Lord Surya – Hindu Gods and Deities

Lord Surya is the chief of the Navagraha, the nine Indian Classical planets and important elements of Hindu astrology. He is often depicted riding a chariot harnessed by seven horses which might represent the seven colors of the rainbow or the seven chakras in the human body. He is also the presiding deity of Sunday. Surya is regarded as the Supreme Deity by Saura sect and Smartas worship him as one of the five primary forms of God.

Surya or the sun, often identified with Aditya, Savitr and Pusan, is another important Vedic deity. He is compared to a bird that flies in the sky and is described as the jewel of the sky. He gives light, produces day and night, gives power and strength to the living beings, makes them active and destroys their laziness and disease.

Surya had three wives, namely, Sharanya (also called Saraniya, Saranyu, Sanjana or Sangya), Ragyi and Prabha. Saranyu was the mother of Vaivasvata Manu (the seventh, i.e., present Manu) and the twins Yama (the Lord of Death) and his sister Yami. She also bore him the twins known as the Ashvins, divine horsemen and physicians to the Devas. Saranyu, being unable to bear the extreme radiance of Surya, created a superficial entity from her shadow called Chhaya and instructed her to act as Surya’s wife in her absence. Chhaya mothered two sons Savarni Manu (the eighth, i.e., next Manu) and Shani (the planet Saturn), and two daughters, Tapti and Vishti. He has two more sons, Revanta or Raivata with Ragyi, and Prabhata with Prabha. Surya is the father of the famous tragic hero Karna, described in the Indian epic Mahabharata, by a human princess named Kunti.

Surya’s sons, Shani and Yama, are responsible for the judgment of human life. Shani provides the results of one’s deeds during one’s life through appropriate punishments and rewards while Yama grants the results of one’s deeds after death.

Karna from the Mahabharata is also believed to be a son of Lord Surya.

DIFFERENT NAMES OF LORD SURYA

Lord Surya is hailed by 108 names – Surya Ashtottara Shatnamavali. The commonest among them are Aditya, Adideva, Angaraka, Arka, Bhaga, Brahma, Dhanwantari, Dharmadhwaja, Dhatri, Dhumaketu, Indra, Jaya, Maitreya, Prabhakara, Ravi, Rudra, Savitri, Soma, Teja, Vaisravana, Vanhi, Varun and Vishnu.

Lord Surya in Hindu Scriptures

In the Ramayana, Surya is described as father of the King Sugriva, who helped Rama and Lakshmana in defeating the demon king Ravana. He also trains Hanuman. The Suryavanshi dynasty of kings, Rama being one of them, also claims descent from Surya.

In the Mahabharata, Princess Kunti receives instruction for a mantra from the sage Durvasa; by reciting which, she would be able to summon any god and bear a child by him. Incredulous of the power of this mantra, Kunti unwittingly tests it on Surya, but when Surya appears, she gets scared and requests him to go back. However, Surya has an obligation to fulfill the mantra before returning. Surya miraculously causes Kunti to bear the child immediately whilst retaining her virginity so that she, as an unmarried princess, need not face any embarrassment or be subjected to questions from society. Kunti feels compelled to abandon the child, Karna, who grows up to become one of the central characters in the great battle of Kurukshetra.

In astrology

In Vedic astrology Surya is considered a mild malefic on account of his hot, dry nature. Surya represents soul, will-power, fame, the eyes, general vitality, courage, kingship, father, highly placed persons and authority. He is exalted in the sign Mesha, is in mulatrikona in the sign Simha and is in debilitation in the sign Tula. Surya is lord of three nakshatras or lunar mansions: Krittika, Uttara Phalguni and Uttara Ashadha. Surya has the following associations: the colors – copper or red, the metals – gold or brass, the gemstone – ruby, the direction – east and the season of summer. The food grain associated with him is wheat.

Lord Surya Iconography

In Hindu mythology, Surya represents the Sun god. Surya is depicted as a red man with three eyes and four arms, riding in a chariot drawn by seven mares. Surya holds water lilies with two of his hands. With his third hand he encourages his worshipers whom he blesses with his fourth hand.

Festivals of Lord Surya

Below are the festivals dedicated to Sun God Surya in India:

• Pongal (Makara Sankaranti)

It is the most widely celebrated Hindu festival dedicated to the Sun God. It is celebrated as Makar Sankranti in many parts of India and as the festival of Pongal by Tamils all over the world. People thank the Sun God for ensuring a good harvest and dedicate the first grain to him.

• Chhath

Chhath is another Hindu festival dedicated to Surya. It is believed to start by Karna, the son of Surya, who became a great warrior and fought against the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra War. Chhath is unique to Bihar, Jharkhand, and some parts of Uttar Pradesh and Nepal.

• Samba Dashami

Samba Dashami is celebrated in the eastern coastal state of Orissa in the honour of Samba, the son of Krishna who was cured of leprosy by praying to Surya.

• Ratha Saptami

Ratha Saptami is a Hindu festival that falls on the seventh day (Saptami) of the bright half of the Hindu month Maagha. This day is also known as Surya Jayanti because it celebrates the power of the Sun God.

• Aytar Puja

Women in Goa observe Aytar Puja (Aytar is a Konkani word for Sunday, from Sanskrit Adityavasara) on Sundays of the Hindu lunar month of Shravana. Known as Aditya Vrata in Sanskrit, this observance is known as Aditya Ranubai in Maharashtra. Aditya and his consort Rajni are invoked on these days.

TEMPLES OF LORD SURYA

Below are several temples enshrining the Sun God as the principal deity:

1. The Dakshinaarka temple, Gaya (Bihar)
2. The Bhramanya Dev Temple, Unao (Madhya Pradesh)
3. Sun Temple, Deo, Bihar
4. Sun Temple, Surya Pahar (Assam)
5. Suryanaar Kovil, Thanjavur (Tamilnadu)
6. Suryanarayanaswamy Temple, Arasavilli (Andhra Pradesh)
7. The Sun Temple, Modhera (Gujarat)
8. The Sun Temple, Konarak (Orissa)