“Why do we offer oil to Lord Shani”

According to scriptures, during the Ramayana period, Shani became proud of his strength and valor. At that time, the fame of Hanumanji’s strength and valor spread far and wide. When Shani learned about Hanumanji, he set out to fight Bajrangbali. Hanumanji was sitting in a quiet place, immersed in devotion to his lord, Lord Rama, when Shanidev arrived and challenged Bajrangbali to a duel. Hearing the call, Hanumanji tried to reason with Shanidev, but Shanidev refused and continued to invite him to battle. Finally, Hanumanji agreed to the fight. A fierce battle ensued between the two. Hanumanji defeated Shanidev soundly.

Hanumanji’s blows during the battle caused Shanidev severe pain throughout his body. To alleviate this pain, Hanumanji offered him oil. Upon applying this oil, all of Shanidev’s pain vanished. Since then, the tradition of offering oil to Shanidev began. Anyone who offers oil to Shanidev finds all their troubles and financial difficulties vanishing.

Another story says that when the Lord’s army built the ocean bridge, Hanuman, the son of the wind god, was entrusted with its care to prevent the demons from harming it. When Hanuman was engrossed in meditation on his beloved deity, Rama, in the evening, Shani, the son of the Sun, took on a dark, ugly face and angrily said, “O monkey, I am Shani, the most powerful of the gods. I have heard that you are very powerful.” Open your eyes and fight with me, I want to fight you. Hanuman politely replied, “At this moment I am remembering my Lord. Please do not disturb my worship. You are respected by me. Please go away from here.”

When Shani Dev came out to fight, Hanuman ji began wrapping him in his tail. Then he began tightening it. Despite his efforts, Shani remained unharmed and began to suffer. Hanuman then circled the bridge and began slamming his tail against the stones to break Shani’s pride. This caused Shani’s body to bleed, increasing his pain.

Shanidev then prayed to Hanumanji to free him from the bondage. He had already been punished for his crime; he would never commit such a mistake again! As soon as he applied the oil Hanumanji gave him to his wound, his pain subsided. Since that day, offerings of oil to Shanidev have soothed his pain and appeased him.

Shanidev’s pain was alleviated by Hanumanji’s grace, and for this reason, even today, Shanidev continues to shower special blessings on Hanumanji’s devotees.

When offering oil to Shani Dev, keep these things in mind:
Before offering oil to the idol of Shani Dev, be sure to look at your face in the oil. Doing so relieves you of the negative effects of Shani Dev. Obstacles in financial matters are removed, and happiness and prosperity are maintained.

Scientific belief behind offering oil to Saturn
According to astrology, different planets reside in all parts of our body. This means that different planets are responsible for different parts of our body. Saturn is the planet responsible for the skin, teeth, ears, bones, and knees. If Saturn is inauspicious in a horoscope, a person may experience problems related to these organs. For special care of these organs, oil massage should be performed every Saturday.

Offering oil to Saturn also means applying oil to the body parts associated with Saturn to protect them from pain. It’s best to use mustard oil for massage.