Shani is the son of Surya and Chhaya. He is the most hated person in Indian mythology because misfortune falls upon anyone seen by him. It happened in this manner. He had a beautiful wife but he often neglected her because he spent a lot of time worshipping Krishna. One day his wife approached him in a very amorous mood but he was busy praying. She waited till her passion was spent and then gave him the curse that whoever he saw would face destruction. From then onwards Shani has been keeping his gaze downwards because he does not want to cause harm to anybody. There are many stories that exemplify this curse. Once Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, captured the Navgraha and placed them face down on the steps leading to his throne so that he could trample them every day. When Narada, the celestial messenger and a mischief-maker as well, visited Lanka he suggested that Ravana turn the Navgraha face up so that he could see the anguish on their faces as he stepped on them. Ravana did so, but in the process he allowed Shani's gaze to fall on him. The chain of events that led to Ravana's destruction began soon after.
The story of Rahu and Ketu originates from the churning of the ocean to extract the nectar of immortality. Vishnu, in the form of "Mohini" the enchantress, was distributing the nectar to the demi-Gods and wine to the demons. A demon named Rahu saw through the trick and he quietly went and stood in the queue of the demi-gods. Thus he was given a drop of the nectar. But the Sun and Moon Gods recognized him and warned Mohini. Mohini then assumed her true form, that of Vishnu, and before the drop of nectar could go down Rahu's throat, he set loose his Sudarshan chakra (a divine weapon in the form of a disc) and cut off Rahu's head. Hence Rahu's bodiless head was destined to roam around the heavens forever. Because the Sun and Moon Gods had ratted on him, he would from time to time bite of a part of the sun and the moon thus causing the solar and lunar eclipses. Rahu's headless body became Ketu and began orbiting the earth. Astronomically the lunar nodes play an important role in eclipses.
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