Bow to the Sun! (suurya-ashhTaka)

[anand hudli]

 It is customary to worship five deities daily-- GaNesha, Shiva,
 Shakti, VishhNu and Suurya. This worship is called Panchaayatana
 puujaa. Suurya (the Sun) occupies a special status among these
 five deities -- He is the only one who is visible to the sight
 of common people!

 The obligatory sandhyaavandana has as one of its objectives the
 worship of Suurya. Suurya is a well known Vedic deity;
 numerous hymns addressed to Him are found in the Vedas. The Saura
 suukta of the Rg Veda, usually chanted during abhishheka, is an
 elaborate hymn of some 64 verses. The aruNa prashna of the taittiriiya-
 AraNyaka is another popular hymn to Suurya. The Suurya namaskara mantras
 are said to cure one of heart disease and ailments of the eyes.

 Some Western scholars believe that Sun worship in India is a form of
 nature worship. This view is incorrect. Suurya is usually worshipped as
 a symbol of Brahman. While performing sandhyaavandana we utter the words:
 "asaavaadityo brahma", which means the Sun is (a symbol of) Brahman.
 By the worship of the symbol (pratiika) of Brahman, we hope to attain
 Brahman.

 Shriiman naaraayaNa  is to be meditated on as residing in the solar
 orb. (dhyeyaH sadaa savitR^imaNDalamadhyavartii naaraayaNaH)

 Worshipped in this way, He is called SuuryanaaraayaNa.

 In smaarta homes, Suurya is worshipped at the start of uttaraayaNa and
 dakshhiNaayana or at least on the Makara sankraanti day.
 Suurya travels (apparently) to the north for six months and then
 travels south for six months. The winter solstice, when He begins
 the northerly course is called Makara sankraanti or the start of
 uttaraayaNa; the summer solstice, when He begins the southerly course,
 is called the start of dakshhiNaayana. Tomorrow (July 16th) marks the
 beginning of dakshhiNaayana for this year. The discrepancy between
 the Western date (June 21) and the Hindu date is due to the fact that
 the Hindu system is based on fixed constellations of stars unlike
 the Western system which considers the shifting of equinoxes due to
 precession and nutation.

 The following is a short hymn to Suurya, said to have been composed
 by Shiva. Other details regarding the source of the hymn are not known
 to me.

   shrii-shivaprokta-suuryaashhTakam
   ----------------------------------

 aadideva namastubhyaM prasiida mama bhaaskara |
 divaakara namastubhyaM prabhaakara namo.astu te || 1 ||

 O primeval God! Salutations to You! Be pleased with me
 O Bhaaskara! Salutations to You, O divaakara, O prabhaakara!

 saptaashvarathamaaruuDhaM prachaNDaM kashyapaatmajaM |
 shvetapadmadharaM devaM taM suuryaM praNamaamyahaM || 2 ||

 I bow to that God Suurya, who is seated in a chariot drawn
 by seven horses, who is very hot, the son of Kashyapa, and who
 holds a white lotus in His hands.

 lohitaM rathamaaruuDhaM sarvalokapitaamahaM |
 mahaapaapaharaM devaM taM suuryaM praNamaamyahaM || 3 ||

 I offer obeisance to that God Suurya, who is red-complexioned,
 who has mounted a chariot, the grandsire of all worlds, and the destroyer
 of terrible sins.

 traiguNyaM cha mahaashuuraM brahmavishhNumaheshvaraM |
 mahaapaapaharaM devaM taM suuryaM praNamaamyahaM || 4 ||

 I offer obeisance to that God Suurya, who embodies the three guNas
 (sattva, rajas, and tamas), the great warrior, who represents brahmaa,
 vishhNu, and maheshvara, and who is the destroyer of terrible sins.


 bR^iMhitaM tejaHpuJNjaM cha vaayumaakaashameva cha |
 prabhuM cha sarvalokaanaaM taM suuryaM praNamaamyahaM || 5 ||

 I offer obeisance to that Suurya, who is a large mass of heat and light,
 whose nature includes vaayu (air) and aakaasha (space), and who is the
 Lord of all worlds.

 bandhuukapushhpasaN^kaashaM haarakuNDalabhuushhitaM |
 ekachakradharaM devaM taM suuryaM praNamaamyahaM || 6 ||

 I offer obeisance to that God Suurya, who resembles the (red) bandhuuka
 flower, who is adorned by a garland and ear-rings, and who holds a
 discus (chakra).

 taM suuryaM jagatkartaaraM mahaatejaHpradiipanaM |
 mahaapaapaharaM devaM taM suuryaM praNamaamyahaM || 7 ||

 I offer obeisance to that God Suurya, who is the creator of the world,
 the great, brilliant light, and the destroyer of terrible sins.

 taM suuryaM jagataaM naathaM jnaanavijnaanamokshhadaM
 mahaapaapaharaM devaM taM suuryaM praNamaamyahaM || 8 ||

 I offer obeisance to that God Suurya, who is the lord of the worlds,
 who bestows (worldly) knowledge, (spiritual) knowledge, and mokshha,
 and who (also) destroys all sins.

 Anand