Essentials of Hinduism - Taittariya Aranyaka

Essentials of Hinduism

Taittariya Aranyaka – Surya Namaskara

Surya Namaskara (Prostrations to the Surya God) is part of the Krishna Yajur Veda, TAITTARIYA Aranyaka but is discussed here along with the other Suktas under the Samhita in order to consolidate all Suktas and Hymns together in one location.

The opening part is a collection of Hymns on Surya referred to also as Aruna after the Seers of the Book, the Arunas; some of the verses are part of the Rig Veda. More popularly known as Surya Namaskaras, these are recited for the special propitiation of the Surya, particularly on Sundays, birthdays of the individual or special religious functions, together with 132 Prostrations (lay the entire Body flat on the ground 132 times), each set of Mantra Recitations followed by a Prostration. The Prostrations have also inspired some modern adaptations, oriented to a course of physical exercise.

Verses on the Sun from the Rig Veda, including the Gayatri and the Cosmogonic (relating to the Creation of the Universe) Hymn, are drawn upon. The Waters, and Time as represented by the seasons, year, day, and night, the atmospheric phenomena of light, cloud, thunder, etc., philosophy of the Brahman, all these which makes long Hymn comprehensive are pressed into service for the Glorification of the Surya God.

Now the meaning of the Hymns of Surya Namaskaras in a condensed format:

O Gods! May we hear only auspicious things with our ears; May we see only auspicious things with our eyes; with our limbs and body firm and singing your praises, may we attain the God-given length of life. May Indra endow us with well-being; may the nourishing Omniscient Sun endow me with well-being; may the wheel of Safety (Sun) which fleets across the sky endow me with well-being; may the Lord of Prayer, Brihaspati, endow us with well-being. The wonderful army of the Gods has risen to fight the darkness, the Mitra, Varuna and Agni, pervading all over the Heaven, Earth and Ether, the Sun who is the Soul of all that moves and stands still.

Time elements abide in the waters; the waters are laid up in the Sun; for the waters seek the cloud and the lightning is laid up in the Sun, both these worlds are bright (with the Sun’s light), this Earth and Heaven; what is the Being in between these two by which these two are held? It is the all-pervading Lord (Sun) that holds these two worlds; Vital air, they say, is His strength; His power is from His own imperishable form; by virtue of the Heaven in which, with His three parts the Supreme Being abides, that which is the all-pervading Lord’s one highest form, by that does the god (Sun) support. The beings die and again die, being eaten by their own acts, verily like worms that are crushed; then the rays of the Sun purify them.

We seek the cure and prevention of ills (that are and are to be) so that we may proceed to the sacrifice, proceed to the Sacrificer; may there be divine well-being for us; well-being for men; may we have the healing medicine in the future also; weal (Prosperity) to our men, weal to our

animals. He who rises blazing, He rises taking the lives of all the beings. O Sun, not of my offspring, not of my cattle, not of me thou take the life as you rise. May I be in the place of the Sun of eight forms and shine forth with the effulgence of the Vasus, Rudras and Adityas. May I be in the place of and shine forth with the luster of those who are good and truthful.

With eight courts around the nine gates is this City of Gods (the body); in it is a golden treasury; whoever knows this city of Brahman, he will get immortality; This invincible golden city, glowing like gold and wrapt in glory, the Creator has entered. He who knows this becomes rid of old age, ailment or death and reaches (the Brahman) and returns not; he continues here as well as in the hereafter among the gods.

O Gods! What offence to the gods we might have, from that free me; the falsehood that we have uttered with our mouth, in our desire to earn livelihood, free me; that debt which I have incurred here and have not paid back, that debt, by your Grace, let me pay it back in this life itself.

O Gods! Whatever food we ate by committing falsehood, by proposing to give back a thing and not giving it back, whatever is sin in the eyes of Gods, whatever we have received from the unworthy, from all that may Agni free me.

That benevolent (kind) Eye of the Gods (the Sun) that moves brightly in the East, may we be seeing it for a hundred autumns; (by the Grace of that Sun), may we live for a hundred autumns; may we rejoice for a hundred autumns; may we enjoy for a hundred autumns; may we hear for a hundred autumns; may we speak for a hundred autumns; may we be unvanquished (not conquered) for a hundred autumns; may we be seeing the Sun for a long time.

This article is a snippet from the Book Essentials of Hinduism, Authored by G.S Nilakantan. Hinduism for All is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.