Vedic influence on the Sun-worship in the Puranas

by Goswami Mitali | 2018 | 68,171 words

This page relates ‘Symbolic relevance of “Etasha” in Sun-worship’ of the study on the Vedic influence of Sun-worship in the Puranas, conducted by Goswami Mitali in 2018. The tradition of observing Agnihotra sacrifice and the Sandhya, etc., is frequently observed among the Hindus. Another important innovation of the Sun-worship in the Puranas is the installation of the images of the Sun in the temples.—This section belongs to the series “Salient Traits of the Solar Divinities in the Veda”.

Part 35 - Symbolic relevance of “Etaśa” in Sun-worship

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For the horses of the Sun, the term etaśa is used in the Vedic texts.^[1] In singular, the term signifies either the Sun horse,^[2] or the wheel of the Sun.^[3] The bright form of the Sun or the wheel of the Sun is brought by the god Etaśa towards the earth.^[4] Etaśa is one of the chief representatives of the Sun that brings light towards the earth.^[5]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

cf., sa sūrya prati puro na udgā ebhiḥ stomebhiretaśebhirevaiḥ/ Ṛgvedasaṃhitā 7.62.2 ahaṃ sūryasya pari yāmyāśubhiḥ praitaśebhirvahamāna ojasā/ Ibid., 10.49.7

[2]:

cf., etaśa iti sūryāśvasyākhyā/ Sāyaṇācārya, Ibid., 1.121.13

[3]:

cf., etaśaśca rathasya cakraṃ bharat prāvahat/ Ibid., 1.121.13

[4]:

cf., udu tyaddarśataṃ vapurdiva eti pratihvare/ yadīmāśurvahati deva etaśo viśvasmai cakṣase aram// Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 7.66.14

[5]:

cf., etaśena tvā sūryo devatāṃ gamayatu/ Taittirīyasaṃhitā, 1.6.4.6

Last Updated: 03 April, 2021