Deity · Lord of justice and karma

Shani Devशनि देव

Shani Dev, the planet Saturn among the Navagraha, is the son of Surya and Chhaya. He is the lord of karma and justice: he is feared because his periods — Sade Sati and dhaiya — can bring delay and hardship, but he is also honoured as the strict teacher who rewards honest work and patience.

  • Also known asShanaishchara, Sauri, Manda, Chhayaputra
  • ParentsSurya and Chhaya
  • VahanaCrow (also vulture)
  • OfferingsMustard oil, black til, black urad, iron
  • Sacred daySaturday; Shani Jayanti (Jyeshtha Amavasya)
Shani Dev
Image: K.Venkataramana, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

About Shani Dev

He is shown dark-complexioned, dressed in black or blue, riding a crow or a vulture, with a bow, arrows and a trident. Stories tell that his gaze is so powerful that even the gods avoid it, and that Hanuman's devotees are spared his harshness.

Saturdays are his day. Devotees offer mustard oil, black sesame, black cloth and iron, light oil lamps under a peepal tree and give to the poor and to labourers — work and service being the surest way to please him.

Shani Dev mantra

Shani beej mantra

ॐ प्रां प्रीं प्रौं सः शनैश्चराय नमः

oṁ prāṁ prīṁ prauṁ saḥ śanaiścarāya namaḥ

Om, salutations to Shanaishchara, the slow-moving one — the seed-syllable mantra of Saturn.

Read the Shani Chalisa →

Prayers to Shani Dev 3

Chalisas, aartis, stotras and mantras for Shani Dev, each with the full text, transliteration and meaning.

Chalisa · 6–8 min Shani Chalisa शनि चालीसा Chalisa to Shani Dev — Lord of justice, chanted on Saturdays for relief from karmic difficulty. Read with meaning → Aarti · 3 min Jai Jai Shri Shanidev — Shani Aarti जय जय श्री शनिदेव The aarti of Shani Dev sung on Saturday evenings, after lighting a mustard-oil lamp — describing the son of Surya and Chhaya, his dark form, his vahana and the offerings dear to him. Read with meaning → Mantra · 4 min Shani Mantra शनि मन्त्र The mantras of Shani Dev — the Puranic "Nilanjana Samabhasam", the beej mantra, the Vedic mantra and the simple name mantra — with meaning and how to chant them on Saturdays. Read with meaning →

Temples of Shani Dev

Shani Shingnapur Temple

Shani Shingnapur Temple शनि शिंगणापुर मंदिर

Shani Shingnapur, Maharashtra · Shani

A famous shrine of Lord Shani, where the deity is a tall self-manifested black stone standing under the open sky; the village is known for its tradition of houses without doors, trusting Shani to guard them.

Temple guide →Map

Frequently asked questions

What is Sade Sati?

In Vedic astrology, the roughly seven-and-a-half-year period when Saturn transits the zodiac sign before, of, and after one's natal moon sign. It is traditionally a time of tests and hard lessons, but also of growth.

Why is mustard oil offered to Shani?

A popular story tells that Hanuman, after a fight, rubbed oil on Shani's wounds to soothe them, and Shani declared that oil offered to him on Saturdays would earn his favour.

How can I please Shani Dev?

Tradition recommends honest work, care for the poor, the old and labourers, Saturday offerings of oil and black sesame, reading the Shani Chalisa or Hanuman Chalisa, and lighting a lamp under a peepal tree.