7. Surya-Worship

Among the orthodox Hindus, the Sun has fallen from the high estate which he secured in vedic times and has now become a mere godling or a minor god. He is, however, still worshipped especially in Bihar and among the non-Aryan tribes of the southern people.42 The Gayatri or sacred verse, which each brahmin must recite daily, is dedicated to him. Sunday is sacred to him and the Sundays of the month Kartika are specially set aside for his worship in Bihara and parts of Bengal. The 427 ERE., Vol. II, PP. 483..

6865 that one should go to the Markandeya stream situated in the Utkala pradesh, dip his head thrice, face north, recite the mantra, 38 perform tarpana, go to the temple of Siva, worship 39 him with the mulamantra' or the aghoramantra 40 and mutter a Here too it is mentioned that by worshipppauranic mantra. 41 ing the lord in this way, one gets the merit of performing the ten Asvamedhas, becomes free from all the sins and goes to Sivaloka (58.2-25). In Aundradesa, on the southern ocean of the sea, 1 One who lord Siva resides by the name of Ramesvara. worships him with flowers, lamps, naivedya, pranama, songs, and stotras gets the merit of Asvamedha and Rajasuya and he gets the highest success (24.56-59). In Avanti, he is known as Mahakala, One who takes a bath at Sivakunda according to • proper rites and offers oblations to gods and pitrs and goes round lord Siva thrice with a restrained mind and controlled 38 Samsarasagare magnam papagrastamacetanam | Trahi mam bhaganetraghna Tripurare namo'stu to ‣ namah sivaya santaya sarvapapaharaya ca, snanam karoti devasa mama nasyatu patakam 39 Markandesvaraya namah or on namah sivaya 1 40 41 The tirthacintamani of Vacaspati (P.88) states that the aghora mantra is 'Om aghorebhpo ghorebhyo ghoratarebhyah, sarvebhyah sarvagarvebhyah namastestu rudrarupebhyah Trilocana namaste'stu namaste Sasibhusana Trahi man tvam virupaksa mahadeva namc'stue te " 57.7-8, also cf.Naradiya (Uttara)55.18-19.

687 great festival in his honour, known as Chhatpuja, is held on the sixth day of the bright half of Kartika and after libations to the setting Sun the ceremony on the following morning is repeated. "They also make offerings of white flowers, sandal paste, betel-nut, rice, milk, plantains, etc. Brahmin priests are not employed, but an elderly member of #43 the family, usually a female, conducts the worship. For the SuryaThe Brahma-purana describes in details the Sunworship. It states that in Aundra desa, on the northern shore of the ocean lavana, there is the famous shrine of lord Sun by the name Konaditya (28.11,18). worship, one should observe a fast on the seventh day of the bright half of the month Magha with a restrained mind. After taking a bath in the occan, one should remember the Sun and should perform the purificatory ceremonies of the morning. Then one should offer tarpana to the deities, men and pitrs. Then one should wear clean clothes after coming out of the waters. One should take acamana and at the time of sunrise should sit, facing the eastern direction on the shore of the ocean. With red candana and water, one should make a figure of lotus with eight petals in a vessel of copper, round in shape and filled up with copper. The 43 Gait, Censos Report, 1901, i. 188.

688 petals should rise at the front side. Then one should keep sesame, rice, water, red candana, red flowers and kusa grass in that vessel. If one does not have a copper vessel, then the sesame and other things should be kept in the leafpot of the arka leaves. The vessel should be covered by another vessel. After performing the anganyasa and the karanyasa, one should meditate on the Sun with heart and limbs. Then in the middle of that eight-petalled lotus, and in the petals of Agni, Nairrtya, Vayavya directions and again in the middle one should offer worship to Surya which is pure and the highest. Then the Sun should be invoked one and should perform the various modes like sumukha, samputa, etc. and then one should bathe the deity and meditate with a concentrated mind (28.19-30). After seeing the lord Sun of the saffron-colour in the morning, one should take the arghyapatra, touch it with one's head, sit on the knees and observe silence with a concentrated mind. Then one should offer an arghya to Surya muttering the three-lettered mantra, As the lord Surya can be attained by devotion alone, one should offer an arghya to him by taking his name. In the directions Agni, Nairatya, Vayavya, Isana, Madhya and east one should worship heart, head, head-tail, kavaca, eyes and Weapons. Then one should offer arghya, fragrant objects, dhupa, light, naivedya, and should perform the japa,

' 689 namaskara, stuti and mudras and should do the visarjana of the deities. Those who resort to the lord Sun, the bestower of light to the three worlds get the pleasure. As long as one does not offer arghya to the lord Surya according to the proper rites, one should not worship Visnu, Siva and Indra. Therefore, everyday after becoming pure, one should offer arghya to the lord Sun with flowers and candana. Thus one who offers an arghya to the lord Sun with a concentrated mind gets the desired fruits (28.32-44, 45-48). The Brahma-purana mentions the following results of the Surya worship. One who offers an arghya to the lord Sun on the seventh day of the month of Magha with a The diseased concentrated mind gets the desired fruits. person gets freedom from diseases, the wealth-desiring gets wealth, the knowledge-seeking gets knowledge and one desirous of a son gets a son (28.42,43). After worshipping the Sun, one gets the fruit of ten asvamedhas and becoming free from sins, one gets the divine worlds. He saves the seven generations above him and below him and goes to the Suryaloka in an aeroplane of his choice. There he enjoys for one kalpa and when the merit of his holy deeds is exhausted, he comes back again in this world, gets a birth in the great family of yogins, becomes well-versed in the four vedas and taking up the Yoga of lord Sun, attains liberation (28.37).

690 By Going round lord Sun is considered as equal to going round the earth. With its seven islands (29.20) one who offers worship to Surya and eats once only on either the sixth of the seventh day, or offers sraddha to pitrs on the Vijayasaptami day and performs sacrifices in honour of lord Sun can never have poverty or disease in his family and by mounting the c temple of lord with either yellow, red or white day, the desired results are obtained and worshipping lord Sun with ghee or oil removes blindness (29.24, 26,33-36,44-45). performing the adityavrata, i.e. muttering a mantra or a stotra facing the Sun from the time of its rising to the time of its setting, one gets freedom from grave sins (29.45), The offering of krsara, milk, pudding, fruits, roots, ghee and rice in honour of lord Sun leads to the fulfilment of all the desires (29.54,55) and by offering umbrella and banners in honour of lord Sun, one gets success (39.58). People of all the classes and the women who offer arghya to lord Sun get the highest status (28.37). The arghya to lord Sun should be offered in fire, water, sky, holy land, to the idol or on the altar (29.48).