Haridas and the Curse of Saturn

Once, a Brahmin named Haridas heard a mysterious voice that warned him, “I will trouble your king for seven and a half hours.” Alarmed, Haridas shared this ominous message with his wife. His wife, wise and protective, immediately recognized the voice as that of Saturn, the deity associated with trials and hardships. She advised Haridas, “You must protect the king by taking this trouble upon yourself.”

Determined to save his king from suffering, Haridas prayed to Saturn and offered to bear the period of misfortune himself. Saturn accepted his request and said, “Your period of trouble begins now.”

The following day, Haridas went to the river to pray. While there, he found two watermelons and decided to take them home. However, on that same day, the kingdom was struck by shocking news—the two royal princes had mysteriously disappeared.

As the king’s soldiers searched for clues, they came across Haridas with his two watermelons. Under Saturn’s influence, the watermelons appeared to the soldiers as the heads of the missing princes. Horrified, they accused Haridas of murdering the princes and arrested him. The king, believing Haridas to be guilty, sentenced him to be hanged.

Just as Haridas was about to face his execution, the allotted time of trouble from Saturn ended. In that very moment, the two princes, who had merely been lost, returned to the palace unharmed. Realizing Haridas’s innocence, the king ordered his release, and Haridas was saved.

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**Moral:** This story illustrates that patience and faith can help us endure trials. Even during difficult times, righteousness and selflessness protect us. The tale of Haridas and Saturn serves as a reminder that all challenges, no matter how intense, are temporary.