Mystical stories have been told and retold since time unknown for the positive and healing effects they have on ailing or distraught people. The planet of Saturn, or Shani, has always played a disproportionately large role in ancient Indian mythology and beliefs, and is considered to be the harbinger of doom. The Greatness of Saturn: A Therapeutic Myth is one of these mystic fables, which has been derived from Vedic traditions. The text in this book exalts the planet of Saturn, an entity that personifies adversities and time. The author describes it as the planet in charge of fate and karma.

Delving into the history of cosmology, The Greatness of Saturn: A Therapeutic Myth narrates the story of Saturn and the profound effect it is believed to have on us. The author exemplifies the story of King Vikramaditya, wherein he insults Saturn and suffers its wrath by suffering from an affliction for seven and a half years. It also discusses how other planetary bodies affect human beings as well. Beginning with a preface and foreword by the author, the text is divided between seventeen chapters with additives on myths, deities and vrata katha.

A must-read for anyone interested in vedic astrology and Hindu mythology, The Greatness of Saturn: A Therapeutic Myth provides readers with a profound insight on what it means to be human and mortal. The book is a composite of several sources and documents that have been consolidated in this fascinating narrative.

About The Author

Robert E. Svoboda, born in 1953, is an American author, consultant, ayurvedic practitioner and public speaker.

He has also authored Aghora: At the Left Hand of God, Ayurveda: Life, Health, and Longevity, Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution, Light on Life: An Introduction to the Astrology of India, Vastu: Breathing Life into Space and Ayurveda for Women: A Guide to Vitality and Health.

Born in Texas, United States, Svoboda graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. He relocated to India thereafter for a decade and studied under the tutelage of Vimalananda, eventually graduating from Pune University with a Bachelor’s degree in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS), in 1980. In addition to writing and lecturing, he serves as a faculty member at Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico, and Bastyr University in Washington D.C.