The Legendary Story of Pippalad: Devotion, Sacrifice, and the Power of Saturn

the body of Maharishi Dadhichi was being cremated at the cremation ground, his wife was unable to bear the separation from her husband and placing her three-year old son in the cavity of a huge Peepal tree nearby, she herself sat on the pyre and became Sati.

In this way Maharishi Dadhichi and his wife were sacrificed but the child kept in the cavity of the peepal tree started crying out of hunger and thirst.

When he did not find anything, he started growing by eating the peepal leaves (fruits) that had fallen in the cavity. Over time, the child's life was somehow saved by eating peepal leaves and fruits.

One day Devarshi Narad passed by there. Seeing the boy in the hollow of the Peepal tree, Narad asked for his introduction-

Narada- Child who are you?

Child: This is what I also want to know.

Narada- Who is your father?

Child: This is what I want to know.

Then Narada looked at him with concentration. Narada was surprised and said, "Oh child! You are the son of the great donor Maharishi Dadhichi. It was by making a thunderbolt from your father's bones that the gods had won over the demons." Narada told that your father Dadhichi had died at the age of only 31 years.

Child: What was the reason for my father's untimely death?

Narada- Your father was under the influence of Lord Shani.

Child: What was the reason for the calamity that befell me?

Narada - Mahadasha of Saturn.

Having said this, Devarshi Narada named the boy, who lived by eating peepal leaves and cow dung, as Pippalad and initiated him.

After Narada left, Pippalada performed severe penance as per Narada's advice and pleased Lord Brahma. When Lord Brahma asked Pippalada to ask for a boon, Pippalada asked for the power to burn any object with just his sight.

On receiving the boon from Lord Brahma, Pippalada first invoked Lord Shani and presented him before himself and on finding him in front of him, he opened his eyes and started burning him to ashes.

Shani Dev started burning with his body. There was uproar in the universe. All the gods failed to protect Shani, the son of the Sun. Even the Sun, seeing his son burning in front of his eyes, started pleading to Brahma Ji to save him.

Finally Brahma himself came to Pippalad and asked him to release Shanidev but Pippalad was not ready. Brahma asked him to ask for two boons instead of one. Then Pippalad was happy and asked for the following two boons-

1- There will be no place for Saturn in the horoscope of any child from birth till 5 years. So that no other child becomes orphan like me.

2- The Peepal tree has given me shelter as an orphan. Therefore, whoever offers water to the Peepal tree before sunrise will not be affected by the Mahadasha of Saturn.

Brahma Ji granted the boon saying 'Tathastu'. Then Pippalad freed the burning Shani Dev by striking his feet with his Brahmadanda. Due to this, Shani Dev's feet got damaged and he was not able to walk as fast as before. Hence, from then onwards, Shani came to be known as "Shanai:charati yah Shanaishchar:" i.e. the one who walks slowly is Shani, and due to burning in the fire, Shani's body became black and his body parts became deformed.

At present this is the religious purpose of worshipping the black idol of Shani and the Peepal tree. Later Pippalad composed the Prashna Upanishad, which is a huge storehouse of knowledge even today.