Sun worship is an important part of Vedic culture in India, and it is seen from various angles in different parts of the Vedas. Sun worship is not a recent addition to rituals but has been there since time immemorial - deeply ingrained in India’s cultures and traditions. In this article, we will have a closer look at the influence that the Vedic scriptures had on Sun worship, as mentioned in the Puranas.
The Vedas mention the word “Surya” or “Suryadev” for the Sun. Surya is the ruling deity of the Sun planet and is responsible for maintaining the working affairs. The Sun is the central cosmos body which sustains all other planets in the universe. The Surya deity is described as a divine person bedecked with shining golden ornaments, riding on a chariot pulled by seven horses. His horses are called “Ketavah” meaning the rays of the Sun.
The Rig Veda, the oldest Vedic literature, mentions Surya as the giver of knowledge, dispelling darkness in one’s life. It is the living force in the whole universe. The moon and all the planets get light from the Sun and shine in the sky. In the Chandogya Upanishad, the Sun is represented as Brahman, the Absolute Truth and the Sun-God is considered the Supreme.
Sayanacharya, a South Indian scholar and commentator states in his explanations:
ayamādityaḥ suyantubhiḥ sugamanaiḥ sarvaśāsaiḥ sarvasya śāsakaiḥ abhīśubhiḥ raśmibhiḥ krivikartā nāmāni nāmakānyudakāni pravaṇe nimne bhūpradeśe muṣāyati muṣṇāti ādatte
“Waters from the earth are sucked up by the Sun. The water, sucked by the Sun, descends to the earth in the form of fertilizing rains mixing with the moisture in the heavens. From the rain, corn abundantly grows and creatures receive their food. He is called Samudra (ocean) as he moistens the whole earth with rainwater. Thus, he discharges his duty as the sustainer of the whole universe.”
In the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.52) it is stated:
yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
Lord Brahmā said: “Let me worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda [Kṛṣṇa], who is the original person and under whose order the sun, which is the king of all planets, is assuming immense power and heat. The sun represents the eye of the Lord and traverses its orbit in obedience to His order.”
Although there are no references found in the Vedas which mention the worship of the Surya deity, the Puranic period witnessed many ritualistic performances which centered around Sun worship. Many prominent figures from the Puranas engaged in such rituals and sacrifices.
King Dasharath from Ramayana
Dasharatha Maharaj, the King of Ayodhya and father of Lord Ram had beautiful wives and every opulence in his kingdom, but he did not possess any son. His retirement was now approaching. Wishing to beget a son who would continue the lineage forward, Dhasharath Maharaj approached his chief priest Rishyashringa Muni and told him about his great anxiety. The sage advised him to perform a sacrifice in which the Sun God played a significant role in announcing a boon to King Dasharath. After the sacrificial performance was over, the Fire God (Agni Dev) appeared before the King and gave him a bowl of sweet rice and told him to distribute it among his three wives Kaushalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra. Having distributed among them, they begot Ram, Lakshman, Bharat, and Shatrughna.
Satrajit from Vishnu Purana
The Vishnu Purana narrates how Satrajit, a devout follower of Surya Dev and a member of the Yadu dynasty, pleased the Sun God with his intense austerity. Surya Dev appeared before him. As a reward for his uninterrupted devotion, he gifted Satrajit the most precious Syamantaka jewel which had a heavenly glitter. He hung it on a chain around his neck. The effulgence was so great that as he walked around, everyone considered him the Sun God. The gem produced a large quantity of gold every day. Thus, by worshiping Surya Dev, Satrajit gained immense material prosperity.
Having the Syamantaka jewel with him, Satrajit later had a role in Lord Krishna’s pastime who fought with him to take back the gem.
Sambha (the son of Lord Krishna) from Brahma Purana
Sambha was the son born to Lord Krishna and Queen Jambavati. It is stated that he acted improperly towards qualified sages and as a result was cursed with the leprosy disease. Distressed by this, Sambha was advised to worship Surya Dev to cure his disease. He traveled to the banks of the Chandrabhaga River which is located near the Sun Konark Temple in Odisha in the present day. He carried out great austerities there with the goal of pleasing the Sun God. By chanting various hymns and offering water (Arghya) to the Sun in the early morning, he was able to please the lord. Surya Dev appeared before him and cured him of his leprosy disease and gave him back his healthy physical state.
Yudhishthira Maharaj from Mahabharata
Yudhishthira Maharaj is believed to have worshiped the Sun God during the Pandavas’ fourteen years of exile in the forest. When they were living in the forest, Yudhishthira Maharaj, the eldest of the Pandava brothers, invoked Surya Dev’s blessings and as a result received Akshaya Patra. It is a divine vessel that provides endless food. This boon from the Sun God ensured that the Pandavas never lacked food during their entire stay in the forest.
The Vedas do not directly establish the worship of the Sun in the form of a deity or an image, but present the Sun planet as all-powerful which gives life to the entire cosmos. It is sometimes also described or represented as the impersonal Brahman which is the aspect of the Absolute Truth. However, the Puranas do talk of the personal feature of the Sun – the presiding deity who maintains and controls the planet. In fact, the Puranas also mention the names of the Sun deity. The current ruler of the Sun planet is known by the name “Vivasvan”. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna tells Arjun that long ago, He instructed the same knowledge to Vivasvan who further taught it to Manu, the father of Mankind. The Sun God Vivasvan is thus not only the deity of the Sun planet but plays a crucial role in transmitting spiritual knowledge down to the people on the Earth planet.
Various sacrifices and rituals related to the worship of the Surya deity have been performed in the past by great sages and Kings as mentioned in the Puranas - Offering water to the Sun in the early morning hours, Suryopasana (worship of the Sun God by offering prayers and chanting hymns), Surya Yagya (Sacrifice), Putrakameshti Yagya (sacrifice to Sun God for begetting progeny), and Surya Gayatri Mantra. These sun worship rituals are performed to invoke the blessings of Surya Dev for health, material prosperity, and gaining knowledge of the self. All these instances speak of the central role of Surya worship in the Puranas that shape the Vedic tradition.
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