Vedic influence on the Sun-worship in the Puranas
by Goswami Mitali | 2018 | 68,171 words
This page relates ‘Sun-worship Vratas (4) Adityavaranakta-vrata’ 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 “Rituals Related to the Sun-Worship in the Puranas”.
Sun-worship Vratas (4) Ādityavāranakta-vrata
The Ādityavāranaktavrata is observed on the Sunday remaining nakta. If it falls on the Hastā constellation, the worshipper should remain ekabhakta on Saturday:
yadā hastena saṃyuktamādityasya ca vāsaram/
tadā śanidine kuryādekabhaktaṃ vimatsaraḥ/[1]
After feeding the Brāhmaṇas on the Sunday night, he draws a twelve-petalled Lotus on the ground with red Sandalwood paste and one by one, the Sun-gods are placed thereon. After that, arghyas are offered to the flowers with Tila, Sandal, red flower, etc., with the recitation of mantra: kālātmā sarvabhūtātmā, etc.[2] The vrata lasts for a year. The worshipper observing this vrata becomes free from all sins and goes to the region of the Sun after death.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Matsyapurāṇa, 97.4
[2]:
Ibid., 97.11,12