Surya
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In Hinduism, Surya is the chief solar deity, son of Dyaus Pita or Indra. He has hair and arms of gold. His chariot is pulled by seven horses, which represent the seven colors of rainbow. Tvashtri is his son, as are the twins Yama and Yami and the Asvins (by Saranya).
Another name also used in vedic astrology is Ravi.
A well-known Hindu mode of worship of Surya is done at the rising of the Sun, known as Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation). Ten yogic postures are assumed in successive flowing movements to complete one namaskar. Twelve sacred Hindu mantras uttered and for each mantra one complete namaskar is done. Ancient practice is to do 108 namaskaras a day. It is considered most auspicious by Hindus to do this . Its origins have been traced back to the time of the Ramayana (around 1500 BCE). The 12 mantras for surya namaskar:
1.Aum Mitraya namah 2.Aum Ravaye namah 3.Aum Suryaya namah 4.Aum Bhanave namah 5.Aum Khagaya namah 6.Aum Pushne namah 7.Aum Hiranyagarbhaya namah 8.Aum Marichaye namah 9.Aum Adityaya namah 10.Aum Savitre namah 11.Aum Arkaya namah 12.Aum Bhaskaraya namah
The Gayatri Mantra is also associated with Surya. Another hymn associated with Surya is the Aditya Hridayam, recited by the great sage Agastya to Rama on the battlefield before fighting with Ravana.
In Hindu religious literature, Surya is notably mentioned as the visible form of God that one can see every day. Furthermore, Shaivites and Vaishnavas often regard Surya as an aspect of Shiva and Vishnu, respectively. For example, the sun is called Surya Narayana by Vaishnavas. In Shaivite theology, Surya is said to be one of eight forms of Shiva, named the Astamurti.
In the Mahabharata, princess Kunti receives instruction for a mantra from sage Durvasa reciting which she is able to summon any god and bear a child with him. Unable to believe the power of this mantra, she tries to summon Surya. When Surya appears, she is overawed and requests him to go back, but Surya is compelled to fulfil the mantra before returning. Surya magically causes Kunti to bear a child immediately so that she, an unmarried princess, would not be subject to questions from the king or his court. Kunti discards this child, Karna, who grows up to become one of the central characters in the great battle of Kurukshetra.
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| Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Itihasa | Image:Hindu swastika.png |
|---|---|
| Male Deities: Brahma | Vishnu | Shiva | Rama | Krishna | Ganesha | Indra | Lakshman | Hanuman | |
| Female Deities: Gayatri | Lakshmi | Saraswati | Durga | Devi | Sita | Radha | Kali | Parvati | Shakti | |
| Texts: Vedas | Upanishads | Puranas | Ramayana | Mahabharata |
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