शनिरुवाच - पौरुषं तव राजेंद्र परं रिपुभयंकरम् । देवासुरमनुष्याश्च सिद्धविद्याधरोरगाः
Śani said: O king, your valor is supreme and terrifying to your enemies; gods, asuras, humans, siddhas, vidyādharas, and serpents—
मया विलोकिता राजन्भस्मसाच्च भवंतिते । तुष्टोऽहं तव राजेंद्र तपसा पौरुषेण च । वरं ब्रूहि प्रदास्यामि मनसा यत्किमिच्छसि
have all been seen by me, O king, and have been reduced to ashes; I am pleased with your austerity and courage, O king. Ask for a boon—I shall grant whatever you desire in your heart.
दशरथ उवाच- रोहिणीं भेदयित्वा तु न गंतव्यं कदाचन । सरितः सागरा यावत्यावच्चंद्रार्कमेदिनी
Daśaratha said: Never should you cross Rohiṇī; as long as there are rivers, oceans, the moon, the sun, and the earth—
याचितं तु मया सौरे नान्यमिच्छामि ते वरम् । एवमस्तु शनिः प्राह वरं दत्त्वा तु शाश्वतम्
This is the boon I ask of you, O Sauri; I desire no other from you. 'So be it,' said Śani, granting the everlasting boon.
पुनरेवाब्रवीत्तुष्टो वरं वरय सुव्रत । प्रार्थयामास हृष्टात्मा वरमन्यं शनेस्तदा
Again, being pleased, he said: 'Choose another boon, O steadfast one.' Then, with a joyful heart, Daśaratha requested another boon from Śani.
न भेत्तव्यं हि शकटं त्वया भास्करनंदन । द्वादशाब्दं तु दुर्भिक्षं न कर्तव्यं कदाचन
'You must not break the Śakaṭa constellation, O son of Bhāskara; and never should there be a twelve-year famine.'
शनिरुवाच- द्वादशाब्दं तु दुर्भिक्षं न कदाचिद्भविष्यति । कीर्तिरेषा त्वदीया च त्रैलोक्ये विचरिष्यति
Śani said: 'There will never be a twelve-year famine; and your fame will spread throughout the three worlds.'
वरद्वयं तु संप्राप्य हृष्टरोमा च पार्थिवः । रथोपरि धनुर्मुक्त्वा भूत्वा चैव कृताञ्जलि
Having received the two boons, the king, his hair standing on end, released his bow atop the chariot and, with joined palms—
ध्यात्वा सरस्वतीं देवीं गणनाथं विनायकम् । राजा दशरथः स्तोत्रं सौरेरिदमथाब्रवीत्
meditated on the goddess Sarasvatī and on Gaṇanātha Vināyaka; then King Daśaratha spoke this hymn to Śani.
दशरथ उवाच- नमः कृष्णाय नीलाय शितिकंठनिभाय च । नमः कालाग्निरूपाय कृतांताय च वै नमः
Daśaratha said: Salutations to the dark one, the blue one, resembling the blue-throated; salutations to the form of the fire of time, and to the lord of death.
नमो निर्मांसदेहाय दीर्घश्मश्रुजटाय च । नमो विशालनेत्राय शुष्कोदरभयाकृते
Salutations to the fleshless-bodied, to the one with long beard and matted hair; salutations to the wide-eyed, to the one whose emaciated belly inspires fear.
नमः पुष्कलगात्राय स्थूलरोम्णेऽथ वै नमः । नमो दीर्घाय शुष्काय कालदंष्ट्र नमोस्तु ते
Salutations to the one with robust limbs, to the one with thick hair; salutations to the tall, the dry one, to you with the fangs of time.
नमस्ते कोटराक्षाय दुर्निरीक्ष्याय वै नमः । नमो घोराय रौद्राय भीषणाय कपालिने
Salutations to you with hollow eyes, to the one difficult to behold; salutations to the fierce, the terrible, the frightening, the skull-bearer.
नमस्ते सर्वभक्षाय वलीमुख नमोस्तु ते । सूर्यपुत्र नमस्तेस्तु भास्करे भयदाय च
Salutations to you, devourer of all, O wrinkled-faced one; salutations to you, son of the Sun, giver of fear.
अधोदृष्टे नमस्तेस्तु संवर्तक नमोस्तु ते । नमो मंदगते तुभ्यं निस्त्रिंशाय नमोस्तु ते
Salutations to you who look downward, to the destroyer; salutations to you who move slowly, to you who bear the sword.
तपसा दग्धदेहाय नित्यं योगरताय च । नमो नित्यं क्षुधार्ताय अतृप्ताय च वै नमः
Salutations to you whose body is burned by austerity, who is always devoted to yoga; salutations always to you who are ever hungry, never satisfied.
ज्ञानचक्षुर्नमस्तेस्तु कश्यपात्मजसूनवे । तुष्टो ददासि वै राज्यं रुष्टो हरसि तत्क्षणात्
Salutations to you, whose eye is knowledge, descendant of Kaśyapa; pleased, you grant kingdoms, angered, you take them away in an instant.
देवासुरमनुष्याश्च सिद्धविद्याधरोरगाः । त्वया विलोकिताः सर्वे नाशं यांति समूलतः
Gods, asuras, humans, siddhas, vidyādharas, and serpents—all who are seen by you are utterly destroyed, root and all.
प्रसादं कुरु मे देव वरार्होऽहमुपागतः । एवं स्तुतस्तदा सौरिर्ग्रहराजो महाबलः
Grant me your favor, O god; I am worthy and have come to you. Thus praised, at that time, Sauri, the mighty lord of the planets,
अब्रवीच्च पुनर्वाक्यं हृष्टरोमा तु भास्करिः । तुष्टोऽहं तव राजेंद्र स्तवेनानेन सुव्रत । वरं ब्रूहि प्रदास्यामि स्वेच्छया रघुनंदन
spoke again these words, his hair standing on end, the radiant Sun: 'I am pleased with you, O king, because of this hymn, O steadfast one. Ask for a boon; I will grant it as you wish, O descendant of Raghu.'
दशरथ उवाच- अद्यप्रभृति ते सौरे पीडा कार्या न कस्यचित् । देवासुरमनुष्याणां पशुपक्षिसरीसृपाम्
Daśaratha said: 'From this day forward, O Sun, let no one be afflicted by you—among gods, asuras, humans, animals, birds, or reptiles.'
शनिरुवाच- गृह्णंतीति ग्रहाः सर्वे ग्रहाः पीडाकराः स्मृताः । अदेयं याचितं राजन्किंचिद्युक्तं वदाम्यहम्
Śani said: 'All the planets are called “graspers” and are known to cause affliction. O king, what you have asked is not to be given, but I will say what is appropriate.'
त्वया प्रोक्तमिदं स्तोत्रं यः पठिष्यति मानवः । एककालं द्विकालं वा पीडामुक्तो भवेत्क्षणात्
Whoever recites this hymn you have spoken, whether once or twice a day, will be freed from affliction instantly.
देवासुरमनुष्याणां सिद्धविद्याध्ररक्षसाम् । मृत्युं मृत्युगतो दद्यां जन्मन्यंते चतुर्थके
For gods, asuras, humans, siddhas, vidyādharas, and rākṣasas, I would grant death to one who has already died, at the end of the fourth birth.
यः पुनः श्रद्धया युक्तः शुचिर्भूत्वा समाहितः । शमीपत्रैः समभ्यर्च्य प्रतिमां लोहजां मम
But whoever, endowed with faith, pure and focused, worships my image made of iron with śamī leaves,
माषौदनतिलैर्मिश्रं दद्याल्लोहं च दक्षिणाम् । कृष्णां गां वृषभं वापि यो वै दद्याद्दिवजातये
and gives iron as a gift, mixed with rice cooked with beans and sesame, or gives a black cow or a bull to a worthy recipient,
मद्दिने तु विशेषेण स्तोत्रेणानेन पूजयेत् । पूजयित्वा जपेत्स्तोत्रं भूत्वा चैव कृतांजलि
and especially on my day, worships with this hymn, and after worship recites the hymn with joined palms,
तस्य पीडा न चैवाहं करिष्यामि कदाचन । गोचरे जन्मलग्ने वा दशास्वंतर्दशासु च
I will never cause affliction to that person, whether at my transit, at birth, or during planetary periods and sub-periods.
रक्षामि सततं तस्य पीडां चापि ग्रहस्य च । अनेनैव विधानेन पीडामुक्तं जगद्भवेत्
I always protect that person from affliction, both from me and from other planets; by this very method, the world becomes free from affliction.
एवं युक्त्या मया दत्तो वरस्ते रघुनंदन । वरत्रयं तु संप्राप्य राजा दशरथस्तदा
Thus, O descendant of Raghu, I have given you this boon by this means. Having received three boons, King Daśaratha then