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Shani And Krishn

Shani Dev further said - "I did not spare even Krishn. He was accused of stealing Syamantak Mani (gem) because of my gaze." Vikramaaditya asked - "How did you affect Him, He was the Poorn Avataar (full incarnation) of Vishnu?" Shani replied - "Lord Krishn was born in Vasudev and Devakee's family. Krishn asked Vishwakarmaa to build Dwaarakaa city for Him, and there He lived with His 16,008 wives. Each of them had her own beautiful palace. He even brought Paarijaat tree from Swarg Lok in Dwaarakaa just to please his wife Satyabhaamaa. Thus vast number of Yaadav Vansh people were living there humbly.

One of the Yaadav Vanshee whose name was Ugra, was also living there. He had two sons - Satraajit and Prasenjit. Once Satraajit did a severe penance for Soorya Dev and pleased him. Pleased from his penance Soorya Dev appeared before him and asked him to ask for a boon. He asked for riches so Soorya Dev gave him his Syamantak Mani (gem) to him and said to him - "This Mani will give you eight wagons load of gold everyday. But you will have to take bath, do your daily worship before you wear it. Remember whosoever will wear it if he is impure, he will get destroyed." After saying this Soorya Dev disappeared. Satraajit brought that Mani home. As he entered Dwaaraka, he himself was shining like Soorya - such was the shine of that Mani. Later people recognized him as Satraajit. He started wearing it following its rules.

At that time I entered Krishn's both astrological and material houses. And as soon as I entered His houses, I created a desire in Krishn's heart to have that Mani. So He called Satraajit to His court and said to him - "It is very risky to keep this stone with you, and besides this type of stone is appropriate for Kings like Mahaaraajaa Ugrasen only, so you give that Mani to him. You may collect the gold everyday." Satraajit thought that Krishn Himself wanted this Mani, so he did not give that Mani to the King. But he thought of a plan for it.

As he reached home, he asked his brother Prasenjit to purify himself and wear the Mani around his neck. He did so. One day, not very long after this, Prasenjit went for hunting, and while he was in an impure state, a lion caught him, killed him and took the Syamantak Mani from him. At that time Jaambvaan (the bear who fought in Raam-Raavan war from Raam's side) was also out in the forest. He saw a shining thing with lion, this attracted him, so he killed the lion and took the Mani to his home. There he gave it to his son to play with.

When Prasenjit did not return home and even other people also could not tell his whereabouts, Satraajit thought that Krishn killed his brother Prasenjit and took that Mani Himself. He said this to some of his friends also. And the rumor went on around that Krishn killed Prasenjit and took Syamantak Mani from him for Himself. Hearing this all the mothers warned their children to keep away from such a thief King.

Krishn was not in the town at that time, but when He returned, He found that children were running away from Him, they were saying - "Run, Run from Him, He will kill children to take their ornaments." Krishn understood the whole matter instantly. To clear His name from this theft, He took a group of people and went towards the forest where Prasenjit went. There He found Prasenjit's and his horse's dead bodies lying nearby each other. There He found a lion's footprints also. He understood that here a lion had killed Prasenjit, so He followed the lion's footprints and came to a spot where even lion was lying dead. But there was a giant footprint nearby it, so Krishn followed those giant footprints and came to a mouth of a cave. He asked his people to wait for Him outside the cave and He Himself entered the cave.

This cave was hundreds of miles deep, His own radiance was showing Him His way. As He reached inside the cave, he saw a beautiful girl Jaambvatee (Jaambvaan's daughter) singing a lullaby to a crying boy (Jaambvaan's son) - "Don't cry my dear, The lion killed Prasenjit, and Jaambvaan killed the lion, now Syamantak Mani is all yours." Krishn admired the girl and her lullaby for her brother. At the same time Jaambvatee felt Krishn's presence in the cave, although she could not see Him, and said to Him - "Run away from here, before my father wakes up, or he will kill you." Krishn smiled at this and blew His conch at a very loud pitch. Hearing that Jaambvaan woke up and came out. Both started fighting.

People who came with Krishn patiently waited for 12 days, then went back to their homes saying, "Someone must have killed Krishn, otherwise why shouldn't he come out of the cave?" Not seeing Krishn with them Krishn's household people got very sad and started crying.

The fighting between Krishn and Jaambvaan continued for 28 days, then Jaambvaan asked Krishn - "Who are you? There is nobody in the world who can win me or who can stand in front of me for so long? Are you Raam?" Krishna showed him then His Chatur-bhuj form. Jaambvaan got very happy to see this form. He worshipped Him and said - "Raam told me that when I will come in Dwaapar Yug, then you will see my Chatur-bhuj form. He has fulfilled His promise. Please accept this Mani and my daughter Jaambvatee." Krishn took the Mani and his daughter Jaambvatee as His wife and came back to Dwaarakaa.

Krishn handed over the Mani to Satraajit and told him the whole story. Satraajit got very ashamed of himself that he blamed Krishn for stealing the Mani. To remove his shame, he gave his daughter Satyabhaamaa to Him. He wanted to give the Mani also, but Krishn accepted only Satyabhaamaa, not the Mani. All other people who believed that Krishn stole the Mani, also got ashamed of themselves, but He forgave them.

Krishn thought that all trouble was over, but I was not yet satisfied. In fact Satraajit promised another Yaadav Shatadhanvaa to marry his daughter to him, but when Satraajit married her to Krishn, Shatadhanvaa felt very insulted. At the same time Krishn heard that Paandav got burnt in Laakshaa Grih fire, so He went to Hastinaapur to mourn them. Behind His back His kinsmen Akroor and Kritvarmaa instigated Shatadhanvaa to steal the Mani. Shatadhanvaa killed Satraajit in sleep, and took the Mani for himself.

When Satyabhaamaa heard her father's killing in cold blood she wept a lot and went to Hastinaapur to report this to Krishn. Krishn came back and as He came to know about the theft of the Mani by Shatadhanvaa, Shatadhanvaa gave that Mani to Akroor Jee and fled away from there. So Krishn and Balaraam Jee searched for Shatadhanvaa and killed him, but they did not find the Mani with him. Now it was Akroor's turn to take fright and flee. Krishn suspected by going on activities that the Mani was with Akroor Jee. So He called Akroor Jee in the court and asked him to show the Mani. He showed it to everybody and tried to give it to Krishn but Krishn again did not take it.

When finally He became free from my gaze, He joined His hands and said - "O Shani Dev, Your mastery is miraculous, you don't spare anyone, even the Devtaas and Asuras. Everyone is affected by you, more or less." So this is how I tormented Him. Now you can think, if I did not spare Him, who can I spare?"

Vikramaaditya rose to his feet and prostrated before him again and said - "You have purified me, O Shani Dev, now I seek this boon from you that you will never torment any other living being in future." Shani Dev said - "I have not found any other one who has asked me the welfare of others, I am really at a loss to find such a comparable kindness in anyone else like you."

So Shani Dev granted him this boon - "I will not torment anyone who listens to or meditates on this Mahaatmya (glory) of mine, I will protect him day and night. If you cannot listen or read to this Mahaatmya daily, at least read or listen to it on Saturday, fasting on that day and worshipping intently. Do this particularly in Shraavan month. Since your mind is purified now, I will tell you how to worship me." Shani Dev then told him the method of worship him with the hymn known as Shani Stotra written by Dasharath (Raam's father, given in Padm Puraan, Uttar Khand, Gita Press, Gorakhpur, p 636). King Vikramaaditya got very much gratified to receive this hymn directly from Shani's mouth. After this Shani Dev disappeared.