Harnessing the radiance of the sun

The Uttarayana punyakala  has just begun. This marks both the  birthday  and the northward  journey of surya,  the Sun God as the seasons change from the dark, cold winter to the harvest season and spring and summer. Known variously as Aditya, Ravi, Diwakar, and Surya, sun is believed to travel on his chariot drawn by seven horses and is considered the visible manifestation of Brahman itself.

 A popular mantra in praise of Surya, the son of Sage Kashyapa and Aditi, describes his red orange hue much alike the hibiscus flower, his radiance, his ability to dispel darkness, and wash away the sins of those who sincerely worship him  besides imbuing them with strength and energy.

Incidentally when Sanjana, daughter of the celestial architect Viswakarma  and the wife of Surya found his light and brilliance too  intense she confided in her father who  used his celestial lathe to scrape off some of Surya’s  body to mute the brilliance and repurposed the scrapings to fashion an array of weapons: the Sudarshan chakra (Vishnu’s weapon ) Shiva’s trident, the vel or spear that Karthikeya wields etc.

 Surya is deemed a star in astronomy while according to Vedic astrology he is a very important planet due to his position in the centre of the solar system.

The number seven holds great significance for Surya. The seven horses of his chariot stand for the seven days of the week  (Sunday being his day) and also the seven colours of the rainbow.

What’s more, the seven different rays that emanate from him gave rise to and shed light on the Moon, and planets such as Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and Mars.

The 12 wheels of his chariot represent the 12 signs of the Zodiac.

That Surya is the giver of energy is clearly mentioned in the episode in the Valmiki Ramayana  wherein an exhausted Rama  during the battle with Ravana was given the Aditya Hridayam stotra by Sage Agastya. Rama chanted it thrice over and emerged victorious.

The Sun’s healing properties can be gauged from a study of chromotherapy. The Surya Namaskar, a yogasana  most practitioners  will endorse is considered a great energiser, a beautiful way to supplicate before Surya and express gratitude for all his blessings.