The Surya Gayatri Mantra or the Aditya Gayatri (Gayatri for sun) or Suriya Mantra is a powerful meditation or prayer chants dedicated to Lord Surya, the Sun God of the Hindus. The Suriya Mantra is deemed to be one of the first and the supreme mantras among the Gayatri mantras devoted to various Hindu deities.
The Surya Gayatri Mantra first emerged in the ancient Hindu sacred scriptures and hymns, the Rig Veda, written in the Vedic language during the Vedic period. The supreme mantra addresses the Sun God (Surya) and is highly regarded to be one of the oldest and the most powerful mantras in Hinduism.
Hindu devotees chant or meditate on the Aditya Gayatri Mantra to worship and glorify Lord Surya, the divine lord of the light who is also the creator of the universe and the source of all life on earth. The Sun God is considered a loving and merciful God who loves and protects everyone who devoutly prays and calls upon the solar deity.
By meditating on the Surya Gayatri Mantra, we invoke the Sun God who can ensure perfect health, vitality, happiness, wealth, success, strength, and powerfully aids in warding off destructive spirits. With the grace of the Lord Surya, we get all the beneficial characteristics of the sun and also receive protection against evil entities.
Chanting the supreme Gayatri Mantra in devotion to Lord Surya is believed to have divine healing powers and purify our minds. The Aditya Gayatri mantra helps by providing us with excellent health and strength and heals many skin and eye diseases.
If we meditate on the Suriya Mantra daily, Lord Surya is believed to bless us with immense courage, enhanced knowledge, and intellectual skills, happiness, fame, and prosperity. The Surya Gayatri Mantra benefits are many. The mantra also has the power to eliminate all the malefic energies of the planet sun in our astrological chart as the Sun rules and presides over the nine planets (Navagraha).
Who Exactly is Lord Surya?
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Surya is the son of Aditi, who belonged to a family of solar deities. Others believe that Lord Surya is the son of Aditi and Kasyapa, who was a Vedic sage. According to some myths, Lord Surya was a descendant of Dyaus (Sky), while some maintain that Surya was the son of Lord Brahma.
The Rig Veda describes Lord Surya as the eye of Mitra, Varuna, Agni, Bull, and Bird. Surya is also believed to have been born since the inception of the Varaha Kalpa from the eyes of Virat Purusha.
Some proclaimed that Lord Surya is the heart and the soul of the Gayatri (for sun); Surya emerges as the Rig Veda at sunrise, Yajur Veda during the daytime and the Sama Veda at sunset. According to some myths, Lord Surya is Brahma at dawn, Vishnu during the day time and Siva at night time.
Alternative names of Lord Surya
Lord Surya has several alternative names and titles which include Savitri or Aditya, Surya Bhagwan or Surya Devata. Lord Surya’s name first appeared in the Rigveda in the supreme Gayatri Mantra recited from the Vedas as an invocation prayer devoted to the supreme deity.
Surya (sun) became the principal cosmic deity during the Vedic period and was known as Aditya. Lord Surya embodies all of the Adityas. Surya is also known as Savitri in the Vedic texts.
Lord Surya is also known as Vivasvat (the brilliant), Savitr (the nourisher), Bhaskara (the light-maker), Dinakara (the day-maker), Lokacaksuh (the eye of the world), Graharaja (the king of the planets), and Sahasra-Kirana (1,000 rays).
The Sun also has names like Pratyaksha Devata (God who is visible to naked eyes), Ravi, Dinkar, Bhaskar, etc.
Image of Lord Surya
Lord Surya is usually pictured sitting on a golden chariot riding across the sky and fighting the demon of darkness, drawn by seven horses and driven by Aruna (Brother of Garuda), who personifies Dawn.
In some forms, the Sun God is portrayed riding on a chariot drawn by a single horse with seven heads. Lord Surya is also depicted riding a horse and holding a big sword to show the image of the deity fighting off the evil demons each day.
Lord Surya often appears with one head wearing a jewelled crown and with four arms. In one hand, the Hindu Sun God holds a lotus flower, on the one hand, a spinning wheel or swastika (solar symbol) and a conch shell on the other.
Lord Surya as a significant God in Hinduism
Lord Surya is an important God and is referred to as the Sun (Surya) by the Hindus. The Hindus consider Lord Surya as the creator and the life-giving planet in the universe. Surya is believed to be the centre and the chief solar deity among the Navagraha (nine planets) and an essential element in Hindu astrology. The Hindu sun god rules and controls the influence of the zodiac system and removes all the malefic influences in a horoscope.
There are various Hindu festivals dedicated to Lord Surya such as Pongal, Chaath, Samba Dashami, Ratha Saptami, etc. These festivals in devotion to the Sun God are still celebrated today in some parts of India and Nepal. Many temples and shrines in India are built to celebrate the Lord of the Sun, the famous one being the Konarak Temple in Orissa.
The Seven Horses as the Vehicle (Vahana) of Lord Surya Explained
Lord Surya rides on a golden chariot drawn by seven horses which represent the seven colors of a rainbow or the seven wheels (chakras) in the body.
The names of the seven horses of Lord Surya include;
Jaya: grants excellent mental and physical health.
Ajaya: bequeaths knowledge, kindness, and self-understanding.
Vijaya: grants spirituality, reasoning abilities, and insatiable reading powers.
Jita Prana: gives a logical mindset and profound reasoning skills.
Jita Krama: instills restraint and discipline.
Manojapa: teaches dedication and sincerity which leads one to seek the path of Truth.
Jita Krodha: grants artistic taste in fine arts and allow a person to appreciate beauty.
The seven horses of the Sun God signify the seven rays:
Susumna: This ray is similar to the illumination of a thousand rays. The Susumna ray provides life to Chandra (moon) and the Amruta supplied by the full moon gives happiness.
Surandana: The Moon is believed to have originated out of this ray.
Udanvasu: This ray led to the creation of the Mangal (Mars). The Udanvasu ray gives power, success, and wisdom.
Vishwa karma: The Budha (Mercury) emerged from this ray. The ray grants comfort and eliminate all anxieties in a person’s life.
Udavasu: This ray led to the creation of Guru (Jupiter). The Udavasu ray gives happiness and freedom to all people.
Vishwa Vyasa: Shukra (Venus) and Shani (Saturn) arose out of this ray. This ray grants male virility and longevity.
Harikesha: The stars (Nakshatra) in the sky are believed to have originated from this ray.
How to Chant the Surya Gayatri Mantra?
The Hindus strongly believe that a person should strictly adhere to the specific instructions and teachings of a Guru before chanting or meditating on the Surya Gayatri Mantras. To start meditating on this mantra, one should sit in a comfortable and relaxed position facing the East, breathe freely and allow the Sun God (Surya) to intensify our soul.
Anyone, irrespective of all ages or genders can meditate on the powerful mantra.
Some of the necessary procedures that one must follow before chanting or meditating on the Surya Gayatri Mantra are:
- Start reciting the Surya Gayatri Mantra at sunrise, or during Brahma Muhurta or Surya Hora of the day.
- Begin by meditating on the Suriya mantra four times every Sunday during Shukla Paksha or Sapthami Thithi days, or Makar Sankranti or Rakha Sapthami days. Repeat the procedure each Sunday.
- Recite the Surya Gayatri mantras on any Sundays and Sapthami Thithi days if one is unable to chant the mantra regularly.
- Chant the Surya Gayatri Mantra thrice each day for forty-eight days with full devotion.
- Use rosary beads (Japa Mala) to meditate on the Surya Gayatri Mantra and repeat it for 9, 27, 54, 108, or 1,008 times each day.
- Always take a bath or wash the hands and feet properly before reciting the mantra.
- Sit on a red cloth and face the direction of the East of the Puja room before chanting the mantra.
- Worship the Sun God by looking at a picture of Lord Surya or look up at the sun in the sky and chant the mantra.
- Give sweet Prasads made out of wheat and offer lotus or hibiscus to Lord Surya before chanting the mantra.
- Light a Diya preferably with ghee.
- Allow the body to relax. Inhale openly and let the muscles and the back of the neck to relax and stiffen.
- Commit to the Sun God (Lord Surya) and feel the positive energy of the universe.
Given below is the Surya Gayatri Mantra or the Aditya Gayatri Mantra (Gayaytri for sun):
“Aum Aswa Dhwajaya Vidhmahe
Pasa Hasthaya Dheemahe
Thanno Surya Prachodayath“.
Surya Gayatri Mantra Meaning in English
The translation and the meaning of the Surya Gayatri Mantras in English:
“Aum, enable me to meditate on the Sun God who bears a horse flag,
Oh God, the one who holds the noose in his hands, grant me a higher understanding
And allow the Lord of the Sun to light up my mind.“
What are the Remarkable Benefits of the Surya Gayatri Mantra?
Meditating on the Surya Gayatri Mantra in allegiance to Lord Surya is considered to deliver several positive results to our life. The Surya Gayatri Mantra benefits are plenty. The Hindus believe that Lord Surya grants many blessings to anyone who recites the Surya Gayatri Mantras daily.
The principal Gayatri mantra helps us to accomplish the purposes in our lives as Lord Surya provides life and energy and controls our heart and our soul. The supreme mantra also has the potential to bless a person with sons.
The Surya Gayatri Mantra is chiefly beneficial for farmers and agronomists. Being the chief deity of the nine solar planets, Lord Surya (sun) dominates over the seasons. Lord Surya has the divine power to bless farmers with a bountiful harvest.
Some of the miraculous Surya Gayatri Mantra benefits are as follows:
- It brings comfort, good fortune, and success to one who chants the mantra. We can benefit a lot by chanting the Suriya Mantra as we can obtain wealth, success and recognition.
- The Surya Gayatri Mantra endows a person with enhanced mental and physical health and energy. The Surya Gayatri Mantra can help in curing severe skin diseases and other health ailments. The Suriya Gayatri Mantra benefits those suffering from poor eyesight and helps in curing eye diseases. The Suriya Mantra is believed to improve one’s eyesight.
- It gives us great courage and determination to face the odds of life. We can gain power and leadership by chanting the Suriya Mantra.
- It bestows us with higher intellect and wisdom and helps us to attain a more elevated position or status in many fields. The mantra helps in enhancing our knowledge and intellectual skills.
- The Surya Gayatri Mantra can strengthen our inborn spirituality.
- It enables us to express positively through persuasive and eloquent speech.
- It helps to cleanse our minds of malice and jealousy.
- The mantra helps to enhance the potency in males.
- Chanting the Surya Gayatri Mantra helps to eliminate all the negative impacts including Pithur Dosa (dosa from ancestors) and Navagraha Dosa (malefic planets).
Surya Gayatri Mantra on Youtube:
You can watch an amazing video which will show you how to chant Surya Gayatri Mantra below:
(Surya Gayatri Mantra Youtube Guide)
Final Thoughts
The Surya Gayatri Mantra thus can help us to achieve happiness and peace from within followed by increased energy and capability, sound health, riches, fame, intelligence, courage, and determination.
By meditating on the Suriya Mantra, we invoke the Lord of the Sun, who has the power to cure severe diseases and who protect us against witchcraft and other ominous spirits that may affect us significantly.
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