Vedic influence on the Sun-worship in the Puranas

by Goswami Mitali | 2018 | 68,171 words

This page relates ‘Mitra (the Friend of the People)’ 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”.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Part 13 - Mitra (the Friend of the People)

The Sun-god, in his friendly aspect is called Mitra. As the deity is closely associated with Varuṇa, only a single hymn of the Ṛgvedasaṃhitā is devoted to the deity.[1]

Mitra is mentioned as the friend of the people in the Vedic mythology:

mitrasya priyatamasya nriṇām/[2]

Sāyaṇācārya, in his commentary derives the term as:

mitraṃ pramītestrāyakamaharabhimāninaṃ devam/ maitraṃ ahaḥ (Taittirīyabrāhmaṇa, 1.7.10.1) iti śruteḥ/[3]

Again, Yāskācārya interprets the term as:

mitraḥ pramīteḥ/ trāyate/ saṃminvāno dravatīti vā/ medayatervā/[4]

Mitra is so called because he preserves the whole universe from destruction or because he runs measuring things together.

He is worshipped in the Vedas to bring men together:

janaṃ ca mitro yatati bruvāṇaḥ/[5]

In his commentary on the respective passage, Sāyaṇācārya states thus:

bruvāṇaḥ asmābhiḥ stūyamānaḥ mitraḥ ca janaṃ sarvaṃ prāṇijātaṃ yatati yātayati pravartayati/ tathā ca śrūyate-mitro janānyātayati bruvāṇaḥ (Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 3.59.1)/[6]

He is regarded as the great supporter of the race of the man.[7] Mitra sustains the beings with his rain-giving aspects and thus, he stands as the friend of the people.[8] He gives food, wealth and happiness to his devotees and protects them being a friend.[9] Besides this, he makes his worshippers free from the sin, distress and diseases.[10] He is invoked as the creator as well as the sustainer.[11] As the deity lightens the entire world with his

light, he is well delineated as the king:

mitraḥ sūryaḥ namasyaḥ sarvairnamaskaraṇīyaḥ suśevaḥ śobhanasukhaḥ/ sukhena sevya ityarthaḥ/ rājā sarvasya jagataḥ prakāśapradānena svāmī sukṣatraḥ/ kṣatraśabdena balamucyate śobhanabalopetaḥ vedhāḥ sarvasya jagato vidhātā/[12]

Again, in the Taittirīyasaṃhitā, he is mentioned as the god of concord and agreement:

samayakāmo mitram/[13]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Ibid., 3.59

[2]:

Ibid., 7.62.4

[3]:

Sāyaṇācārya, Ibid., 1.89.3

[4]:

Nirukta, 10.21

[5]:

Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 7.36.2; Also vide, Ibid., 3.59.5

[6]:

Sāyaṇācārya, Ibid., 7.36.2

[7]:

cf., mitrasya carṣaṇīdhṛtoʹvo devasya sānasi/ dyumnaṃ citraśravastamam// Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 3.59.6

[8]:

cf., bruvāṇaḥ stūyamānaḥ śabdaṃ kurvāṇo vā mitraḥ/ prakarṣeṇa sarvaimīyate jñāyate tathā sarvān vṛṣṭipradānena trāyata iti vā mitraḥ sūryaḥ/ janān karṣakādijanān yātayati/ kṛṣyādikarmasu prayatnaṃ kārayati/ Sāyaṇācārya, Ibid., 3.59.1

[9]:

cf., pra sa mitra marto astu prayasvānyasta āditya śikṣati vratena/ na hanyate na jīyate tvoto nainamaṅho aśnotyantito na dūrāt// Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 3.59.2

[10]:

cf., anamīvāsa iḍyāa madanto mitrajñavo varimannā pṛthivyāḥ/ ādityasya vratamupakṣiyanto vayaṃ mitrasya sumatau syāma// Ibid., 3.59.3

[11]:

cf., ayaṃ mitro namasthaḥ suśevo rājā sukṣatro ajaniṣṭa vedhāḥ/ Ibid., 3.59.4

[12]:

Ibid.

[13]:

Taittirīyasaṃhitā, 2.1.8.4

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