Once in Tretayuga due to lack of rain there was a famine. Muni Kaushik then left his home for the upbringing of the Muni family and left with his wife and sons to go elsewhere. Still, being upset over the maintenance of the family, he became sad and left one of his sons in the middle.
The child started crying with hunger and thirst. Then he saw a Ficus religiosa tree and a pool of water at some distance. He ate Ficus religiosa leaves to calm hunger and quenched his thirst by drinking water of the pool. The child spent time like this every day by eating leaves and drinking pool water and doing penance.
Then one day Devarshi Narada reached there. The boy bowed down to him. Narada Muni was happy to see the child's humility in the opposite situation. He immediately gave proper education to the child and taught the Vedas. He also gave him the mantra initiation of “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya”.
The child started meditating by chanting the mantra of Lord Vishnu daily. Narada Muni stayed with that child. Lord Vishnu was pleased with the boy's penance. Lord Vishnu revealed and asked the boy to ask for a blessing. The child asked for the boon of Bhagwat devotion. Then Lord Vishnu taught the child yoga and knowledge. Due to which he became the supreme knowledgeable maharishi.
One day, curiosity arose in the child's mind. He asked Narada Muni why my parents got separated from it at such a young age. Why do I have to suffer so much? You have cremated me and become a Brahmin. Therefore, also explain the reason for my pain. Narada Muni said to the child - You have done intense penance by eating peepal leaves, so from today I keep your name Piplad. As far as your problems are concerned, the reason for this is Saturn. Due to the slow movement of whose ego, the whole world along with you is also suffering from famine.
The child became very angry on hearing this. He looked at Saturn as he was moving in the sky. Then Saturn fell from the Tejobal of Piplad on a mountain on the ground. Whereby he became crippled. Narada Muni became happy after seeing such plight of Shani. He called all the gods and goddesses to see this scene.
Then the other gods including Brahmadev came there and pacified the charge of the boy Piplad and said that your name kept by Narada Muni is the best and from today you will be famous by the same name in the whole world. Any person who meditates on the name of Piplad on Saturday, will worship with full devotion and emotion. He will get rid of the troubles of Saturn and he will also get child happiness.
Brahmadev also told Piplad Muni by worshiping him for the peace of Shaniagraha and fasting and said that you should establish the demolished Shani in your place, because he is innocent. Pippalad Muni also followed the order of Brahmadev and learned from them the Shastra-fast method and gave the world the path to the Shani planet's peace. That is why there is a tradition of worshiping Shani Dev along with the Ficus religiosa tree on Saturday for the peace of Saturn.
