Hindu week days 7b.

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7a. Saturday.

 

This story is also related to Saturday fast. People eat parched grams on

this day to keep off the influence of Saturn. They massage their bodies

with mustard oil and also give oil in donation.

 

One day the seven gods, the lords of the seven days of the week, were

having exchange of wit for their amusement. Rahu and Kethu also joined

the company. Rahu and Kethu posed a question—who is the most

powerful god among the all? They could not decide this issue by

themselves. They went to Lord Indra for his adjudication. Lord Indra

equally found himself in a fix. He thought if he gives judgment in

favour of one, others would be displeased with him. He said,

" Respected gods, I am just one among equals. How can I decide this

complicated issue? I cannot give an impartial judgment. Better go to

planet earth. King Vikramaditya rules over there. He is very logical,

judicious and righteous " . Accordingly, they went to King

Vikramaditya.

 

King Vikramaditya gave due respect to them and begged for any service.

They told him about their mission. Though it was a difficult task,

Vikramaditya being a dutiful king, accepted it gracefully. Vikramaditya

decided that he would not pronounce his verdict directly. He therefore

arranged seven beautiful thrones. These thrones were made of gold,

silver, bronze, brass, tin, zinc, mica and iron respectively. The gold

throne was placed at number one and the iron one at the end.

Vikramaditya requested the seven gods to grace the throne of their own

choice. Sun was in the gold chair while Saturn occupied the iron chair.

 

When the seven gods were in the chairs of their own choice, king

Vikramaditya said, " You may please decide your own rank now

according to the order to your throne. I do not thrust my judgment upon

you " . Saturn could see now through the clever judgment of

Vikramaditya. He stood up and said, " King Vikramaditya, you have

ranked me the lowest among the seven gods. You do not realise my power.

Sun can stay on a zodiac or `Rasi' for one month and two and a

quarter part of a day, Mars for one and a half months and Jupiter for

thirteen months. Mercury and Venus can rein a zodiac for one month only.

The Rahu and Kethu move in opposite directions and pass through a zodiac

in eighteen months only. It is only I who can rein a zodiac from two and

a half years to seven and a half years. Even powerful gods tremble at my

sight. When I was angry with Rama, he got exile instead of a throne.

Ravana's family was destroyed by me when I ruled over his zodiac.

Now be prepared. It is your turn. "

 

After a short time, inauspicious period of seven and a half years was

occupied by Saturn on king Vikramaditya's zodiac. He visited

Vikramaditya's capital as a horse trader. He had very attractive

black horses with him. When the king came to know about the strange

horses, he sent for the Ashavapaal (groom) to buy a best horse for him.

The groom selected one horse. The king was so pleased to see the horse.

He could not resist himself from riding it and giving it a kick. He had

hardly gone on the horse for a few seconds when it disappeared in the

air with a great speed. In no time, the king found himself all alone in

a deep and thick forest. He loitered here and there, but of no avail. He

then met a cowboy. The cowboy arranged some water for the king and

helped him to quench his thirst. The king gave him his golden ring.

 

The king ultimately reached a nearby city and met a respectable

businessman. The businessman felt pity on him and arranged food for him.

He earned high profits by the grace of Saturn and took `king' as

a lucky visitor and kept him as a head cashier. Next day the businessman

took him to his house. The `king' saw a precious necklace

hanging by a peg. For his great surprise he also saw the peg swallowing

the necklace. He could not explain it to the businessman. The

businessman took him for a thief and presented him before the court. The

court ordered that the king's hands and feet be cut with one stroke

of a sword. An executor carried out these orders.

 

The `king' was now without hands and feet. A `Tell' (oil

seed crusher) felt pity on him and brought him to his house. He dressed

the `king's' wounds and made him capable of driving the

bullocks around the grinding machine with loud voice. Time passed on.

The inauspicious period of seven and a half years was about to be over.

The `king' thought of singing the Malhara Raga on a rainy day.

His powerful voice broke the silence of the night. The princess was

thrilled to hear the song in her bedroom. She got fascinated towards the

singer.

 

The princess sent her personal attendant to know about the singer. The

attendant was told that the singer was a help to the Oil Grinder and

without hands and feet. Even then she decided that she would marry that

man or would remain unmarried throughout her life. She conveyed her

decision to her parents. The parents resented the decision. To register

her protest, she put on ordinary clothes and moved to a special chamber

or Kopa Bhawanam and lay down on an ordinary carpet. The king and the

queen ultimately bowed before the princess's decision and said,

" If such is your fate, we are reconciled to it. "

 

The king sent for the handicapped helper and said, " Arrange for the

marriage of this handicapped help of yours with the princess. " The

helper did not believe his ears and took it as a joke. The king resented

his behavior and said, " Do not take it as a joke. This is our final

decision. " On an auspicious day, the princess's marriage with

that handicapped person was solemnized. That was the last inauspicious

day of the king Vikramaditya.

 

It was the honeymoon night. At mid-night, the king had a small nap.

Saturn visited the king in his dream and said, " You ranked me the

lowest among the gods. You have undergone enough sufferings for your

misjudgment.' The king begged his pardon and said " Please do not

inflict such sufferings in future on anyone as you have inflicted upon

me. " The Saturn accepted the king's request and disappeared. The

king opened his eyes and, to his great surprise, found his hands and

feet in proper shape. The princess's joy knew no bounds when she saw

her husband in perfect shape. Next day, the king also felt happier when

he came to know that his son-in-law was no one else but King

Vikramaditya himself, he was overwhelmed with joy and praised his stars.

 

The businessman got this news and felt guilty over his behaviour

towards. Vikramaditya. He invited him for dinner. King Vikramaditya

said, " I shall dine in the same room where the peg swallowed your

precious necklace. " The businessman agreed and arranged the dinner

in that room. When the invitees were dining, they saw to their great

surprise that the precious necklace was slowly emerging from the same

peg. The businessman was so much overwhelmed at this sight and then he,

too, decided to marry off his daughter to Vikramaditya.

 

King Vikramaditya returned to his kingdom. He and his two queens were

received with full warmth by the subjects. The king asked his courtiers

to make a proclamation by the beat of drum that Saturn is not less

powerful than any other god and that they should keep fast on Saturday

as a mark of honour of Saturn. Also, they should feed the ants, both in

the morning and evening.