Lord Shani Dev (Shanidev) was born on the new moon day of Jyestha from the fruit of Lord Shiva. Shani Dev’s color turned black due to the brightness and tenacity of the Sun. But due to severe penance of the mother, Shani Maharaj got immense powers.
It is said that once Lord Suryadev came to meet his wife Chhaya. At that time Shani Dev Maharaj closed his eyes due to the tenacity and brightness of Suryadev and he could not see him. Seeing the character of Lord Shani, Suryadev expressed doubt on his wife Chhaya and said that this cannot be my son. Due to this, enmity was created in Shani Dev’s mind towards father Surya.
After this, Shanidev Maharaj did severe penance to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva was pleased with Shani Dev’s hard penance and asked him to ask for a boon, on which Shani Dev told Lord Shiva that Suryadev harasses and disrespects his mother. Due to this his mother always has to be humiliated. He asked for a boon to be more powerful and worshipable than Surya.
On this, Lord Shiva gave a boon to Shani Dev that he would be the lord of the nine planets (Nav Grah) i.e. he would get the best place. With this, not only the human race, but the gods, asuras, gandharvas, snakes and every creature and caste in the world will be afraid of them.
According to astrology, the distance of Saturn from the earth is about nine crore miles and its width is one billion forty two crore sixty lakh kilometers. Its strength is ninety-five times more than that of the earth. Saturn takes nineteen years to revolve around the Sun.