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Surya: Difference between revisions
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== Traditional Indian beliefs == | == Traditional Indian beliefs == | ||
During the medieval period in India, worshipers of Surya formed one of the five principal sects. Worship of Surya ranked with the worship of [[Shiva]], Shakti, [[Vishnu]] and [[Ganesha]]. The importance of the Sun God Surya is evident in Vedic hymns and Hindu mythology. The Gayatri hymn from the Rig-Veda identifies Surya with the Hindu Trinity. The hymn is addressed to the sun and associates Brahma with the sun in the morning, Shiva with the sun at midday, and Vishnu with the sun in the evening. The worship of Surya is mentioned repeatedly in the Ramayana, the oldest epic in Sanskrit literature. After offering a prayer to Surya, Rama overcomes his enemy with ease. | During the medieval period in India, worshipers of Surya formed one of the five principal sects. Worship of Surya ranked with the worship of [[Shiva]], [[Shakti]], [[Vishnu]] and [[Ganesha]]. The importance of the Sun God Surya is evident in Vedic hymns and Hindu mythology. The Gayatri hymn from the Rig-Veda identifies Surya with the Hindu Trinity. The hymn is addressed to the sun and associates [[Brahma]] with the sun in the morning, Shiva with the sun at midday, and Vishnu with the sun in the evening. The worship of Surya is mentioned repeatedly in the Ramayana, the oldest epic in Sanskrit literature. After offering a prayer to Surya, Rama overcomes his enemy with ease. | ||
Surya is traditionally depicted seated on a lotus in a chariot of gold drawn by seven horses or by a single horse with seven heads. He crosses the sky observing the good and bad deeds of both mortals and immortals. Surya’s chariot is usually depicted with only one wheel. The one wheel is seen as symbolic of the straight path of justice he maintains. The charioteer is the deity of the dawn, who rides in front of Surya, using his body to shelter the world from Surya’s brilliant rays. | Surya is traditionally depicted seated on a lotus in a chariot of gold drawn by seven horses or by a single horse with seven heads. He crosses the sky observing the good and bad deeds of both mortals and immortals. Surya’s chariot is usually depicted with only one wheel. The one wheel is seen as symbolic of the straight path of justice he maintains. The charioteer is the deity of the dawn, who rides in front of Surya, using his body to shelter the world from Surya’s brilliant rays. | ||
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[[File:Konark ei2-18.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|The temple to Surya at Konark, India]] | [[File:Konark ei2-18.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|The temple to Surya at Konark, India]] | ||
One Hindu myth relates that the sun-god Surya married the daughter of the celestial architect of the gods. She found Surya’s radiance too strong to bear and ran away. Surya pursued his wife and after a long search found her. Once they were reunited, the architect of the gods refashioned Surya so that his wife would be able to remain with him. While singing praises to the sun god, the architect cut away his excessive radiance, keeping intact just a fraction of his original glory in spherical shape. Out of the excess radiance, he created weapons for various gods, including Shiva’s trident. Surya remained resplendent in spite of his alteration. He and his wife had many sons. The eldest was [[Vaivasvata Manu]], who in Hindu tradition is the progenitor of the human race. We know Vaivasvata Manu as the manu of the fifth root race. | One Hindu myth relates that the sun-god Surya married the daughter of the celestial architect of the gods. She found Surya’s radiance too strong to bear and ran away. Surya pursued his wife and after a long search found her. Once they were reunited, the architect of the gods refashioned Surya so that his wife would be able to remain with him. While singing praises to the sun god, the architect cut away his excessive radiance, keeping intact just a fraction of his original glory in spherical shape. Out of the excess radiance, he created weapons for various gods, including Shiva’s trident. Surya remained resplendent in spite of his alteration. He and his wife had many sons. The eldest was [[Vaivasvata Manu]], who in Hindu tradition is the progenitor of the human race. We know Vaivasvata Manu as the [[manu]] of the fifth root race. | ||
One of the most famous temples dedicated to Surya is the colossal thirteenth-century Surya Deula (Sun Temple) at Konark in the state of Orissa, India. This one-hundred-foot-high temple and its hall are designed in the shape of a giant chariot borne on twelve carved stone wheels and drawn by seven stone horses. Today the worship of Surya as the supreme deity is limited to one small sect, but an image of Surya is in every Hindu temple. | One of the most famous temples dedicated to Surya is the colossal thirteenth-century Surya Deula (Sun Temple) at Konark in the state of Orissa, India. This one-hundred-foot-high temple and its hall are designed in the shape of a giant chariot borne on twelve carved stone wheels and drawn by seven stone horses. Today the worship of Surya as the supreme deity is limited to one small sect, but an image of Surya is in every Hindu temple. | ||