Today we show you the origin and legends of Surya, the Hindu Sun God. Discover his most amazing stories and how he is worshiped.
Surya, Hindu Sun God
Surya God of the sun and the sun itself. A high-ranking deity, especially in early Hindu scriptures, especially in the Vedas, dating from 1500 BC, he is worshipped as the supreme god by the small Saura sect. However, he is also recognized by most Hindus, who say a special mantra called Gayatri mantra at the dawn of the day to Surya. Surya is the supreme source of energy and light and the origin of the universe. He controls the seasons, so he was of particular importance to the farming community.
He is also a healing god, and is considered to bring good luck. Many stores in India have a symbol of the sun on or near their front door. In later scriptures, Surya, also known by the name Savita, lost some of his prominence to Vishnu. Although his image appears in many temples, there are only a few specifically dedicated to him. The most famous is the sun temple in Orissa, India.
Origin
Surya is an early deity one of the Aditya protector gods. He is written about in the Rig Veda, the oldest of texts. When the universe was created, the egg of the world was divided into two parts. The silver half became the earth and the golden half became the sky. The parts inside the egg became the mountains, the clouds and the waters. Lord Brahma emerged from the cosmic egg and created the supreme god Vishnu. The first sound in the cosmos, Om, united with the intelligence of Vishnu and Surya was created.
He is most often depicted riding in a chariot drawn by seven horses with his charioteer, Aruna, the god of dawn. The seven horses represent the seven chakras (spiritual centers) in the human body and the seven colors in a rainbow. Surya has two hands, each holding a lotus flower to symbolize rebirth, or four hands holding a conch shell, a disc representing the chakras, a lotus and a mace (ancient weapon).
Gayatri Mantra
The Gayatri Mantra dedicated to Surya is considered one of the most powerful mantras in the Hindu religion. It is believed that the order and choice of words are specifically arranged to create an energetic power that impacts the chanting person’s body, mind and spiritual being. The mantra is the very essence of the Vedas. It begins with the sound of Om, the first sound that ever existed. Om is also a metaphor for divine energy and the unity of all beings or a supreme being.
- Om Bhur Bhuvaḥ Swaḥ
- Tat-savitur Vareñyaṃ
- Bhargo Devasya Dhīmahi
- Dhiyo Yonaḥ Prachodayāt
The general meaning of the ancient Sanskrit chant:
We meditate on the Supreme Lord and creator whose divine light illuminates everything, the realm of the physical, mental and spiritual. May this divine light open our hearts and inspire our intellect.
Family of Surya Sun God
According to legend, Surya had three wives: Saranyu, the cloud goddess, Ragyi and Prabha. Saranyu was the mother of Manu, and the twin gods Yama (the god of death) and his sister Yami (the mother goddess). Later, she also gave birth to the twins Ashvin, the divine horsemen symbolizing sunrise and sunset. After her marriage, Saranyu could not stand the intense light and heat of the midday sun, so she created a shadow of herself named Chhaya to act as Surya’s wife.
Chhaya, the shadow wife, had two sons and two daughters, apparently before Surya realized what was happening. Saranyu hid in the forest and transformed into a mare to prevent Surya from recognizing her, but the god turned into a horse and went after her and they were finally reunited.
Still suffering from his radiance, she was chronically exhausted. Finally, with the help of her father, they diminished Surya’s radiance by an eighth and Saranyu was able to live more easily with her husband. The second wife, Ragyi, gave birth to a son named Revanta. Prabha had a son named Prabhata, which means tomorrow.
Other Surya stories
In other Hindu texts, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, there are also tales of Surya. When he was a baby, Hanuman, the supernatural monkey, stretched out to bask in the sun because he thought it was a tasty mango. He put Surya in his mouth and the world went dark. The gods knew something was wrong, so Lord Indra, the god of lightning, sent a bolt of lightning straight into Hanuman’s jaw and dropped the sun. Because he was always misbehaving, Hamuman was temporarily stripped of his magical powers, namely his ability to fly and transform himself.
When he grew up, he needed a teacher and appealed to Surya to take him under his protection. Forgiving him for the incident from his childhood, Surya reminded him of his gifts and taught Hanuman how to lead the Monkey Army. Hamuman took all his lessons facing his master as his chariot rode swiftly through the sky, so he was always backing up so as not to turn his back on his guru abruptly. Hanuman and his army of monkeys eventually help Rama (a reincarnation of the god Vishnu) save his wife from a demon.
In another Surya myth, Kunti, Lord Krishna’s aunt, received a special mantra from a sage. Chanting the mantra would have enabled her to invoke a god and give birth to her son. She did not take the mantra too seriously and, not believing it would really work, tried it out by invoking Surya. Compelled to fulfill the powerful mantra, Surya came to her, and she bore Surya’s child but still remained a virgin. Unable to deal with the idea of being a single mother, she abandoned her child. Karna later grew up to be a great warrior in the mythological war of Kurukshetra.
Historical Influence
The practice of yoga also originated in the Vedas thousands of years ago. Known for its physical, mental and spiritual benefits, yoga has millions of devotees in both the Western and Eastern worlds. The basis of yoga practice begins with the sun salutation, Surya namaskar. It has been said that the sun salutations are Hanuman’s movements in front of Surya as the chariot traveled across the sky, showing his gratitude for the lessons he learned, honoring Surya as the source of energy and light for the world.
Every day around the world, students stand in front of their teacher as they perform their series of surya namaskar with love and devotion in a show of respect for the tradition of honoring a teacher and the great Surya, who illuminates our lives and the universe.
