Part 26 - The Ādityas

Sūrya is called as Āditya in the Vedic texts.^[1] In the Nirukta, Yāskācārya etymologizes the term alternatively as aditeḥ putram,^[2] i.e. the son of Aditi. The Ādityas are the sons of Aditi. ^[3] They are worshipped in a group in the Vedic literature due to their adherence to some common traits. In the Taittirīyasaṃhitā, the episode of begetting the children by Aditi is mentioned.^[4] At first, Aditi had begot four children, and then, again she had got Mārtaṇḍa, and then, the Vivasvat.

Divergent views are found regarding the names and numbers of the Ādityas. They are somewhere mentioned as six,^[5] viz, Mitra, Aryaman, Bhaga, Varuṇa, Dakṣa and Aṃśa; somewhere as seven^[6] with the inclusion of Sūrya or somewhere as eight^[7] with the Mārtaṇḍa as Aditi brought him after presenting the seven to the gods.^[8] But the list of Taittirīyabrāhmaṇa is quite different from that of the Ṛgveda where Dhātṛ, Indra and Vivasvat are mentioned as Āditya instead of Dakṣa, Sūrya and Mārtaṇḍa.^[9] The Śatapathabrāhmaṇa and some other texts have viewed Ādityas as twelve, identical with the twelve months of the year.^[10]

Some traits are very common among the Ādityas. They are the solar divinities and they are closely connected with the celestial light.^[11] In luminary form, they are worshipped.^[12] The Ādityas keep collected the rain in the heaven in the form of cloud so that they shower the rain in the rainy season.^[13]

The Nirukta states:

ādityaḥ kasmāt/ ādatte rasān/ ādatte bhāsaṃ jyotiṣām/ ādīpto bhāseti vā/ aditeḥ putra iti vā,

i.e.—From what (root) is āditya derived? He takes the fluids, he takes (i.e. eclipses) the light of the luminaries, or he blazes with lustre, or he is the son of Aditi.^[14]

Taking the fluids from the earth, Ādityas again shower it for the growth of the corn or help in the process of generation.

The Ādityas are regarded as the upholders of all the moveable and immoveable things and protectors of the universe:

dhārayanta ādityāso jagatsthā devā viśvasya bhuvanasya gopāḥ/^[15]

They are mentioned as bhūryakṣāḥ for their nature of beholding the innermost of the people and distinguishing capacity of single and doubleminded one.^[16] They are the punisher of the sin,^[17] as well as forgiver too.^[18] They hate the falsehood.^[19] They are mentioned as the friends of the noble worshippers like the birds who protect their young, spreading the wings over.^[20] The Ādityas dismiss the sickness and distress of the devotees.^[21]

Sāyaṇācārya states in the commentary of the relevant passage that the Ādityas remove the illness, enemy, sin, etc., of the devotees:

ādityāḥ amīvāṃ rogam apa sedhata/ asattoʹpagamayata/ sridhaṃ cāpasedhakaṃ śatruṃ ca apa sedhata/ durmatim asmākaṃ duḥkhasya mantāraṃ ca apa sedhata/ api ca he ādityāsaḥ ādityāḥ naḥ asmān aṃhasaḥ pāpāt yuyotama pṛthakkṛruta/^[22]

Partial discussion on the salient traits of the solar divinities under the group of Ādityas is given below, which are not discussed earlier:

Mitra:

The different traits of Mitra as a solar divinity are already narrated in the preceding contexts.

Aryaman:

Frequently in the Vedic texts, Aryaman is worshipped along with the other deities. The friendly aspect of Aryaman, referred to in the Vedic texts,^[23] resembles the Sun-god Mitra. He is worshipped in connection with the marriage ceremony in the Vedic texts.^[24]

In the Tāṇḍyamahābrāhmaṇa, it is clearly stated that Aryaman takes the devayāna path, i.e. the path that lead to the gods:

yamāhuraryyamnaḥ panthā ityeṣavāva devayāna panthāḥ/^[25]

Sāyaṇācārya interpretes the respective passage and states it clearly that Aryaman is Āditya, so he takes the path that leads to the region of the gods.^[26] The path of Aryaman is ruddy one and that is why the deity also looks redish.^[27] The red-coloured Sun of the morning sky is called Aryaman in the Vedic mythology.^[28]

Bhaga:

Bhaga is one of the solar divinities closely connected with Savitṛ.^[29] He is worshipped in his aspect of prosperity. Bhaga means wealth. The deity is addressd as Vidhartṛ, i.e. the supporter of all, and worshipped to bestow wealth.^[30] Yāskācārya in the Nirukta states that his time is prior to sunrise.^[31] In the Atharvaveda, he is invoked as the early Sun overpowering Uṣas.^[32]

Bhaga, i.e. fortune approaches the men likewise the Sun that approaches men with his rising:

janaṃ bhago gacchati/ iti vā vijñāyate/ janaṃ gacchatyāditya udayena/^[33]

Varuṇa:

Varuṇa, the son of Aditi, mentioned with the shining robe and golden mantle,^[34] represents the solar character of the deity. The term varuṇa is derived from the root vṛ, to cover. Varuṇa seems to represent the luminous encompassing sky.^[35]

But Sāyaṇācārya states that Varuṇa is the setting Sun:

astaṃ gacchan sūrya eva varuṅa ityucyate/^[36]

The car of Varuṇa is described as shining like the Sun.^[37] He is called suneyed,^[38] thousand-eyed,^[39] farsighted,^[40] etc., in the Vedic texts. As his rays go everywhere, Varuṇa protects all the beings and abode of all the beings with the rays.^[41] He is mentioned as the lord of order and light in the Vedas.^[42]

The omniscient Varuṇa observes the truth and falsehood of the people:

rājā varuṇo yāti madhye satyānṛte avapaśyañjanānām/^[43]

Being the moral governor, he punishes the people according to their deeds.^[44] It is believed that he binds the sinners with his fetters (pāśa).^[45] His abode is mentioned as golden that is situated in the heaven.^[46]

Dakṣa:

In the Vedic texts, Dakṣa, along with Aditi, is regarded as universal parent^[47] that represent the luminous sky. But, again in another context in the Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, Dakṣa is invoked as the son of Aditi.^[48] Aditi gave birth to Dakṣa; and again, Dakṣa gave birth to Aditi. After that, the entire gods take their birth.

In his Nirukta, Yāskācārya clearing the doubts regarding the birth of these two deities states:

aditirdākṣāyaṇī/… tatkathamupapadyate/ samānajanmānau syātāmiti/ api vā devadharmeṇetaretarajanmānau syātām/ itaretaraprakṛtī/^[49]

According to it, the two deities might have had the same origin, or in accordance with the nature of gods, they might have been born from each other, or they might have derived their characteristics from each other. The Śatapathabrāhmaṇa describes him as Prajāpati, the creator.^[50] In the beginning of the creation, Prajāpati Dakṣa, being desirous of offspring, sacrificed with the sacrifice, which is called Dākṣāyaṇa sacrifice.

Aṃśa:

The solar god Aṃśa has less importance among the Vedic deities. He is almost synonymous with Bhaga which expresses the meaning concrete sense of share, portion and that of apportioner.^[51]

Sūrya:

The salient traits of Sūrya are already narrated in the preceding pages.

Mārtaṇḍa:

Mārtaṇḍa is said as born from a dead egg that was thrown away by Aditi.^[52]

The birth episode of Mārtaṇḍa is stated more clearly by Sāyaṇācārya in his interpretation on the respective passage:

atha prajāyai prāṇināmutpattaye mṛtyave teṣāṃ maraṇāya mārtāṇḍaṃ mṛtāt vyṛddhādaṇḍājjātaṃ mārtāṇḍanāmānaṃ sūryaṃ punaḥ ābharat āharat/^[53]

He is regarded as the eighth Āditya.^[54] Macdonnell, in his Vedic Mythology, mentions him as the representative of the setting Sun.^[55]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

cf., sūryamāditeyam/ Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 10.88.11

[2]:

Nirukta, 2.13

[3]:

cf. aṣṭau putrāso aditerye jātāstanvaspari/ devāñ upa praitsaptabhiḥ parā mārtāṇḍamāsyat// Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 10.72.8

[4]:

cf., aditiḥ putrakāmā… tasyai catvāra ādityā ajāyanta… vyṛddhamāṇḍamajāyata sāʹʹdityebhya eva…

[5]:

cf., imā gira ādityebhyo ghṛtasnūḥ sanādrājabhyo juhvā juhomi/ śṛṇotu mitro aryamā bhago nastuvijāto varuṇo dakṣo aṃśaḥ// Ibid., 2.27.1

[6]:

cf., sapta diśo nānāsūryāḥ sapta hotāra ṛtvijaḥ/ devā ādityā ye sapta tebhiḥ somābhi rakṣa na

[7]:

Vide. Ibid.,10.72.8, Atharvavedasaṃhitā, 8.9.21; Taittirīyabrāhmaṇa, 1.1.9.1

[8]:

cf., saptabhiḥ putrairaditirupa praitpūrvyaṃ yugam/prajāyai mṛtyave tvatpunarmārtāṇḍamābharat//

[9]:

Taittirīyabrāhmaṇa, 1.1.9.1-3

[10]:

cf., vyācaṃ mithunaṃ samabhavatsa dvādaśa drapsāngarbhyabhavatte dvādaśādityāʹsṛjyanta tāndivyupādadhāt/ Śatapathabrāhmaṇa, 6.1.2.8

[11]:

Vide, Srivastava, V.C., Sun-worship in Ancient India, p.116

[12]:

cf., imaṃ stomaṃ sakravato me adya mitro aryamā varuṇo jupanta/ ādityāsaḥ śucayo dhārapūtā avṛjinā anavadyā ariṣṭāḥ// Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 2.27.2

[13]:

cf., dhārayanta ādityāso jagatsthā devā viśvasya bhuvanasya gopāḥ/ dīrghādhiyo rakṣamāṇā asuryamṛtāvānaścayamānā ṛṇāni// Ibid., 2.27.4

[14]:

Sarup, L., Op cit., p. 29

[15]:

Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 2.27.4

[16]:

cf., ta ādityāsa uravo gabhīrā adabdhāso dipsanto bhūryakṣāḥ/ antaḥ paśyanti vṛjinota sādhu sarvaṃ

[17]:

cf., mitrastanno varuṇo māmahanta śarma tokāya tanayāya gopāḥ/mā vo bhujemānyajātameno mā

[18]:

cf., adite mitra varuṇota mṛla yadvo vayaṃ cakṛmā kaścidāgaḥ/urvaśyāmabhayaṃ jyotirindra mā no dīrghā abhi naśantamisrāḥ// Ibid., 2.27.14

[19]:

cf., ime cetāro anṛtasya bhūrermitro aryamā varuṇo hi santi/ ima ṛtasya vāvṛdhurduroṇe śagmāsaḥ putrāḥ aditeradabdhāḥ// Ibid., 7.60.5

[20]:

cf., vidā devā ādhānāmādityāso apākṛtim/ pakṣā vayo yathopari vyasme śarma yacchatānehaso va ūtayaḥ suūtayo va ūtayaḥ// Ibid., 8.47.2

[21]:

cf., apāmīvāmapa sridhamapa sedhata durmatim/ ādityāso yuyotanā no aṃhasaḥ// Ibid., 8.18.10

[22]:

Sāyaṇācārya, Ibid.

[23]:

cf., aryamyaṃ varuṇa mitryaṃ vā sakhāyaṃ vā sadamidbhrātaraṃ vā/veśaṃ vā nityaṃ varuṇāraṇaṃ vā yatsīmāgaścakṛmā śiśrathastat// Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 5,85.7

vaṣaṭ te pūṣannasminsūtāvaryamā hotā kṛṇotu vedhāḥ/ sisratāṃ nāryṛtaprajātā vi parvāṇi jihatāṃ sūtavā u// Atharvavedasaṃhitā, 1.11.1

[24]:

cf., tvamaryamā bhavasi yatkanīnāṃ nāma svadhāvanguhyaṃ vibharṣi/ añjanti mitraṃ sudhitaṃ na gobhiryaddampatī samanasā kṛṇoṣi// Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 5.3.2

somajuṣṭaṃ brahmajuṣṭamaryamṇā saṃbhṛtaṃ bhagam/ dhātuardevasya satyena kṛṇomi pativedanam// Atharvavedasaṃhitā, 2.36.2

[25]:

Tāṇḍyamahābrāhmaṇa, 25.12.3

[26]:

cf., yadi aryyamnaḥ ādityamūrttibhedasya panthā aryamityāhuḥ/ sa eṣa eva khalu devayānaḥ panthāḥ/ Sāyaṇācārya, Ibid.

[27]:

cf., tasmādeṣoʹruṇatama iva diva upadṛśeʹruṇatama iva hi panthāḥ/ Tāṇḍyamahābrāhmaṇa, 25.12.5

[28]:

cf., devayānamārgasyārcirādityarūpatvāttena gatopyaryamā aruṇatamo divi dṛśyate prātaḥkālīna ādityoryyamā soʹruṇatamo bhavati/ Sāyaṇācārya, Ibid.

[29]:

Vide, Macdonell, A.A., Op cit., p.45

[30]:

cf., prātarjitaṃ bhagamugraṃ huvema vayaṃ putramaditeryo vidhartā/ ādhraścidyaṃ manyamānasturaścidrājā cidyaṃ bhagaṃ bhakṣītyāha// Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 7.41.2

[31]:

cf., bhago vyākhyātaḥ/ tasya kālaḥ prāgutsarpaṇāt/ Nirukta, 12.13

[32]:

cf., samaddhvarāyoṣaso namanta dadhikrāveva śucaye padāya/arvācīnaṃ vasuvidaṃ bhagaṃ me rathamivāśvā vājina ā vahantu// Atharvavedasaṃhitā, 3.16.6

[33]:

Nirukta, 12.13

[34]:

cf., bibhradradrāpiṃ hiraṇyayaṃ varuṇo vasta nirṇijam/ pari spaśo ni ṣedire// Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 1.25.13

[35]:

Vide, Keith, A. B., The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upaniṣads, Part-I, pp. 96-98

[36]:

Sāyaṇācārya on Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 7.87.1

[37]:

cf., ratho vāṃ mitrāvaruṇā dīrghāpsāḥ syūmagabhastiḥ sūro nādyout/ Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 1.122.15

[38]:

cf., bahavaḥ sūracakṣasoʹgnijihvāḥ ṛtāvṛdhaḥ/ Ibid., 7.66.10

[39]:

cf., ā caṣṭa āsāṃ pātho nadīnāṃ varuṇa ugraḥ sahasracakṣāḥ/ Ibid., 7.34.10

[40]:

cf., kadā kṣatraśriyaṃ naramā varuṇaṃ karāmahe/ mṛlīkāyorucakṣasam// Ibid., 1.25.5

[41]:

cf., yo dhītā manuṣyāṇāṃ paśavo gāiva rakṣati nabhantāmanyake same/ Ibid., 8.41.1

[42]:

cf., ṛtena yāvṛtāvṛdhāvṛtasya jyotiṣaspatī/ tā mitrāvaruṇā huve// Ibid., 1.23.5

[43]:

Ibid., 7.49.3

[44]:

cf., pṛcche tadeno varuṇo didṛkṣūpo emi cikituṣo vipṛccham/ samānaminme kavayaścidāhurayaṃ ha tubhyaṃ varuṇo hṛṇīte// kimāga āsa varuṇa jyeṣṭhaṃ yatsrotāraṃ jighāṃsasi sakhāyam/pra tanme

[45]:

cf., uduttamaṃ varuṇa pāśamasmadavādhamaṃ vi madhyamaṃ śrathāya/ Ibid., 1.24.15 uduttamaṃ mumugdhi no vi pāśaṃ madhyamaṃ cṛta/ avādhamāni jīvase// Ibid., 1.25.21

[46]:

cf., adarśi gātururave varīyasī panthā ṛtasya samayaṃsta raśmibhiścakṣurbhagasya raśmibhiḥ/ dyukṣaṃ mitrasya sādanamaryyamṇo varuṇasya ca// Ibid., 1.136.2

[47]:

cf., asacca sacca parame vyomandakṣasya janmannaditerupasthe/ Ibid., 10.5.7

[48]:

cf., aditerdakṣoʹjāyata dakṣādvaditiḥ pari// aditirhyajaniṣṭa dakṣa yā duhitā tava/ tāṃ devā anvajāyanta

[49]:

Nirukta, 11.23

[50]:

cf., prajāpatirha vāʹetenāgre yajñeneje/ prajākāmo bahuḥ prajayā paśrubhiḥ syā śriyaṃ jñeyaṃ yaśaḥ

[51]:

Vide, Macdonell, A.A., Op cit., p.46

[52]:

cf., saptabhiḥ putrairaditirupa praitpūrvyaṃ yugam/ prajāyai mṛtyave tvatpunarmārtāṇḍamābharat// Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 10.72.9

[53]:

Sāyaṇācārya, Ibid.

[54]:

cf., aṣṭamaṃ putraṃ mārtāṇḍaṃ sūryam/ Ibid., 10.72.8

[55]:

Vide, Macdonell, A.A., Op cit., p. 44