next morning, when the maid tried to wake her, the princess refused to eat and declared her intention to marry the disabled man.
When her mother, the queen, heard this, she tried to dissuade her, but the princess remained firm. The king, too, tried to reason with her, promising to find a suitable royal groom, but the princess said, “I will die before I marry anyone else.” Angrily, the king declared, “If this is your destiny, then so be it.”
The king summoned the oilman and said, “I want to marry my daughter to the limbless man in your house.” The oilman protested, “How can a king marry his daughter to a lowly oilman’s dependent?” But the king replied, “No one can change fate. Prepare for the wedding.”
Thus, the king arranged the marriage with great ceremony, and Vikramaditya, still known as “Vika,” was married to the princess.
That night, when the couple slept in the palace, Shani Dev appeared to the king in a dream and said, “O King, do you now understand the suffering caused by calling me inferior?” The king apologized, and Shani Dev, pleased, restored his limbs.
Awakening, the princess was shocked to see her husband whole again. Vikramaditya revealed his true identity as the king of Ujjain. Overjoyed, the princess shared the story with her companions, who celebrated her divine fortune.
When the merchant heard the truth, he came to Vikramaditya and begged for forgiveness. The king said, “It was Shani Dev’s wrath that caused all this. You are not at fault.” The merchant then invited him to his home for a feast. During the meal, the same peg that had swallowed the necklace now spit it back out, astonishing everyone.
The merchant, grateful and relieved, offered gold coins and proposed the marriage of his daughter, Shrikanwari, to the king. Vikramaditya accepted, and the wedding was celebrated with grandeur.
After spending some time there, King Vikramaditya expressed his desire to return to Ujjain. With both his queens, their dowries, chariots, palanquins, and servants, the king set off.
As news of his return reached Ujjain, the entire city came out to welcome him with great joy. Celebrations were held throughout the city, and lamps lit up the night.
The next day, the king announced to his people, “Among all planets, Shani Dev is the greatest. I once considered him the least, and I paid the price for it. Henceforth, let Shani Dev be honored across the kingdom.”
From that day on, the people of Ujjain began worshiping Shani Dev and listening to his story with devotion. All enjoyed happiness and prosperity.
Whoever reads or listens to this story of Shani Dev is freed from suffering by his grace. This story must be read especially on Saturdays.
Om Shanti! Om Shanti! Om Shanti!
