Surya

Surya

Surya (सूर्य, sūrya), Ravi (रवि, ravi), or the Sun, is one of the navagrahas: inherently malefic (क्रूर, krūra), but sattvic in nature. Clearly, Surya's maleficence is quite different from that of Shani or Mangala: negativity manifests itself primarily in relationships with people.

Surya is associated with Atman and is responsible for a person's self-image, self-esteem, sense of individuality, overall health, leadership qualities, mental acuity, nobility, generosity, and an influential position in society. Surya is the karaka (significator) of the father, a person in a high position, or a position of authority.

On the physical level, Surya is associated with the spine and eyes.

• Zodiac sign – Leo.
• Deities – Mahadev, Rama.
• Day of the week – Sunday (Ravivar).
• Number – 1.
• Color – bright and clear orange, red.
• Precious stone – ruby ​​weighing at least 2 carats (a high-quality dark red garnet weighing at least 3 carats, or better yet, 5 carats, can be used as a substitute).
• Metal – gold.

The legend of how Surya tempered his fever

Vivasvat (Surya)'s wife was Sanjna, the daughter of Tvashtar, the celestial architect. Sanjna lived with her radiant husband for many years, all the while suffering from the heat emanating from Surya. When it became unbearable, Sanjna created a replacement double, breathing life into her shadow, and went to her father. She told him she could not remain with her husband because of his scorching rays. In response, Tvashtar, driven by a sense of duty, advised his daughter to return to her husband and endure. Sanjna disobeyed. She chose to descend from the heavens to Earth and become a mare. In this form, Sanjna subjected herself to a severe ordeal, subsisting on only dry grass in the hope that this would allow her to withstand Vivasvat's heat.

Meanwhile, Chhaya — Sanjna's shadow, endowed with a life of her own — gave birth to three children for Vivasvat: first Savarni, then Shani, and finally Tapati. Chhaya loved her children more than Sanjna's — Vaivasvat, Yama, and Yami — which enraged Yama. One day, he almost kicked her, and Chhaya, in a fit of rage, cursed the boy. She predicted that his legs would fall off his body.

Frightened, Yama rushed to his father. After listening to his son's story, Surya hastened to soften the curse, declaring that the worms would eat only a little of the flesh of Yama's feet, after which they would fall to the ground. "So the curse will be fulfilled, but your legs will be saved," he reassured the boy.

After that incident, Vivasvat began to suspect that the woman he was living with was not Sanjna at all — what mother would curse her child? Summoning Chhaya, he sternly demanded to know why she didn't treat all her children equally. Receiving no intelligible answer, Surya became terribly angry, and Chhaya, frightened, told him the truth. Vivasvat immediately renounced Chhaya and banished her from his domain, after which he appeared to Tvashtar in anger. He explained why Sanjna had found it so difficult to live with him and offered a solution. When the magnificent luminary agreed to his plan, Tvashtar tied Surya to his mill, which ground up some of his heat and light. From this part of the sunshine, Tvashtar forged a disk for Vishnu, a trident for Shiva, an aerial chariot for Kubera, and a spear for Kartikeya. 

Vivasvat, having cooled down in every sense of the word, went in search of Sanjna, and eventually they reconciled.

Surya’s mantras

Vaidika mantra

om ākṛṣṇena rajasā vartamānoṁ niveśayannamṛtaṁ martyañca |
hiraṇyayena savitā rathenā devo yāti bhuvanāni paśyan |

Tantric mantras

1. om ghṛṇiḥ sūryādityoma |

2. om ghṛṇiḥ sūrya ādityoṁa śrīṁ |

3. om hrāṁ hrīṁ hrauṁ saḥ sūryāya namaḥ |

4. om hrīṁ hrīṁ sūryāya namaḥ |

Nama mantra

om ghṛṇi sūryāya namaḥ |

Puranic mantra

om japākusumasaṅkāṁśa kāśyapeṣeyaṁ mahādyutim |
tamo'riṁ sarvayāpaghnaṁ praṇato'smi divākaram ||

The number of repetitions of the mantra is 7000 times.