My Interpretation of Surya Mantra (RV 1.35.2)

[Guest guest]

Namaste friends,

 

In the next few weeks/months, I want to share with all my independent

interpretations of the vedic mantras for nine planets.

 

Though I am mostly restricting my spiritual writings to

these days and sparing astrology related , I am sending this to

astrology also, as BPHS talks about these mantras in the chapter on

graha shanti.

 

* * *

 

This mantra is a very popular mantra for worshipping Surya (Sun god). It is used

in Navagraha homam and navagraha pooja as a part of Satya Narayana vratam.

Parasara Maharshi (father of Veda Vyasa Maharshi) specified this mantra as a

remedy for any problems related to Sun in the horoscope (see " Brihat Paaraasara

Horaa Saastram " ).

 

My interpretation may be different from what Sayana, Max Muller etc gave.

Especially when it comes to the second line, most scholars have interpreted

" ratha " as chariot and alluded to Sun going around earth on a chariot. I have a

different Vedantic take on it. I know some Sanskrit, but it is the inner

inspiration given by Mother Mahalakshmi that enables to interpret.

 

May erudite scholars ignore me if they find my interpretation faulty!

 

* * *

 

RigVeda 1.35.2

 

AkR^iShNena rajasA vartamAno niveshayannamR^itaM martyaM ca |

hiraNyayena savitA rathenAdevo yAti bhuvanAni pashyan ||

 

vartamAnaH = existing (present)

rajasA = with the light [though rajas is one of the three gunas, it also means

light and energy]

AkR^iShNa = extending till (including) darkness

niveshayan = inhabiting/dwelling in/filling

amR^itaM = the imperishable [brahman, the unmanifested potentiality]

martyaM ca = and the perishable too [all the manifestations of Brahman in this

universe perish]

savitA = the god Savita

hiraNyayena = with the pure/golden essence of Brahman

rathena = with desire/attachment [though ratha normally means a chariot/vehicle,

it also means a desire. The word manoratha " (manah+ratha) comes from it. It

means the desires and wishes of the heart. I prefer this meaning here and not

the normally taken " chariot " .]

yAti = moves into

AdevaH = all beings including gods

pashyan = experiencing [though pashyan basically means " watching " , it also means

considering, perceiving and experiencing]

bhuvanAni = all the worlds and the beings dwelling in it

 

Meaning in Brief:

 

Existing with all the light and the darkness, dwelling in the imperishable

Brahman as well as the perishable creation, Savita, with the pure essence of

Brahman and with the desire that causes movement in it (and results in

creation), moves into all beings including the gods and experiences through them

all the worlds and the beings of this diverse creation.

 

Detailed Commentary:

 

If you study carefully, this verse gives the essence of Vedic philosophy. It

contains the essence of great scriptures such as " Yoga Vaasishtham " and

" BhagavadGita " , sooktas such as Purusha Sooktam and Narayana Sooktam and hymns

such as Ganapathi Atharva Seersham. It is a very important hymn.

 

Savita is the highest form of Surya. He is basically the supreme cosmic being.

He is Atman, the pure spirit that fills the entire universe - the creation as

well as the uncreated. He is the pure light behind all the light and darkness

that we see. Good and bad, gods and demons, pleasure and pain, all such

dualities are but different manifestations of the same Brahman. The ONE Brahman

manifests as the duality and diverse beings.

 

The one Atman, which is but pure light, manifests as duality - as light and

darkness - and fills the entire universe. Savita dwells in Brahman as well as

the entire perishable creation. Everything that has manifested has to perish.

Savita dwells in all - in the imperishable Brahman as well as the perishable

manifestations of Brahman (various worlds, gods, demons and other beings).

 

The ONE pure light of Savita manifests as DIVERSE objects ranging all the way

from pure light to darkness and fills all beings. With the pure and untaintable

essence of Brahman and the movement caused in Brahman due to desire, Savita

enters all the beings including gods. In other words, all the beings are created

from Brahman and the desire/movement in Brahman.

 

Vedanta teaches that Brahman is unmanifested pure consciousness. A part of

Brahman causes movement in Brahman, which becomes a desire and gets fulfilled

immediately. This results in the creation of various beings. The word " ratha "

refers to this. The pure essence of Brahman (hiraNyaya) as well as the desire

that caused a movement of thought in Brahman (ratha) enter all beings. Savita

enters all being as Shiva as well as Shakti!

 

When all the desires come to a halt and the movement of mind stops, all beings

can experience the pure essence of Brahman that has entered them (i.e.

sat-chid-ananda). When the desire is there, there are thoughts and movement of

mind and the beings do not experience the pure essence of Brahman that has

entered them.

 

The hymn says that the pure essence of Brahman (Shiva) and the desire that

causes movement of thought (Shakti) are both aspects of ONE Savita only.

 

Savita enters all the beings with the pure essence and the desire/thought and

experiences the worlds and beings through them. If a person called " Narasimha

Rao " exists, it is actually Savita who exists through him. If a person called

" Narasimha Rao " experiences the entire world - various worlds and beings in

those worlds - it is actually Savita who has entered him that experiences the

entire world through him!! All his thoughts, experiences and actions are

actually those of Savita - the in-dwelling spirit.

 

This is the same as what Ganapathi Atharva Seersham means by " tvameva kevalam

kartAsi... " . This is the same as what Krishna means when he tells Arjuna in

BhagavadGita that it is Krishna who acts through various beings and that the

beings should not be deluded to think that they are doing things.

 

Savita in this hymn is represented as the same supreme cosmic being that is

referred in various other Vedic scriptures!

 

Most authorities have interpreted the second line to mean that Sun goes on a

chariot and watches the entire world. That is a gross interpretation and misses

the subtle and deeper meaning.

 

In fact, when Atman goes on the chariot (ratha) of desire (ratha), it moves and

sees the diverse creation. When the chariot (ratha) stops, then the desire

(ratha) stops and there is no movement of thought. No longer a diverse creation

is perceived and there is only bliss of true being (sat-chid-ananda). Thus, even

the gross chaiot interpretation is a metaphor for the subtle interpretation

given above!

 

This hymn is very important as it covers several important Vedantic concepts:

 

(1) The supreme cosmic being is one, but assumes duality.

(2) The supreme cosmic being enters all the beings with the duality.

(3) The supreme cosmic being experiences through all the beings.

(4) The pure essence of supreme cosmic being enters all the beings and helps

them experience sat-chid-ananda.

(5) The desire (movement of thought) in the supreme cosmic being enters all the

beings and results in movement of thought within them and diverse world

experiences.

 

Best regards,

Narasimha

 

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