Surya Upasana
'Upasana' in Sanskrit literally means
"Sitting near" but normally the term is used in Hinduism to denote a
prescribed method for approaching a Deity or God or getting close to a deity.
This means a method of prayer.
Praying to the Sun leads to a healthy life.
The name
“Surya” means the one who leads us in the right path.
सूर्यः सुष्ष्टु ईरयति पेरयतीति
सूर्यः ॥ sūryaḥ suṣṣṭu īrayati perayatīti sūryaḥ ||
The following verse is found in Mahabharata.
Samavarana, a king was getting married to Tapati, the daugther of Surya.
Vashishta prays to Surya with the following verse. This verse is chanted
towards the end of Sandhyavandanam as Suryanarayana Vandhanam.
नमः
सवित्रे जगतेक चच्क्षुषे जगत् प्रसूति स्थितिनाश हेतवे।त्रयीमयाय त्रिगुणात्मधारिणे विरिंचि नरायण शंकरात्मने॥
आरोग्यं भास्करादिच्छेत्॥
namaḥ savitre jagateka cackṣuṣe jagat prasūti sthitināśa hetave |
trayīmayāya triguṇātmadhāriṇe viriṁci narāyaṇa śaṁkarātmane ||
ārogyaṁ bhāskarādicchet ||
Savitha denotes the one who creates. Srushti
karta is Savitha. The sloka starts with namaḥ savitre. Our
lives are supported by the Sun. The Sun is the creator of life forms in earth.
jagateka cackṣuṣe — Eyes of this universe, all
devas and humans.
jagat prasūti sthitināśa hetave — One who
manifests, sustains and resolves this universe.
trayīmayāya triguṇātmadhāriṇe viriṁci narāyaṇa śaṁkarātmane — One who is in the
form of three veda and atma svarupam of brahma, vishnu and
siva.
Interpretation of this verse as per advaita vedanta
will lead to brahman who is atma svarupam of Isvara and jiva.
We pray to the Sun as a form of saguna upasana.
Surya vandhanam leads to a healthy heart and one
lives a long life, free from all skin diseases.
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Ref: Talks by Sri Manjakkudi Rajagopala Sastrigal in Tamil