Greatness of Saturn

King Vikramaditya of Ujjayini was a ruler of unparalleled righteousness and intellect. Surrounded by eminent scholars and astrologers, he regularly held court to debate the complexities of the cosmos. On one such occasion, a debate commenced to determine which of the Nine Planets was supreme. When it was time to discuss the seventh planet, the pandit described a being of terrifying magnitude, Saturn. Born to the Sun and his wife Chāyā, Saturn's inherent power was so devastating that, mere moments after his birth, his gaze caused his father to suffer from vitiligo, snapped the thigh of his charioteer and permanently blinded the horses of his chariot. He is the Lord of Time, an emaciated, dark-hued entity of Vāta constitution who rules over the sinews and nerves, striking fear into the hearts of gods and mortals alike. Hearing of such unyielding cruelty, King Vikrama experienced a sudden and inexplicable lapse of judgement. Disgusted by the planet's merciless nature, the king declared aloud that it would be better to have no son at all than to beget one with such a hateful gaze. At that precise moment, Saturn was passing overhead in his aerial chariot. Overhearing the insult, the Lord of Time descended into the court. The entire assembly froze in terror. Though Vikrama immediately prostrated himself and begged for forgiveness, Saturn's judgement was absolute. He announced that he was about to enter the twelfth house of Vikrama's horoscope, initiating a seven-and-a-half-year period of unrelenting torment, ensuring that the king would learn exactly whom he had insulted.