The legend of Shani Dev
Suryadev(son of
Brahma) and Sandhya
(the daugther of
Daksha Prajapati) were
Shri Shaneshwar's
parents.
Sandhya and Suryadev
had two sons
Dakshinadhipati Yama
and Shri Shaneshwar
and four daughters
Tapti, Bhadra, Kalindi
and Savitri.
Sandhya finding it
unbearable to live with
the harsh glare of
Surya's light, created
her own replica and
named her as Sanvarna(chhaya)
and asked her to
behave as Surya's wife
and perform all the
duties and savour the
privileges of a wife. She
made her promise that
under no condition
would she reveal to
Suryadev that she was
not Sandhya and
promised to help her
when needed.
Sandhya went back to
her father Daksha.
When Daksha saw that
his daughter coming
back, he advised her
that she better live
with her husband only.
The dejected Sandhya
did not follow her
father's advise and
instead transformed
herself into a mare and
resided in the Himalayas
and started penance.
Savarna performed the
role of dutiful wife. She
also gave birth to five
sons and two
daughters from Surya.
Surya did not have any
doubts about Sanvarna.
One day Shanidev was
very hungry and he
asked his mother to
give him something to
eat. She asked him to
wait till she had made
her first offering to God.
But Shanidev insisted on
serving him first and in
anger kicked his mother
Sanvarna. She in return
cursed him that his leg
would break.
Shanidev reported the
matter to his father
Surya. Surya said," a
mother would never
curse a son like this."
Surya observed
Sanvarna closely and
found that she was not
Sandhya. Surya was
enraged and asked her
who she was. Sanvarna
confessed that she
was a 'shadow' of
Sandhya and that
Sandhya had gone to the
Himalaya for penance.
Surya told Shanidev
that Sanvarna was like
his mother and her
curse would not go in
vain. It is therefore that
Shanidev has one lame
leg.
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