Shri Shani Ashtottara Shatanamavali
The 108 names of Shani, the slow-moving son of Surya, with the Saturn seed mantra and a note on how devotees seek his grace.
Verses
Dhyāna & Invocation
Opening meditation and sacred mantra invoking divine presence before the 108 names.
The seed mantra of Saturn: 'Om praam preem praum sah' — salutation to Shanaishchara, the slow-moving one.
Verse Bīja Mantra
The 108 Sacred Names
The 108 sacred names of the Deity, canonically chanted with 'Om' and 'Namah' for Archana and Japa.
Om, salutation to Shanaishchara, the slow-moving one.
Verse 1
Om, salutation to the peaceful one.
Verse 2
Om, salutation to the bestower of all desired objects.
Verse 3
Om, salutation to the refuge.
Verse 4
Om, salutation to the most excellent one.
Verse 5
Om, salutation to the lord of all.
Verse 6
Om, salutation to the gentle one.
Verse 7
Om, salutation to the one worshipped by the gods.
Verse 8
Om, salutation to the one who moves in the world of the gods.
Verse 9
Om, salutation to the one seated on a comfortable seat.
Verse 10
Om, salutation to the beautiful one.
Verse 11
Om, salutation to the dense one.
Verse 12
Om, salutation to the one with a dense form.
Verse 13
Om, salutation to the one who wears dense ornaments.
Verse 14
Om, salutation to the one anointed with dense sandalwood paste.
Verse 15
Om, salutation to the dimly shining one.
Verse 16
Om, salutation to the slow one.
Verse 17
Om, salutation to the one with slow movements.
Verse 18
Om, salutation to the one whose nature is of praiseworthy qualities.
Verse 19
Om, salutation to the one whose feet purify mortals.
Verse 20
Om, salutation to the great lord.
Verse 21
Om, salutation to the son of Chhaya (shadow).
Verse 22
Om, salutation to the destroyer.
Verse 23
Om, salutation to the one who holds a hundred quivers.
Verse 24
Om, salutation to the one whose nature is both moving and stationary.
Verse 25
Om, salutation to the unmoving one.
Verse 26
Om, salutation to the one of blue-black color.
Verse 27
Om, salutation to the eternal one.
Verse 28
Om, salutation to the one resembling blue collyrium.
Verse 29
Om, salutation to the one adorned with blue garments.
Verse 30
Om, salutation to the immovable one.
Verse 31
Om, salutation to the one who is to be known.
Verse 32
Om, salutation to the one who is the form of destiny.
Verse 33
Om, salutation to the foundation of opposition.
Verse 34
Om, salutation to the one whose nature is the basis of division.
Verse 35
Om, salutation to the one with a thunderbolt-like body.
Verse 36
Om, salutation to the bestower of detachment.
Verse 37
Om, salutation to the valiant one.
Verse 38
Om, salutation to the one free from disease and fear.
Verse 39
Om, salutation to the lord of successive calamities.
Verse 40
Om, salutation to the one worshipped by the universe.
Verse 41
Om, salutation to the one whose vehicle is a vulture.
Verse 42
Om, salutation to the hidden one.
Verse 43
Om, salutation to the one with a tortoise-like body.
Verse 44
Om, salutation to the ugly one.
Verse 45
Om, salutation to the despicable one.
Verse 46
Om, salutation to the one rich in virtues.
Verse 47
Om, salutation to the one who moves through the sky.
Verse 48
Om, salutation to the destroyer of the root of ignorance.
Verse 49
Om, salutation to the one whose form is both knowledge and ignorance.
Verse 50
Om, salutation to the cause of longevity.
Verse 51
Om, salutation to the rescuer from calamities.
Verse 52
Om, salutation to the devotee of Vishnu.
Verse 53
Om, salutation to the controller.
Verse 54
Om, salutation to the knower of various scriptures.
Verse 55
Om, salutation to the one praised by Brahma.
Verse 56
Om, salutation to the worthy of worship.
Verse 57
Om, salutation to the one with unusual eyes.
Verse 58
Om, salutation to the most excellent.
Verse 59
Om, salutation to the heaviest.
Verse 60
Om, salutation to the holder of thunderbolt and goad.
Verse 61
Om, salutation to the one with hands bestowing boons and dispelling fear.
Verse 62
Om, salutation to the dwarf.
Verse 63
Om, salutation to the one accompanied by Jyeshtha, his wife.
Verse 64
Om, salutation to the best.
Verse 65
Om, salutation to the one who speaks little.
Verse 66
Om, salutation to the destroyer of masses of afflictions.
Verse 67
Om, salutation to the bestower of nourishment.
Verse 68
Om, salutation to the one worthy of praise.
Verse 69
Om, salutation to the one attainable through hymns.
Verse 70
Om, salutation to the one controlled by devotion.
Verse 71
Om, salutation to the radiant one.
Verse 72
Om, salutation to the son of the sun.
Verse 73
Om, salutation to the auspicious one.
Verse 74
Om, salutation to the purifier.
Verse 75
Om, salutation to the one situated in the bow-shaped circle.
Verse 76
Om, salutation to the bestower of wealth.
Verse 77
Om, salutation to the one holding a bow.
Verse 78
Om, salutation to the one with a body that shines subtly.
Verse 79
Om, salutation to the dark one.
Verse 80
Om, salutation to the one worshipped by all people.
Verse 81
Om, salutation to the bestower of special results.
Verse 82
Om, salutation to the one who brings the rulers of men under his sway.
Verse 83
Om, salutation to the lord of animals.
Verse 84
Om, salutation to the one who moves in the sky.
Verse 85
Om, salutation to the lord of birds.
Verse 86
Om, salutation to the one with dark blue garments.
Verse 87
Om, salutation to the one with a hard mind.
Verse 88
Om, salutation to the one praised by noble people.
Verse 89
Om, salutation to the one with a blue umbrella.
Verse 90
Om, salutation to the eternal one.
Verse 91
Om, salutation to the one without qualities.
Verse 92
Om, salutation to the one whose essence is qualities.
Verse 93
Om, salutation to the one free from disease.
Verse 94
Om, salutation to the blameworthy one.
Verse 95
Om, salutation to the worthy of praise.
Verse 96
Om, salutation to the steadfast one.
Verse 97
Om, salutation to the one with a divine body.
Verse 98
Om, salutation to the remover of the afflictions of the poor.
Verse 99
Om, salutation to the destroyer of poverty.
Verse 100
Om, salutation to the one counted among noble people.
Verse 101
Om, salutation to the cruel one.
Verse 102
Om, salutation to the one with cruel actions.
Verse 103
Om, salutation to the one who causes desire and anger.
Verse 104
Om, salutation to the one who causes enmity with spouse and children.
Verse 105
Om, salutation to the one who nourishes devotees.
Verse 106
Om, salutation to the remover of others' fear.
Verse 107
Om, salutation to the bestower of desired fruits to the minds of the assembly of devotees.
Verse 108
Concluding Verses & Colophon
Traditional closing verses, dedicating the recitation to the Divine.
Thus ends the one hundred and eight names of Saturn.
Verse Colophon
Worship Guidelines & Chanting Benefits (Phalashruti)
Daily or auspicious lunar days (Ekadashi, Purnima, Pradosham)
Brahma Muhurta (4:00 AM – 6:00 AM) or Evening Dusk (Sandhya)
Ghee lamp (Deepa), Incense (Dhoopa), Fresh flowers & Water offering
- Peace of mind, spiritual upliftment, and harmonious energy in the home
Background
Shani, or Shanaishchara, is Saturn, one of the nine planetary deities of the Navagraha. His name means the slow mover, for Saturn takes about twenty-nine and a half years to travel once round the zodiac. This namavali offers his 108 names, each beginning with Om and ending with namah, after a seed mantra: Om pram prim praum sah shanaishcharaya namah. The Sanskrit Documents text is taken from Ashtottara Shatanamavali Shatakam, edited by R. Muralikrishna Srowthigal and published by Vidvath Sabha, Chennai. The names describe him as son of the Sun and of Chhaya, blue-black in colour, patient and firm, and a figure whom people fear but who gives boons and protection to those who turn to him. The same edition adds a note for devotees: charity on Saturday evening, fasting on Saturdays in Saturn periods, and chanting before sunrise.
Did You Know?
A seed mantra before the names
The text opens with the Saturn seed mantra, Om pram prim praum sah shanaishcharaya namah, which stands as verse 1. The 108 names follow as verses 2 to 109, and a closing line ends the namavali.
Son of the Sun
Verse 23 calls him Chhayaputra, son of Chhaya, and verse 74 calls him Bhanuputra, son of the Sun. Verses 18 and 19 name him the slow one, and verse 63 shows his hand raised in the gesture that gives boons and removes fear.
Gentle and severe together
Verse 3 calls him peaceful, verse 8 mild and verse 12 beautiful. Verse 103 calls him stern, and verses 46, 47 and 96 use words that the world applies to him, such as ugly and blameworthy. The litany holds these together, and also says that he removes the sorrow of the distressed, wretchedness and fear in verses 100, 101 and 108.
The colours and the vehicle
Verses 28 to 31 describe him as dark blue in colour, like blue collyrium, wearing blue garments, and verse 91 gives him a blue parasol. Verse 43 gives his vehicle as a vulture, and verse 56 praises him as a knower of the many Agamas.
A discipline for devotees
The note in the source tells devotees to give charity on Saturday evening. The gifts it lists are leather, farmland, a black cow, a cooking oven with utensils, a buffalo, and black mustard or black sesame seeds. It also advises fasting on Saturdays in Saturn periods and chanting before sunrise.
Shani
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