1

www.manblunder.com
DITYA HRDAYAM

rmad Vlmki Rmyaa in Yuddhaka (Chapter VI: Canto 105) reveals ditya Hdaya,
a powerful prayer to Sun god. Lord Rma was thinking about the ongoing battle with Rvaa.
As an incarnation, Rma known for meticulously upholding dharma stra-s, seems visibly
upset about large scale killings in the war. He wanted to end the war at the earliest to save the
lives of the remaining warriors. At that time, sage Agastya had come along with several gods
to meet Rma. Agastya knew what was going on in Rmas mind, and in order to find a
solution, he told Rma to recite a hymn known as ditya Hdaya Stotram.
Why Agastya had chosen to impart ditya Hdaya to Rma is an intriguing question. ditya
Hdaya comprises of various hymns to propitiate Brahm, the god of creation and was placed
in the heart (hdaya) of suns orbit. Since this mantra was placed in the heart of sun, which is
also known as ditya, this hymn is known as ditya Hdaya Stotram. There are thirty one
couplets (all the verses in Rmyaa are in couplets only; there are 24,000 verses in all) in
this Canto out of which ditya Hdaya is revealed from verse four till verse 26. Many texts
contain additions at the end of the main part comprising of 23 couplets. First three verses of
this Canto speak about Agastyas rendezvous with Rma and his address to Him.
What is the importance of sun and why Agastya had chosen to impart mantras praising the
sun? Chndogya Upaniad (I.vi.6) answers this question that lingers in our minds. It says,
There is a deity in within the orbit of the sun, who is seen by the yog-s. His whole body
glitters like gold. He has a bright golden beard and golden hair. Here, the inexplicable
Brahman is conveyed and hence the Upaniad says that the deity in the sun can be seen only
by the yog-s. Yog means a person who is able to unite his individual consciousness with the
Supreme Consciousness. This means that the one who is rid of my and able to realize the
every illuminating Self is adored as a Yog. Agastya says to Rma to worship the Praka
aspect of Brahman, as His full Grandeur cannot be seen at all. This Praka aspect of
Brahman is personified as sun god. Typically speaking, Agastya advises Rma to worship
Brahman to conquer and slay Rvaa. This aspect is explicitly explained in three verses
which say that sun god represents Brahm, Viu, iva, Skanda, Prajpati, Kubera, Kla,
Yama, Soma, Varua, Avin-s, Marut-s, Manu, Vyu and Agni. Most of these gods are
referred in Vedas. The list is not exhaustive; but surely encompasses almost every aspect of
creation, sustenance and death. This goes to prove that the sun god referred here, in fact
refers to every illuminating Brahman or the Self.
There are verses in Vedas comparing sun to Brahman. Ka Yajur Veda Taittirya Sahit
(III.iv.11.6-8) adores sun and these verses form part of Navagraha Skta. These verses go like
this:

2

www.manblunder.com
satyena rajas vartamna niveayannamta martya ca |
hirayayena savit rathena devo yti bhuvan vipayan ||
This verse can be interpreted as follows. All Vedic verses have dual conveyances gross and
subtle. Gross is connected to rituals and subtle is connected to realization of the Self.
He shines with the illumination of the Self within as well as illumination visible to our
biological eyes. He pervades both earth plane and higher plane where gods and goddesses
live. He moves around all these worlds in his gold chariot.
g Veda (I.50.8) also says, O! Self radiant, through your divine spectrum of seven
harnessed to your chariot, you guide all men. Seven mentioned in this verse not only means
VIBGYOR (seven colours associated with seven psychic chakras), but also seven upper
worlds referred in Brahma Gyatr mantra (saptavyhti sahita gyatr mantra).

om bh om bhuva om suva om maha om jana om tapa om satya om
tatsaviturvareya bhargo devasya dhmahi || dhiyo yo na pracodayt || om po jyoti
raso'mta brahma bhrbhuvasvarom ||
The verse says all the seven worlds are only . In other words, these seven worlds represent
seven higher spiritual planes, where the Light of Brahman prevails. This establishes the fact
that Praka of Brahman is omnipresent and this Brahman is described in the form of sun, to
enable us to contemplate Brahman in His illuminating form. How the sun can be compared to
Brahman? Brahman has three main acts, creation, sustenance and destruction. Sun also
creates, sustains and destroys. Sun is the cause for pra, light, water, etc which takes care of
all the three aspects of Brahman.
Therefore, ditya Hdaya Stotram should not be construed merely as a praise of sun god. The
hymn in fact praises the Praka form of Brahman as discussed above. In this short series, we
will discuss ditya Hdaya Stotram.
There are two couplets which do not form part of rmad Vlmki Rmyaa are used as
dhyna verses.

(i)


(ii)

3

www.manblunder.com
jayatu jayatu srya saptalokaikadpa
kiraaamitappa klea dkhasya nam | (i)

aruakiraa gamya di dityamrti
sakala bhuvanavandya bhskara ta nammi || (ii)

This is a prayer to sun god. I pray to the sun god who is capable of destroying our sins, pain,
anguish, disease and distress. Word klea is used in this verse with great diligence.
Patajali in his Yoga Stra (II.3) says:

avidy asmit rga dvea abhiniveh klea |

Meaning: Spiritual ignorance is the major pain bearing obstacle which leads to other four
afflictions such as ego, attachment, aversion and attachment to the physical body.
My is the cause for avidy. Unless one is able to shed the influence of my, realisation of
the Self is not possible. This is the prayer to sun god to remove the effects of my. When
my is shed, klea discussed above is also removed.
Ka also spoke about klea in Bhagavad Gt (XVIII.8). He says, Anyone who gives up
prescribed duties as troublesome or out of fear of bodily discomfort (klea) can never be a
true renouncer and he can never reach any elevated spiritual state. He says that one should
meticulously follow the path of spiritual practices at any cost.
The above two dhyna verses say the following:
Let the sun shine in all the seven worlds (seven worlds were discussed in the introduction to
this series). He is capable of destroying klea by his sheer radiance. I pray to him to remove
spiritual darkness by imparting knowledge about the Self. The verse says that he is the
beginning of the universe, which subtly conveys that the prayer is offered to Brahman, as
Brahman alone exists from the beginning. This is conveyed through di in the verse.
ditya Hdayam








4

www.manblunder.com

tato yuddhaparirnta samare cintay sthitam |
rvaa cgrato dv yuddhya samupasthitam || (1)

daivataica samgamya drumabhygato raam ||
upgamybravd rmam agastyo bhagavn rii || (2)

rma rma mahbho ruu guhya santanam |
yena sarvnarn vatsa samare vijayiyasi || (3)

Meaning:
1. tata - the place where the war takes place; yuddhaparirnta - exhausted due to the war;
samare war; cintay sthitam constantly thinking (about the war); rvaa - Rvaa;
cgrato dv having seen in front; yuddhya samupasthitam well disposed for the battle.
2. daivataica samgamya all gods coming together; drumabhygato raam reached the
war zone to enjoy the battle; upgamybravd rmam on noticing Rma; agastyo bhagavn
rii - the great sage Agastya.
3. rma rma O! Rma! Rma! mahbho long armed (Lord Viu is also known as
Mahbhu because of His long arms); ruu listen; guhya santanam eternal and ancient
secret; yena sarvnarn with which all enemies; vatsa O! Child; samare vijayiyasi can
be won over in the war.
Summary 1 -3:
Sage Agastya had come to the battlefield along with other gods and goddesses to witness the
battle between Rma and Rvaa. The war between Rma and Rvaa signifies the war
between good and evil thoughts. Rmyaa explains how persons with evil thoughts are
ultimately annihilated. Though Rvaa was a great worshiper of iva, he was not spared for
his wicked acts. This also explains that those who are embodiments of evil thoughts would be
annihilated in the same birth. Bountiful evil karmas do not wait for the next birth, but
manifest in the same birth. What is sown has to be reaped in a short span of time. Good
thoughts manifest in the form of spiritual evolution and bad thoughts lead to mental and
physical sufferings. As this is the war between good and bad, all gods and goddess
accompanied Sage Agastya to witness the battle of good vs bad. Similarly, when Viu took
the form of Nsiha (man-lion) and killed Hirayakaipu, all gods and goddesses were
present to witness the latters annihilation.
Agastya called Rma twice; the first one addressed to Rma as the warrior, as the king and
above all, God. The second one addressed to Rma out of love and affection for Him treating
him as a child. In Guru-disciple relationship, even today this attitude exists, though very
rarely. The first Rma in the third verse is connected to mahbho which means mighty
armed. His hands are called mighty because, He has long hands. Viu sustains the universe
5

www.manblunder.com
by upholding dharma and annihilating those who cause imbalance between dharma and a-
dharma. The second usage of Rma is connected to vatsa (child) in the second line of the
third verse. In the third verse, Agastya reminds Rma about the eternal existence of a
secretive mantra to destroy all enemies. Rma as an incarnation will never have enemies, as
Brahman does not discriminate. Enemies here refer to evil acts and Rvaa represents
embodiment of all evil acts and in particular, disrespecting women. As per dharma stra-s,
disesteeming women is considered as one of the greatest sins for which there is no remedy.
Rvaa had gone to the extent of abducting Rmas Consort St Devi.
Rma does not need any help and He knows what is going to happen to Rvaa. But, the
secrecy of ditya Hdayam was made to reveal to the world through Agastya. This expresses
the respect Rma had for great sages and saints. All through His incarnated life, He respected
all His teachers.
The above three verses do not form part of ditya Hdaya Stotram. These verses introduce
Agastya in order to reveal ditya Hdayam to everyone. From the next verse onwards, ditya
Hdaya Stotram is revealed.
ditya Hdaya storam begins from verse 4. The stotra begins differently from commonly
known forms. Generally, benefits of reciting hymns are given at the end as phalaruti. But, in
ditya Hdaya storam, benefit of reciting this stotra is revealed in the first verse itself. This
is done with a specific purpose, as at the end of recitation sun god appears before r Rma
and wishes Him for his victory in the battle. We may wonder why Lord Rma needs sun
gods wishes. Rma is an incarnation and by leading His life as an incarnation, He sets an
example for us to follow. Brahman incarnates at different times, when adharma weighs over
dharma. During incarnations, He not only annihilates adharma, but also imparts several
spiritual teachings to enable us to pursue the path of dharma.
There is also another reason for declaring the benefits of reciting this mantra at the beginning.
When Agastya told r Rma to recite ditya Hdayam three times, He did so with a lot of
devotion and as a result, sun god decided to grant the wishes of r Rma to win the battle
and communicated to Him. When prayers are answered due to devotion, where is the time to
talk about benefits? When god appears before us, will we ever think about anything else?
This was the situation when sun god appeared before r Rma in person (with great
reverence) and wished Him success in the battle.
Possibly we can think of one more reason for this. There was fierce battle going on. Agastya
made sudden appearance in the battle field to reveal the secret of ditya Hdayam. This
secret was revealed in the midst of the battlefield. Hence Agastya in the beginning itself told
Rma about the purpose of his revealing ditya Hdayam to Him. The time was short and the
battle was to be won immediately, as nobody wants further deaths in the battlefield. Had
Rma thought, He could have killed Rvaa in no time. But, as already discussed, Rma is an
incarnation and had set the righteous path for us to follow. Now let us study the intricacies of
this great hymn.
6

www.manblunder.com


dityahdaya puya sarvaatru vinanam |
jayvaha japen nitya akaya parama ivam || (4)



sarvamagala mgalya sarvappa praanam |
cintoka praamana yurvardhanamuttamam || (5)
Meaning:
4. dityahdaya puya - This hymn known as ditya Hdayam is full of auspiciousness
and virtuousness (this is explained further in the summary below); sarvaatru vinanam
capable of eliminating all types of enemies; jayvaha - it is capable of conferring victory;
japen nitya - if recited daily; akaya - every nourishing or un-decaying; parama ivam
highest degree of auspiciousness (which also includes emancipation).
5. sarvamagala mgalya - conferring and exhibiting eternal auspiciousness; sarvappa
all types of sins; praanam annihilation; cintoka praamana - healing all types of
mental afflictions (worries); yurvardhana uttamam gives a long life.
Summary 4 and 5:
Agastya introduces ditya Hdayam to r Rma by saying, dityahdaya puya.
Agastya has very carefully chosen his opening words. He speaks about auspiciousness and
virtuousness. The form of r Rma itself is full of auspiciousness and all His deeds are
highly virtuous in nature. As Rma has liking for this quality and attribute, Agastya
introduces this by saying that the hymn he is going to declare is full of puya.
Agastya begins the next introductory verse by saying sarvamagala mgalya which
means eternal auspiciousness, the stage of nanda, perpetual Bliss. Rma means pleasing and
charming. When one is happy within, enjoying Bliss, the state of happiness is reflected in his
face. Agastya knows very well that Rma is the source of happiness and Bliss. Agastya,
having known that the form of r Rma radiates auspiciousness, chooses his words very
carefully in the second verse. Agastya did not say that this mantra is auspicious. Agastya
takes into account two factors. One, he is going to advise the eternal and all knowing
Brahman who has incarnated in the form of r Rma. That is why Agastya has chosen to use
sarvamagala mgalya. When a word is repeated twice, its importance is highly
stressed. What made Agastya to open this with sarvamagala mgalya, was, when r
Rma was engulfed in deep thought of annihilating Rvaa the next day, Rma has to
seriously listen to him, and the importance of this mantra is to be properly conveyed. (This is
7

www.manblunder.com
known as homonymy in English literature). This is also like first impression is the best
impression. Secondly, Agastya is revealing to Rma about this most auspicious mantra in
the battle field as there is a possibility that this could not be taken seriously, as discussed
earlier. Hence, Agastya has chosen to address Rma the way He likes it.
Agastya did not stop by talking about auspiciousness once. He concludes the first verse by
saying, parama ivam, which means the highest degree of happiness, which is known as
Bliss. Agastya in his introductory verses talks mostly about the auspiciousness, as ditya
Hdayam is full of auspiciousness. Parakti has this kind of auspiciousness. r Dev
Mhatmyam (Chapter 11: verse 10) says:


sarvamagala mgalye ive sarvrtha sdhike |
araye trayambake gauri nryai nam'ostute ||
If we look at this verse, words used by Agastya are used as the opening words of this verse.
Again, this verse conveys auspiciousness one more time by using ive. This is similar to
what Agastya has used in ditya Hdayam. Agastya concluded the fourth verse by saying,
parama ivam and began the next verse by saying, sarvamagala mgalya. In Devi
Dev Mhatmyam too the auspiciousness is conveyed without any words in between. Here
the verse opens with sarvamagala mgalye ive. This attribute also proves that Viu and
Devi are brother and sister.
Verse 4 says, sarvaatru vinanam. Contextually, atru (enemy) refers to Rvaa. This
means that by reciting ditya Hdayam, not only Rvaa be killed, but also his entire
entourage. But in general sarvaatru vinanam subtly conveys the destruction of all internal
enemies such as desire, attachment, ego, etc that work from within. This part of the verse
subtly conveys that, by reciting ditya Hdayam, all types of mental afflictions will be
removed. This prepares the aspirant for higher spiritual attainments. Akaya is the most
important quality of the sun. Akaya means nourishment. But for the sun, the worldly
activities cannot happen. When all mental afflictions are removed and if the body is well
prepared with the help of suns nourishment, victory is attained. Victory refers to conquering
mind after the war within the mind. Agastya says that if one recites ditya Hdayam he can
conquer all his internal and external enemies. External enemies are sensory organs.
Therefore, conquering sensory organs and the mind leads to victory over enemies, who wage
battle against the Descent of Divine Grace (akti pta). On the grosser side, this refers to the
war between r Rma and Rvaa and on the subtler side, it refers to realisation of the Self.
Fifth verse explains further benefits of reciting ditya Hdayam. It annihilates all types of
sins (sarvappa praanam). The question is how sun god can annihilate all types of sins,
which is in violation of Law of Karma. This is not a violation, because when mind is
purified of all types of afflictions and when individual consciousness becomes one with
8

www.manblunder.com
Supreme Consciousness, no further karmas are accrued. By reciting ditya Hdayam daily,
mind gets fixed on Brahman and the aspirant is elevated in his spiritual level to ultimately
become one with the Self. He moves up in the spiritual ladder by reaching the stage of
sthitapraja (firm in judgment and wisdom, calm, contented). Once the stage of sthitapraja is
reached, further progress in spiritual path will happen automatically. He is now freed of all
his mental disturbances, which is conveyed by cintoka praamana. When mind is
purified and body is nourished, one gets a longer and healthier life, which is meant by
yurvardhana uttamam at the end of the fifth verse.
Thus, ditya Hdayam has both gross and subtler meanings. In fact, it is a revelation to
humanity, as r Rma does not need a hymn to annihilate Rvaa. As already discussed,
having born as a human being, and as an incarnation, he lays down the ethical principles of
living. Contextually, He listens to Agastya and by reciting ditya Hdayam thrice, He kills
Rvaa.

()
ramimanta samudyanta devsura namasktam |
pjayasva vivasvanta bhskara bhuvanevaram || (6)
Meaning:
rami rays of light; manta - reflecting (reflecting the rays of Light); samudyanta -
gloriously rising destroying all the boundaries and limitations; deva asura namasktam
worshiped and adored both by gods and demons (asura also means incorporeal); pjayasva
worshiped with earnestness; vivasvanta - the Brilliant one (diffusing Light); bhskara -
illuminating, shining, glittering, bright; bhuvanevaram lord of three worlds (bhuvana -
three worlds; vara also means Supreme Brahman or the Self).
Summary:
This verse can be interpreted both from gross and subtle angles.
Gross interpretation:
This verse says that the sun rises everyday to illuminate the three worlds. Sun god is adored
by all gods and all demons alike. He is the lord of the worlds. The verse also praises the rays
of the sun.
Subtle interpretation:
The verse says that sun reflects the rays of Light. But does not say sun is the cause of the
Light; it only reflects the light. This leads to the conclusion that there is something else that is
9

www.manblunder.com
the source of original Light. What is this original Light? This is explained in various
Upaniad-s.
A number of Upaniad-s talk about this Light.
Bhadraayaka Upaniad (IV.iv.6) says upon that immortal Light of all lights the gods
meditate as longevity. This means that gods meditate on this Supreme Light for their
immortality.
Kaha Upaniad (II.ii.15) explains this further. In the presence of Brahman, the sun does not
shine, nor do the moon and stars, nor does lightning, let alone this fire. When Brahman
shines, everything follows. By Its light, all these are lighted. This is the famous dpa
rdhana mantra:
na tatra sryo bhti na candratraka
nem vidyuto bhnti kutoyamagni
tameva bhntamanubhti sarva
tasya bhs sarvamida vibhti |

Chndogya Upaniad (VIII.iii.4) says, param joyti upasampadyate which means attaining
the highest light. The Upaniad says Then, this person, who is the embodiment of
happiness, emerging from the body and attaining the highest light, assumes his real nature.
This is the Self.
If we go with the interpretations of the above Upaniad-s, it is clear that the sun draws its
light from Brahman, who alone is Self-illuminating. He is also known as Praka, the Light
by which everything else is illuminated. This argument is supported by two other words of
the verse vivasvanta and bhskara. Vivasvat means both Praka and Vimara. It is not
only the original source of Light, but also diffuses the Light. It can be recalled that iva is the
original source of Light or Praka. akti diffuses the Light of iva and hence She is known
as Vimara. But according to this verse, both Praka and Vimara are subtly conveyed and
their unified form is known as Paramaiva. In Paramaiva both Light and reflection of Light
are inherent. Therefore, this verse subtly reveals Brahman, who is often explained as
Paramaiva. It is not only iva, but also akti. Their unified form is known as Paramaiva.
Further, gods and demons are not going to worship sun, as sun is considered only as a planet.
It is said in Rmyaa that Rvaa apprehended all the nine planets which includes the sun
10

www.manblunder.com
and kept them under his custody. Hence it is obvious that what is referred here is not the sun
god, but Brahman. Only Brahman is worshiped by both gods and demons alike. This is
followed by another word pjayasva, which means worshiping with earnestness. It is not just
worship, but it is worship with earnestness. It says that unless Brahman is earnestly
worshiped (contemplated), the darkness of my cannot be removed. If He is worshiped with
earnestness, He removes the darkness of my by His Light. This means through earnest
meditation, Light (the Self or Brahman) can be realized within, which will remove the
darkness and boundaries of my.
The other word that is very important in this verse is bhskara, which refers to the Self-
illuminating aspect of Brahman. Bhskara not only refers to the sun, but also means making
of Light, obviously referring to Brahman. This is explained in Yajur Veda (Taittrya
Sahit) III.iv.11.17 which says,


pra sa mitra marto astu prayasvn yasta ditya ikati vratena |
na hanyate na jyate tvota nainamaho anoti anito na drt ||
The above Veda couplet says, O! Mitra, may the mortal have the pleasant and abundant
offering who ditya seeks to follow your law. Aided by you, he is not slain or oppressed. Sin
or any other afflictions does not come to him, either from near or from afar. The above verse
forms part of sandhyvandana mantras-s. Seeks to follow your law refers to law of Brahman
(Law of Karma also known as Law of the Lord). Aid by you means having obtained His
Grace, in the form of appearance of Light within or realisation of the Self within (tman).
The next part of the verse says that if He is realized, he will not face oppression, accrue
further sin, will not be affected by anything either near or far away. Accrual of sins cease
only if the Self within is realized. In other words, unless one surrenders to Brahman, accrual
of sins cannot be stopped. This truth revealed in all Upaniad-s. This devotee transforms into
a Yog.
Destroying boundaries and limitations on the grosser side mean dawn. On the subtler side, it
talks about my, which always limits spiritual knowledge. It is only due to my, we feel
that our body, which is bound both by organs of perception and action coupled with
antakaraa (mind, intellect, consciousness and ego). Destroying conveys the destruction of
my, which is always compared to darkness and illusion. When my is destroyed, sense
organs antakaraa are subjugated.
Verse six above also says bhuvanevaram. Bhuvana means three words referred in Gyatr
mantra - bh bhuva and suva. If we go by grosser interpretation, it means that the sun
pervades all the three worlds. But in reality, sun does not shine in all the three worlds. Three
loka-s or worlds mean the three stages of consciousness. Bhr means the lower level of
consciousness and lower planes. Bhuvar means the ordinary or normal level of consciousness
11

www.manblunder.com
that is associated with our day to day activities. Svar means higher level of consciousness.
Thus, the three vyhti-s in fact mean the modifications in the level of consciousness. Three
loka-s are also commonly enumerated, viz. heaven, earth, and the atmosphere or lower
regions. Bhr-loka, the earth; Bhuvar-loka the space between the earth and sun inhabited by
sages and saints; Svar-loka, Indra's Heaven above the sun or between it and the polar star.
But sun is restricted only our galaxy known as Milky Way. Sun of our solar system does not
shine in two other worlds described in Gyatr mantra. Bhuvana in the verse is followed by
Ivara, the Supreme Lord or Brahman. Sun is not called Ivara.
Therefore, it is obvious that the verse refers only to Brahman. Agastya advices Rma to
remember His original Brahman form. If Brahman is nirgua, Rma is an incarnation or
sagua form of Brahman. Brahman incarnated in the form of Rma to uphold dharma and
destroy adharma in order to maintain the balance between the two.
The verse subtly conveys that we should meditate on the Self-effulgent Brahman to go past
my and realize Him to stop accumulation of further sins. Unless all our karmas are
exhausted, we are bound to undergo the pains of transmigration.


sarvadevtmako hyea tejasv ramibhvana |
ea devsuragan lokn pti gabhastibhi || (7)




ea brahm ca viuca iva skanda prajpati |
mahendro dhanada klo yama somo hyap pati || (8)


pitaro vasava sdhy hyavinau maruto manu |
vyuvahni praj pra tukarto prabhkara || (9)
Meaning:
7. sarvadevtmaka - comprising of all gods; hyea - that sun god (on account of this sun
god); tejasvi effulgent; (ramibhvana) -> rami rays of light; bhvana - displaying or
manifesting; ea the sun god; (devsuragan) -> deva asura ga - gods, demons and
their troops; lokn the worlds they live; pti lord; gabhastibhi - rays of sun god.
12

www.manblunder.com
8. ea - the sun god; brahm Brahm, the god of creation; Viu - Viu, the protector;
iva - iva, the destroyer; skanda - Krttikeya (leader of iva's troop against the enemies of
the gods and also the sun of iva; prajpati - divinity presiding over procreation, protector of
life and is different from; mahendro Indra, chief of gods; dhanada - Kubera, god for
wealth; klo (kla) -> time (kla has several meaning); yama (Yama) - god of death; somo
(soma) moon god; ap pati - Varua, god presiding over water.
9. pitaro (pitara) forefathers (they represent lineage or kula); vasava - eight benevolent
gods, generally known as aa vasu-s; sdhya - belonging to the gaa-devat-s (they need to
bur propitiated, but occasionally referred in Vedas); avinau avin-s (they are two in
number); maruto maruts (they are considered as storm gods and Indras companions);
manu - Manu, considered as the father of human race; vyuvahni (vyu + vahni) air and
fire; praj pra - procreative pra or the vital force; tukarto six seasons (each tu
consists of two solar months); prabhkara - this sun god.
Summary of 7, 8 and 9:
These three verses go farther from the previous verse (6). Previous verse said that sun is the
lord of three worlds. It was also discussed that sun derives its light from Nirgua Brahman or
Praka, the ever illuminating Light of Brahman. Omnipresence and omnipotence of
Brahman begins from verse 7. These verses say that sun god in an embodiment of all gods.
Having given an introduction in verse 7 that sun god represents all gods, verses 8 and 9
describe individual gods. The names of gods clearly indicate that ditya Hdayam is not a
hymn to sun god, but a hymn on Brahman, as the verse refers and encompasses all gods, who
are described in Vedas.
Verse 8 says that sun god is also Brahm, the creator (the creative aspect of Brahman), Viu,
the protector of the universe and iva, the destroyer of the universe. iva referred here is not
the iva, whose Consort is Lalitmbik. iva and Viu have different roles at different
points of time. By referring to these three God heads, it is clearly established that what is
referred in ditya Hdayam is Brahman. As we know, Sagua Brahman has three gua-s,
sattva, rajas and tamas. Before creation, all these gua-s were in equilibrium. When this state
of equilibrium was disturbed, creation began to unfold and Brahm (tamas), Viu (sattva)
and iva (rajas) became chiefs of three gua-s. From them originated pacabhta-s or five
principle elements and multitude of gods and goddesses to take care of multiple aspects of
creation, sustenance and destruction. Brahm, Viu and iva are together known as
Trimrti. Interestingly as per Sanskrit dictionary, trimrti also refers to the sun. Apart from
Trimrti, there are other gods and god heads referred in verse 8.
Now the question arises as to the need of mentioning so many gods who function under
Trimrti. Possibly, this could have been necessitated to prove beyond ambiguity that
Brahman is referred in ditya Hdayam. That is why, even after having mentioned Trimrti,
these gods and god heads are also referred. Most of these gods are also referred in Vedas.
Vedas, though grossly describe various gods, yet they always convey Brahman in a subtle
manner. Upaniad-s which are considered as the essence of Vedas, describe Brahman as
13

www.manblunder.com
formless, flawless and without attributes. Further, Upaniad-s also reveal Brahman in the
form of Light, which we have discussed in the previous part.
As Vedas frequently talk about these gods and god heads, let us understand more about them.
Brahm, Viu, iva, Indra, Kubera, Yama, Soma, Varua, Pitara, Avin-s, Marut-s,
Manu, Pra, Vyu, Vahni, tu and Prabhkara are some of the gods referred in Vedas.
In the whole of Vedas, Agni (Vahni) is referred more often than any other gods, as Agni is
the carrier of oblations to higher realms. Rig Vedas (I.i.5) says, May Agni, the presenter of
oblation, the attainer of knowledge, he who is true, renowned and divine come here with the
gods.
Vyu is different form Pra and hence, both of them are separately mentioned. Veda says,
namaste vyu, which means I worship you vyu. Similarly, Mahnryaa Upaniad (65)
worships five types of pra-s. This verse forms part of viraj homa mantra-s (performed at
the time attaining sanysa and also during ri Cakra navvaraa pj). The verse says that
by this oblation, let my five pra-s be purified. Hence, it can be observed that vyu, which is
one of the pacabhta-s and pra is the life force.
Yajur Veda classifies Pit-s as one among the several deities. In III.iv.5.3, the Veda says,
pitara pitmah pare'vare tatstatmah iha m'vata. The meaning of this verse is O!
You fathers, grandfathers, you are near and far, O! Great ancestors protect me. In this verse
ancestors are invoked and prayed to protect the invoker.
Indra is yet another god who is worshiped through number of Vedic hymns. Rig Veda
(I.30.13) says, When Indra rejoices with us, may the Divine Powers give strength to us and
may we rejoice endowed with plentiful felicities (please recall our discussions about descent
of Divine Grace, known as aktipta).
Avin-s are two in number and they are known as Avinau (dual number) in Sanskrit. Some
of the texts describe them as two sons of the sun, begotten during suns metamorphosis as a
horse (ava). They are endowed with perpetual youth and handsomeness. They are also
considered as divine physicians and surgeons. They descend from the truth-consciousness
(sat-cit) and ta (ta means enlightened and luminous, probably referring to Bliss or
nanda. If this is construed as nanda, then they refer to the state of saccidnanda. Avin-s
play vital role in purifying our mind before the descent of Divine Grace. (We can discuss
more about Vedic gods, if possible in a separate series).
Varua, according to Vedic interpretations represent dedication. He chooses those who are
highly advanced in their spiritual pursuits and take them to higher virtuous and spiritual
process. He is one of the Vedic gods who impart Truth in the minds of spiritual seekers.
Maruts are invoked with Indra, the chief of gods. Maruts always come in troops and when
they come, they give splendour, courage, valour, etc. Though Varua presides over all water
bodies, it is only Maruts who cause rain bearing clouds (probably working as the medium
14

www.manblunder.com
between Sun and Varua). They are said to be sons of Rudras. They play supportive role in
wars between gods and demons (war refers to war between good and evil thought processes).
Kubera is the chief of yaka-s. He is referred in Vedas (mostly in Atharvaveda) as
Vairavaa. He is referred as Dhandhyak in Lalit Sahasranma 885. Further gods are not
discussed here due to limitation factor.
The above three verses of ditya Hdayam say that sun god represents all these gods. This
goes to prove that sun god is nothing but a minuscule of Praka form of Brahman and
Agastya reminds r Rma to worship Praka aspect of Brahman. This interpretation is
explained in detail in the previous part.



ditya savit srya khaga p gabhastimn |
suvarasado bhnuhirayareto divkara || (10)


haridava sahasrrci saptasaptirmarcimn |
timironmathana ambhustva mrta aumn || (11)


hirayagarbha iirastapano bhskaro ravi |
agnigarbho'dite putra akha iiranana || (12)
Meaning:
10) ditya - son of Aditi (Rig Veda X.88.11 says sryamditeyam); savit
srya - savit means sun and srya also means the sun; Vedas are also identified with srya;
sometimes personified as the divine influence and vivifying power of the sun, while Srya is
the more concrete conception (further discussed in the summary section); khaga - seat of the
sun; p - a Vedic deity, originally connected with the sun; gabhastimn garland
comprising rays of the sun; suvarasada - appearing like gold; bhnu - splendorous
luster; hirayareta - having the shining seed (shining like gold); divkara - the maker of the
day (due to light);
15

www.manblunder.com
11) haridava - green colored horses (hari refers to different colours such as red, yellow and
green); ssahasrrci - thousands of rays; sapta sapti - seven horses; marcimn radiant
because of the rays; timironmathana - dispelling darkness; ambhu causing happiness;
tva creator of beings and the one who builds higher cosmic planes (a Vedic deity);
mrta the sun (literally it means apparently sprung from a lifeless egg'); aumn the
halo of the sun.
12) hirayagarbha - the golden egg, splendiferous as the sun (also mean the first of
creation); iira - cool, chilly, cold; tapana warming, burning; bhskara - making light;
ravi - the sun god (sometimes interpreted as the Creator); agnigarbha pregnant with fire or
Agni (subtly conveys that fire originated from the sun); aditi putra - son of Aditi; akha -
akha refers to conch; but contextually refers to fear due to spiritual ignorance; iira
nana - destruction through mythical weapon (may be referring to the dawn of spiritual
knowledge).
Summary of verses 10, 11 and 12:
After having established the supremacy of the sun and having compared him to the miniscule
Praka aspect of Brahman, Agastya now proceeds to discuss the idiosyncratic resplendence
of the sun.
Verse 10 says that sun god is the son of Aditi, a Vedic goddess. Who is this Aditi? Yajur
Veda (I.5.3.1) says, O Aditi, you pervade the entire earth, supreme in heave and vast in the
mid world. O Goddess Aditi, I place in your lap Agni, the giver of food. Again in I.5.11.17
says, May Aditi protect us, may Aditi give us peace and bliss. Let Aditi guard us from sin.
Seed for Vednta was sown in Yajur Veda (I.7.7.4) like this. By impelling the plentitude of
the mother Mah (Goddess of vastness; sometimes referred to as Mother Earth), I proclaim
the birth of word, Aditi by name, who has entered and pervaded this entire world (three
worlds mentioned in Gyatri mantra three vyhti-s). Thus the verse 10 does not simply
refer Aditi as a mother, but implies the source of the entire creation. Who else can be source
of creation other than Brahman? Therefore, it clearly proves that sun does not merely
represent the source of light for the worlds, but also represents a miniscule portion of
Brahmans Self-effulgent Light. Since sun is visible to our biological eyes and sun physically
exhibits all the aspects of invisible and eternal Brahman, worshiping sun is considered as
supreme. It amounts to worshiping Brahman.
In the same verse, two other names of sun god savit and sry are used to refer sun god.
Savit is derived from the word savit, a Vedic god. Similarly Sry is also a Vedic God. In
fact, these two names refer to the same sun. Sun at the time of dawn is known as Savit and
sun after the dawn till it sets is known as Sry. This goes to prove that Brahman alone is
worshiped in different shapes and forms, which is in total agreement with Advaita
Philosophy. There are number of verses about dawn in Rig Veda. Dawn is described as a
deity on her chariot, sometimes drawn by cows and other times by horses. There is difference
between dawn and sunrise. Dawn is the first light of the day, whereas sunrise is the first
16

www.manblunder.com
appearance of the sun above the horizon. What is the seat of the sun? This can at best be
explained as the mountain range and oceans. This explains the rotation of the earth as if sun is
moving from East to West. The rays of the sun are described as a garland. The golden hue of
the rays of the sun is compared to a gold garland. This description perfectly matches with
Chndogya Upaniad. The Upaniad makes several references to the sun. In fact the
Upaniad says that Brahman has golden beard and golden hair; this subtly refers to the sun. It
also says that if one realizes the sun, he is deemed to have realized Brahman.
Verse 11 refers to different colored rays of the sun. The verse says that suns chariot is drawn
by seven horses that are green in color. It is not just the green color. The word haridava is
so meticulously chosen to subtly convey the seven principle colors VIBGYOR. According to
some texts, the seven horses also refer to seven Vedic meters (chandas). VIBGYOR is the
foundational color for the existence of the universe. Like pra, these seven colors are present
in all the objects in different degrees. In other words, the rays of the sun spread throughout
the universe making living possible. When sun is made so indispensible, it obviously refers to
Self-effulgent Light of Brahman. Dispelling darkness and causing happiness refers to the
stage of Bliss or nanda. Unless one experiences the state of Bliss, his spiritual journey will
be hampered. When one enters into the state of Bliss, his mind becomes calm and composed,
leading to higher cosmic planes. What is meant by higher cosmic planes? It refers the status
of the mind. When the mind is agitated and associated with unwanted desires and
attachments, the mind is said to be in lowest plane, which is quotidian in nature. When the
mind is purified through pryama and other meditative techniques, the density of the
mind is diminished so that it can go to higher cosmic planes (due to its lightness). In the
highest cosmic plane, the union between individual consciousness and Supreme
Consciousness takes place and this is known as Self-realization. The usage of mrta is
significant. It talks about the process of creation.
Verse 12 typically is a sum up of the previous two verses. Sun not only produces heat, but
also produces chillness in the form of rains. The fire too originates from the sun. It is said in
epics that at the time of setting, sun hands over the vital energy to Agni with a request to
protect the world till its dawn the next day. Even if the entire universe is annihilated, the sun
eternally remains. At the time of annihilation, Brahman alone remains. When it is said that
the sun remains even after annihilation, it clearly indicates that we are not discussing about
the sun god, but about Brahman. Thus, contemplating on the sun, which is visible to our
biological eyes, destroys avidya or spiritual ignorance. In perfect meditative stage, Light of
Brahman is visible to us in the form of sun. When this Light appears in our meditation, it
signifies that we are evolving spiritually. This also confirms the perfection of practice, known
as sdhana.
These are the words of Agastya to r Rma. As Agastya proceeds to praise the sun, r
Rma could recollect His original nature. Subsequent verses also talk about the grandeur of
the sun from different angles, which also goes to prove that the sun is a miniscule Light of
Brahman.
17

www.manblunder.com

vyomanthastamobhedi gyajussmapraga |
ghanavirap mitro vindhyavth plavagama || (13)

tap maal mtyu pigala sarvatpana |
kavirvivo mahtej rakta sarva bhavodbhava || (14)



nakatra graha tr madhipo vivabhvana |
tejasmapi tejasvi dvdaatman namostu te || (15)
Meaning:
(13) vyomantha chief of principle elements, such as air, water and ether; also called chief
of Cosmos; technically Prajpati, lord of beings, explained earlier); tamo (tamas) darkness;
bhedi removing (removing darkness refers to dawn); g yajus sma praga - the one who
has mastered Rig, Yajur and Sma (Vedas); ghanavi - heavy rain; ap mitra - friend of
water; vindhyavth vindya mountain range (a projection that connects East and West; there
are Puric references too); plavagama - one who travels (plav means jumping and
leaping);
14) tap radiating heat; maal (maala) circular or round, referring to the disc of the
sun; mtyu - death or referring to god of death Yama; pigala - gold-coloured;
sarvatpana - burning (or illuminating) everything; kavi - one who composes poems
(lyrist); subtly this can be explained as an enlightened personality; viva - universal;
mahteja - extremely brilliant; rakta - crimson coloured; sarva everything; bhavodbhava
- original creation or the Creator of all creations (bhava means coming into existence);
15) nakatra constellations; graha - planets; tra stars (group of stars make a
constellation and there are many constellations); adhipa - ruler or king or chief;
vivabhvana - the mind to create (or will, generally known as Divine Will to create);
tejasmapi lord of luminaries (sun); tejasvi - brilliant, splendid, bright (referring to the sun);
dvdaatman twelve dityas (twelve forms or aspects of sun); namostute salutation to
you.
Summary of verses 13, 14 and 15:
18

www.manblunder.com
Further discussion about Brahman in the form of sun is being continued. Verse 13 describes
Him as Prajpati (vyomantha), the chief of all beings and often compared to lord of creation,
Brahm. The world Prajpati is carefully chosen here to mean the Vimara aspect of
Brahman or initiation of worldly process through the svabhva of Brahman, which is known
as inherent disposition to create. When Brahman decides to create (this terminology is the
combination of Trika and Advaita), He (Upaniad-s do not attribute any gender to Him.
Brahman is referred in Upaniad-s as IT or THAT) manifests. What is the difference between
Brahman and a manifested being? Brahman is the Ultimate Reality, beyond which there is
nothing. In other words, He is both complete (pra) and nothingness (nya)*. How
Brahman manifests Himself? He manifests in the form of the Self. Brahman is often
compared to a tiny seed of a huge banyan tree. From a diminutive seed, a huge tree grows.
Similar is the case with Brahman. The only difference is that in the case of banyan tree we
know the cause; but in the case of worldly process, though we acknowledge (this
acknowledgement comes through reading Upaniad-s, Brahma Stra and Bhagavad Gt) that
Brahman is the cause, yet we are not aware of Him (due to lack of sdhana). In order to make
us understand that Grandeur of Brahman, sun is compared to the Self-effulgent Brahman. In
the initial stages of spiritual life, mind by default gets associated with a particular form of
god. Spiritual evolution happens over a period of time, which is presided over by klapurua
(different from Yama, god handling death). Darkness in the verse refers to darkness of my,
which is the crux of dualism. When Brahman is realized in His Grandeur, which is the eternal
Light, darkness of my is removed and leading to the direct experience of That Light.
The same verse further says that He is the one who has mastered all the four Vedas. Here, it
is not just about Vedas, but complete mastery over all of them. Further, Vedas here do not
ascribe only to the four Vedas, but also the essence of Vedas viz. Upaniad-s. Vedas
originated from the breath of Brahman. Ancient sages established their awareness in the
higher cosmic realms and decoded subtle sound from the cosmos. These sounds originate in
the higher planes of cosmos due to the interaction of five basic elements causing frictions,
also known as cosmic vibrations or abda tanmtra from which sound originates in the form
of par (parvc in the form of kualin in human body). Rig Veda (I.164.45) also discusses
this modification and it says,
catvri vk parimit padni tni vidurbrhma ye mania |
guh trii nihit negayanti turiya vco manuy vadanti | |
|
| |
Four are the definite grades of speech; those learned who wise know them; three deposited
in secret, indicate no meaning; men speak the fourth grade of speech. Four grades of speech
are , Bh Bhuva Suva and these are known as Par, payant, madhyam and
vaikhar. Par is the innermost at the origin; payant pertains to heart, madhyam to intellect
and vaikhar the phonetically expressed through organs of speech.
19

www.manblunder.com
The verse also refers to water in the form heavy rain and the sun as a good friend of water.
This also refers to the five basic elements of creation which causes the stage of
pacamahbhtamaya (consisting of five basic elements). All the five elements contain
substantial traces of other elements. For example, water contains traces of air, fire, space and
earth (the fifth one is water). While referring to friend of water, it not only refers to the
process of water vaporising due to the heat of the sun, forming clouds to cause rain, but also
refers to the process of creation itself by subtly conveying the presence of pacamahbhta-s.
The verse also refers to the movement of the sun from the East to the West. This reference
subtly conveys the time factor, the duration of individual existence from birth to death, the
role of klapurua. East represents our birth and West represents our death. The intervening
period is full of Light, which removes the darkness of my enabling us to realize the Self-
effulgent Brahman. In other words, this verse categorically says that we should attain
liberation in this birth itself. My making reference to leaping, it is conveyed that the time
moves at a faster pace and klapurua will never wait for us catch up with him. Time will
continue to move and in our own interest, we have to catch up with him to get liberated at the
earliest, in this birth itself (the state of jvanmukta). Sage Agastya beautifully reminds the
Grandeur of Brahman to Lord r Rma; technically it is not an explanation, but only a
reminder to r Rma about His stature as Brahman.
Verse 14 dwells on physical description of the sun, such as its heat, its shape, its colour at the
time of dawn, day and dusk, its attribute of showing up all the objects throughout the universe
and not just the planet earth (this is known as Vimara aspect of Brahman). By making
reference to poets, impartation of knowledge is conveyed. Knowledge contextually refers to
spiritual knowledge (different from material knowledge), which is important to remove the
veil of my. In other words, by its rays, sun can cause ones kualin energy to ascend. Sun
makes this possible by activating pigala ni and balancing it with ia ni. When these two
ni-s are perfectly balanced and sealed, kualin enters through suumna to reach
sahasrra, where iva and akti unite and Self-realization takes place. The usage of the word
bhavodbhava clearly establishes that Agastya is talking about Brahman and not the planet
sun. Bhavodbhava means as a single word refers to iva and sarva bhavodbhava means
Brahman or Paramaiva, where both iva and akti coexist. Brahman and His power are not
separate in this stage and this is the stage of Paramaiva. Even if any doubt exists in our mind
that Agastya is talking about the planet sun, it is now proved beyond doubt that he refers only
Brahman.
Verse 15 talks about omnipresence of Brahman. As the Chief of creation (Praka), He willed
to create and as a result of this Divine Will, He manifests in the form of sun and presides over
constellations, planets, pacamahbhta-s, etc and thus entire creation came into existence.
Ka says in Bhagavad Gt (Ka speaks as Brahman and not as a god head) that He is the
mind among the organs of perception. Mind is considered as supreme as the mind is nothing
but the power of the Brahman. Knowing that mind is His Power is realisation. Mind is the
cause for both bondage and liberation and is the seat of faculty reasoning. Hence Ka says
that He is the mind among the organs of perception. Both mind and consciousness are the two
20

www.manblunder.com
important factors in Self-realisation. Consciousness alone has the capacity to manifest and
His creation can be known only through the presence of consciousness. According to Dr.
David R. Hawkins from the Un-manifest to the Manifest, the energy of consciousness itself
interacted with matter, and as an expression of Divinity, by that interaction life arose. For
academic interest the twelve ditya-s are Dht, Mitra, Aryam, Indra, Varua, Aa,
Bhaga, Vivasvn, P, Savit, Tva and Viu. They are also known as Dvdaditya-s
and they represent twelve solar months and klapurua acts through them from ones birth to
death.
At the end of 15
th
verse of ditya Hdayam, after having discussed about the various
attributes of Sagua Brahman, we begin to salute Him and this salutation continues in the
next few verses. Why this salutation? Salutations are needed to connect with someone who is
superior to us (in spiritual parlance) and who is closer to Brahman and acts on behalf of
Brahman (these are the stages of sthitapraja, yog and jvanmukta). As discussed earlier,
Brahman does not act on His own. He acts through His Kinetic energy and different energies
are presided over by different symbolic representations giving rise various forms of gods and
goddesses. When we inquire unto ourselves about Brahman, shapes and forms (depicted as
different gods and goddesses) and the sounds (mantras) associated with them would get
dissolved either into pra (full) or nya (void)*. Typically both are same; Brahman is both
fullness and nothingness.







nama prvya giraye pacimydraye nama |
jyotirgan pataye dindhipataye nama || (16)
jayya jaya bhadrya haryavya namo nama |
namo nama sahasro dityya namo nama || (17)
nama ugrya vrya sragya namo nama |
namapadmaprabodhya mrtya namo nama || (18)
Meaning:
16) nama - salutations to you; prvya Eastern cardinal (aya means fortune and the dawn
is subtly conveyed here as fortune all auspicious things happen only during suns presence
21

www.manblunder.com
in the sky); pacima - Western cardinal; draye mountains or mass of clouds; nama -
salutations to you; jyotirgan pataye chief of all heavenly bodies put together (sun is
referred here as the chief of all luminaries); dindhi pataye chief of calendar days (time
taken by Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis 24 hour period); nama - salutations
to you.
17) jayya the one who gives victory; jaya bhadrya the one who gives fortunes, blessings
and joy arising out of victory; haryavya horses of Indra (this is generally known as bay
horses, which are shining brown in colour; it is also said that sun god has a chariot pulled by
seven horses, each horse representing VIBGYOR; according to Rig Veda, Indra is said to be
the controller of all horses; many texts explain this as green coloured horses); namo nama -
salutations to you again and again (this is the state where the worshiper is not able to
disconnect his thoughts from the object of worship, the state of a yogi); namo nama -
salutations to you again and again (beginning of the next line of the same verse; last line
ended with this); sahasro infinite rays (referring to omnipresence); dityya son of
Aditi (Aditi is not just a name and it subtle meaning(Rig Veda.IX.114.3) is explained in the
summary section; namo nama - salutations to you again and again (namo nama is repeated
three times in this verse).
18) nama salutations to you; ugrya the one who is ferocious; vrya the one who is
courageous; sragya unconquerable king (sraga has many meanings and is different
from raga, which is the name of Vius bow) namo nama - salutations to you again and
again; nama - salutations to you; padma lotus flower prabodhya blossoming;
mrtya sun god (mrta is one of 64 Bhairava-s); namo nama - salutations to you
again and again.
Summary of verses 16, 17 and 18:
Glory of Nirgua Brahman is continued in these three verses. Sun as a planet rises in the east
and sets in the west. It can often be observed during dawn and dusk that mass of clouds form
a mountain shape and make the sun appear as if it is setting behind those illusionary
mountains. The period between the dawn and dusk of the sun is full of light and
auspiciousness. When the sun rises from the east, creative activities begin. This way, sun
nurtures the world and brings happiness and prosperity. Why should sun should rise and set
every day? Apart from astronomical aspect, the other aspect is the mind. Mind is the most
precious and the subtest of all the organs of human body. In fact, the subtle aspect of the
brain is mind. Mind is made as the subtlest because, only in the mind, realisation of the Self
takes place. At the time of creation, human body is provided with two subtle ni-s, ia and
pigala representing the moon and the sun. Pigala ni is active during the presence of the
sun in the sky and becomes subdued in the night. Ia ni becomes active between dusk and
dawn and these two ni-s work on the mind by making it active and passive alternatively.
During the passive state, mind is rested to become active the next day. Thus Brahman acts
through klapurua and klapurua acts through sun and moon. Every planet represents a
miniscule of Brahman. Purua Skta (II.6) explains this. It says, ahortre prve (
22

www.manblunder.com
) which means day and night are His feet; ahortra means day and night continuously. In
the next verse it is said, nakatrni rpa ( ) which means He is in the form of
various constellations (group of stars). This verse worships sun as the infinitesimal part of
Brahman by saying dindhi pataye, where dina means a calendar day and Brahman is
explained here as the Chief of day and night.
The next verse (17) hails Brahman for the victory and joy arising out of victory and fortunes.
Brahman in His full Glory is beyond comprehension. Therefore, now the question arises as to
how Brahman can be hailed in the first place, as He is beyond comprehension. Only in order
to pay our obeisance to Him and thank Him, His miniscule forms such as sun, moon, stars,
etc are worshiped. In fact, 24 hour period is divided into two parts, based on the shine of sun
and moon. When sun shines during day, iva is worshiped and when the moon shines during
night, akti is worshiped and when both sun and moon are in the same axis, which is known
as new moon day, it is said to be the day of liberation. This verse makes a reference to the
horses of sun representing seven basic colours VIBGYOR. Rig Veda (IX.114.3) says that
there are seven parameters of the world corresponding to the seven divine sons of the mother
Eternity, which is referred in the Vedic verse as ditya; the verse says, dev dity ye sapta
tebhi These seven is explained as six of space and one of time.
Rig Veda (X.73.8 & 9) explains sun in a different way. Eight are the sons of Mother
Infinity, who are born from her body; out of these she approaches the divine powers along
with the seven. The eighth one is Mrta, the sun. With seven sons, the Mother Infinity
goes to meet the earlier age, but she bears the sun in that direction for the life and death of
mortal beings. Subtle interpretations of Vedas are extremely difficult and it requires a lot of
expertise and scholarliness. However, we can understand from the last part of the Vedic text
above, that the sun is the cause of life and death of all mortals. How this can be interpreted to
mean the miniscule form of Brahman? This interpretation is based on the fact that the Vedic
verse says that the sun overseas both life and death and does not refer to Brahm, the god in
charge of creation and Yama who is in charge of death. This goes to prove that sun is not just
a planet, but a tiny form of Brahmans Grandeur and Agastya is referring only to Brahman
and not sun, a planet. The victory that is referred in this verse is conquering our senses and
consequent destruction of my, leading to liberation. The joy mentioned in this verse is the
inexplicable joy known as Bliss, prelude to liberation.
Verse 18 speaks about further attributes of Nirgua Brahman. It says that Brahman is
ferocious and courageous. These two qualities can be explained through two Upaniad-s.
Kaha Upaniad (II.iii.2) says, mahadbhaya vajramudyata which is
used to mean that Brahman is like a thunderbolt about to strike. The next verse of the
above Upaniad (II.iii.3) says, Fearing Brahman, fire gives heat, the sun shines, Indra and
other gods perform their allotted duties. Bhadrayaka Upaniad (III.viii.9) says, Under
His mighty rule sun and moon, and heaven and earth, maintain their positions. Time period,
flow of rivers, mighty mountains exist under His mighty rule. There is a force, which we
call as cosmic force is His Power, with which He rules. Nobody else can excise this mighty
23

www.manblunder.com
rule, simply because, they do not have that might. Fearing for Him, sun, moon, pacabhta-s
carry out their duties. Kaha Upaniad(II.iii.3) says, From fear of It (Brahman), fire gives
heat; out of terror, the sun shines; afraid of It, Indra, Vyu, Yama (god of death) rush to
perform their respective duties. (Though He is mighty, why His might should be
understood? He is a terror for all those who fail to protect all of us properly. Why He wants to
protect us? It is purely out of compassion for us. Because Brahman is referred here, the word
Sraga is used. This word is to be read in the context of the two attributes ferociousness and
courageousness. Because He is ferocious and courageous, He cannot be conquered by
anyone, as He is omnipotent and hence He is called Almighty. Finally, it is said that He looks
like a blossoming lotus flower. After having said about His omnipotence, why He is
compared to a lotus flower? This expresses His compassion and tenderness. Brahman has all
the qualities and tenderness, compassion, inclemency and bravery. Hence Brahman is
repeatedly adored and worshiped. Since His original Grandeur cannot be seen or experienced,
His miniscule form is worshiped and this is what Agastya says to r Rma.

brahmancyuteya srydityavarcase |
bhsvate sarvabhakya raudrya vapue nama || (19)
tamoghnya himaghnya atrughnyamittmane |
ktaghnaghnya devya jyoti ptaye nama || (20)
taptacmkarbhya vahnaye vivakarmae |
namastamo'bhinighnya rucaye lokaskie || (21)
Meaning:
19) brahmancyuteya (brahm + na + acyutya) abiding in Brahm, iva and Viu;
srya ditya varcase the splendour of the sun and 12 ditya-s (the illuminating power of
fire or the sun); bhsvate light of the sun; sarvabhakya annihilation or devouring;
raudrya originating from Rudra or like Rudra in terms of violence, impetuousness and
anger; vapue wonderful to look at; nama - salutations to you.
24

www.manblunder.com
20) tamoghnya- destruction of darkness; himaghnya destruction of snow (possibility
referring to melting of snow); atrughnya destroying enemies; amittmane
boundlessness; ktaghnaghnya - destroying past services or benefits (ktaghna) or
destruction (aghnat) of enemies; devya God, conveying Brahman; jyoti ptaye- Lord
of Light; nama - salutation to you.
21) tapta cmkarbhya appearing like a molten gold mountain; vahnaye fire god;
vivakarmae divine architect; nama - salutation to you; tamo abhinighnya destroyer of
gloom and darkness; rucaye beautifully lustrous; lokaskie witness to the universe.
Summary of verses 19, 20 and 21:
These verses further goes to prove that what is referred by Sage Agastya is not planet sun, but
Brahman. Verse 19 refers to three gods who are in-charge of three primary acts of Brahman
creation, sustenance and dissolution. These three acts are presided over by Brahm, Viu
and iva respectively. This verse adores Brahman as a single entity comprising of all these
three gods. Every act of the universe is controlled by a particular energy and each of these
energies is presided over by a god or goddess. There are major and minor energy sources.
Major energy sources are said to be creation, sustenance and destruction and these energy
sources are considered as three primary acts of Brahman. Annihilation and recreation is
beyond human comprehension and annihilation is discussed separately in this verse. Brahman
is saluted in this verse for these three primary qualities. The question that logically arises at
this point is whether Brahman here refers to Sagua Brahman or Nirgua Brahman. The
reference made here is only to Sagua Brahman, who is with attributes. After having
worshiped Brahm, Viu and iva, the verse proceeds to salute the planet sun, which
nourishes the universe though light and heat energy. Twelve ditya-s referred in this verse
refer to twelve solar months making one year. There are twelve zodiacal signs in astrology.
Sun takes twelve calendar months to travel through all these zodiacal signs making one
calendar year and each month is presided over by a god and these gods are referred as twelve
ditya-s. Sometimes, the twelve ditya-s are called as twelve sons of Aditi, daughter of
Daka and wife of Kayapa. Interestingly, the verse differentiates between destruction and
annihilation, by making a reference to fierce Rudra. Rudra contextually can be explained in
different ways. Rudra also means certain gods, who control different aspects of creation and
sustenance such as Avins, Agni, Indra, Mitra, Varua, etc and each of them preside over
different energy centres. Rudra also means driving away negative and evil energies. {When
r Rudram and Camakam (also known as vasordhra meaning follow of felicities), are
played daily at homes, negative energies if any, will go away}. Finally, the verse says that
Grandeur of the miniscule form of Brahman (planet sun) is wonderful to look at. According
to Trika Philosophy, iva is described as Praka (visible, shining, bright, manifest). Self
illuminating nature of Brahman is also discussed in all the Upaniad-s.
In verse 20, Sage Agastya reminds r Rma about the benefits of worshipping Him as
Brahman. Through ditya Hdayam, Agastya conveys the benefits of contemplating
Brahman, in His miniscule form, the sun. He says that Brahman is be contemplated in the
25

www.manblunder.com
form of Light. Why? When we meditate intently, we will be able to see light in our jcakra.
When this light appears in meditation, it will remove our spiritual ignorance, also known as
my. When my is removed, one begins the final lap of his/her spiritual journey. This final
journey goes through Bliss and ends at liberation. Here dawn of spiritual wisdom or
knowledge is compared to Lord of Light and spiritual ignorance is compared to snow. When
sun shines bright, snow melts away. My discussed here is considered as an enemy to Self-
realization. The underlying concept of this verse is that unless the darkness of my is
removed, Self-illuminating Brahman cannot be realized. Brahman is saluted for His
compassion in removing my for those who seek Him, within. As far as r Rma is
concerned, all the enemies in the battle field who stood before Him were His Power known as
my. A person like Rvaa, who was an embodiment of all evil deeds, was liberated in the
hands of r Rma. Ka says in Bhagavad Gt that my is His own yogic power.
Verse 21 says that the nature of Brahmans Light is in the form gold. Unable to draw an
appropriate comparison to the radiance of Brahman, the verse attempts to explain the
radiance of Brahman to that of a golden mountain melting. Agastya is a Self-realized Sage
and when a person of his stature was not able to explain His Grandeur, there is no need to talk
about those who are bound by avidy (spiritual ignorance), which are compared to gloom and
darkness. Further, the verse also makes a reference to fire god and by saying so, the verse
totally obliterates the difference between the sun and fire. It is said that the sun at the time of
setting, hands over the life sustaining force to fire (Agni) till the dawn next day. There is also
a reference to Vivakarma, the divine architect, which refers to the intricacies of creation in a
subtle way. As per epics, Vivakarma is the one who builds palaces of gods like Indra. The
verse ends by saying that Brahman merely remains as a witness to the happenings in the
world.

natyea vai bhta tadeva sjati prabhu |
pyatyea tapatyea vartyea gabhastibhi || (22)
ea supteu jgarti bhteu parinihita |
ea evgnihotra ca phala caivgnihotrim || (23)
vedca kratavacaiva krtn phlameva ca |
26

www.manblunder.com
yni ktyni lokeu sarva ea raviprabhu || (24)

Meaning:
22) natyea vai This (Brahmans minuscule form, the sun ) causes destruction; bhta -
entire living beings (universe); tadeva sjati (again) re-creates those beings; prabhu -
Brahman (contextually, the sun); pyatyea He drinks water (subtly conveys the
evaporation of water); tapatyea He causes heat; vartyea He causes rain; gabhastibhi -
rays of sun;
23) ea He; supteu during sleep; jgarti during active state; bhteu - entire living
beings (universe); parinihita - within (referring to the Soul within); ea He;
evgnihotra the sacrificial fire; ca phala - fruits accruing out of such oblations
(discussed in the next word); caiva agnihotrim - those who perform daily fire oblations
(they are known as nitya agnihotrin (as opposed to kmya or optionalagnihotrin);
24) vedca also Vedas; kratavacaiva other types of fire oblations (generally called
homa, as prescribed in Vedas in karma kha); krtn - such sacrificial rites (in the form
of such sacrificial rites); phlameva ca fruits (benefits accruing) of such actions; yni ktyni
being the cause of all other actions; lokeu - all the fourteen worlds (referring to fourteen
types of worlds); sarva for everyone; ea ravi prabhu - sun is the Lord.
Summary of verses 22, 23 and 24:
Verse 22 categorically says that what is referred in ditya Hdayam is the Self and not
merely the sun, a planet. The verse speaks about five primary acts of Brahman creation,
sustenance, destruction, annihilation and re-creation (or si, sthiti, sahra, tirodhna and
anugraha referred in Lalit Sahasranma 264 to 274). Though the verse explicitly mentions
only about destruction and re-creation, by making a reference to water and heat, sustenance is
subtly conveyed. In fact, the subtle conveyance of this verse is being carried forward from the
previous verse (21), where creation was discussed. The verse says that all the acts of
Brahman are done through knowledge, which is conveyed here as the rays of the sun. Rig
Veda (V.45) praises the sun thus. ....The rays of the approaching dawn are spread around the
divine source of light, scattering the clustered gloom, has risen and opened the doors of
knowledge of men. The sun of enlightenment spreads his light as splendour
personified......May the sun (referring to individual soul, the Self within, covered by my),
the Lord {this verse of ditya Hdayam addresses the sun as Lord (prabhu} of seven steeds
(seven horses of the suns chariot or seven colours of the sun VIBGYOR or the seven upper
worlds mentioned as seven vyhti-s or worlds Gayatri mantra - bhr, bhuvar,svar, mahar,
janar, tapar and satya loka-s)........ The sun has ascended above the shining oceans ......I offer
to you for the sake of rain, an all bestowing worship.......May we , by this worship pass safe
beyond affliction and sin. Going by several such Vedic hymns, it can be construed that what
Agastya refers to is Praka form of Brahman (Self-illumination, from which everything else
shines).
27

www.manblunder.com
Verse 23 explains about the Self, which (Brahman typically speaking is beyond gender;
hence all the Upaniad-s address Brahman as That) prevails in all the three stages of
normal consciousness such as awake, dream and deep sleep. Brahman as the Self within
prevails within the body (body is the temple and the Self within is the sanctum sanctorum).
This verse speaks both about the Self within and the universal Self. Self-realization does not
stop with realizing the Self within. After realization, one has to look at the entire creation
through the eyes of Brahman (Puruaskta says that Brahman has infinite number of
eyes). Without Universal realization, Self-realization is not complete, though the latter
precedes the former.
The above verse also dwells on fire (Agni) that is invoked during fire rituals, where oblations
are offered into the fire. If the intention of Agastya were to reveal about the planet sun, there
is no need for him to discuss about Agni here. Agni is the carrier of all the oblations to t he
respective gods, who preside over different aspects of creation and other four acts of
Brahman. . Oblations are offered to fire, which is known as agnihotra. As explained earlier,
there are two types of agnihotra rituals. Every day, grains are offered into the domestic fire
and this is known as nitya agnihotra. The other one is kmya or optionalagnihotra, which is
used while performing certain homa rituals, which are not of daily nature. {Further reading:
Darapramsa is one of the rauta rituals. There are three main categories. The first is
called ii or haviryaj in which the oblations are of rice or barley. The second is animal
sacrifice and the third is soma ritual. In the first category there are five types of rituals and
they are areagnydheya, punardheya, agnihotra, darapramsa and cturmsya.
Darapramsa is full and new moon ceremonies incorporate recitations from two Veda-
s, Rig and Yajur and require the services of four priests. The full and new moon sacrifice
(darapramsa) is the paradigm of all the ii-s.}Ritual oblations are different from
Spiritual oblations. Spiritual oblations are made into the fire of Kualin, which remains in
our body right from birth to death. Impressions of indriya-s are offered as oblations into the
fire of Kualin. For every fire ritual, there is prhut, which signifies the end of all
oblations. In internal oblations, prhut is the mind and ego and they are offered to the fire
of Kualin. This type of internal homa is known as nitya agnihotra.
Verse 24 also dwells on oblations. Apart from referring to various fire rituals as prescribed in
karma kha of Vedas, the verse subtly conveys that Brahman remains as a witness to all
our actions. There are two types of yaja-s one is for universal prosperity and happiness
and another is self centric and is performed for personal upliftment. This verse says that
Brahman stands as a witness to both these types of rituals. This also goes to prove that
Brahman is described here and not sun as a planet. Sun is drawn as an example. Upaniads
often refer to misconceiving a rope for a snake. What is the cause of this misconception?
Obviously, it is our mind. Similarly, in ditya Hdayam, though Brahman is the focal point
of this sacred verse, we misconstrue it for the planet sun. The verse also says that He is the
cause of everything; in other words, He is the cause of creation. Obviously, sun cannot be the
cause of creation. If the sun is the cause of creation, Kaha Upaniad would not have said In
the presence of Brahman, the sun does not shine, nor do the moon and stars, nor does
lightning, let alone this fire. When Brahman shines, everything follows. By Its light, all
28

www.manblunder.com
these are lighted. Chndogya Upaniad (VIII.iii.4) also says, Then, this person, who is the
embodiment of happiness, emerging from the body and attaining the highest Light, assumes
his real nature. This is the Self. Bhadraayaka Upaniad (III.ix.10) also says, Light is the
mind and again in (IV.iv.6) it says upon that immortal Light of all lights the gods meditate
as longevity. This means that gods meditate on this Supreme Light for their immortality.
Thus, to sum up these three verses, it is said that Brahman, who is in the form of blinding
Light is the cause of this universe and is Omnipresent. He remains as a witness to all our
actions. All other luminaries, including the sun draw their illuminating capacity only from the
Praka of Brahman, which alone is Self-illuminating and is also the cause of this universe.
Having created the universe, Brahman stands alone only as a witness to all the actions and He
neither directly nor indirectly causes any action in anyone. The universal existence is due to
Law of Karma, which is called as Law of the Lord.

enampatsu kcchru kntreu bhayeu ca |
krtayan purua kacinnvasdati rghava || || (25)

pjayasvainamekgro devadeva jagatpatim |
etattriguita japtv yuddheu vijayiyasi || (26)

asmin kae mahbho rvaa tva vadhiyasi |
evamuktv tato'gastyo jagma ca tathgatam || (27)
etacchrutv mahtej naaoko'bhavat tad |
dhraymsa suprto rghava prayattmavn || (28)
Meaning:
29

www.manblunder.com
25) enam this (according to Sanskrit literature, this is seldom used and instead idam or etam
is used); patsu to assail; kcchru miserable and painful; bhayeu ca and also from
dismay, danger and peril; krtayan repetitions; purua - embodied soul (irrespective of the
gender); kacinnvasdati no one will be punished; rghava - a descendant of Raghu
dynasty to which Rma belongs.
26) pjayasvai worshiping; enam this; ekgra one pointed attention (absorption); deva
deva - chief of gods; jagatpatim the one who rules the universe; etat triguita - this
hymn (ditya Hdayam) to be repeated three times; japtv muttering (meaning that it
should not be recited loudly); yuddheu in the battle; vijayiyasi assured of victory.
27) asmin kae at this very moment; mahbho long armed (mighty shoulders);
rvaa - Rvaa; tva - You (r Rma); vadhiyasi killing; evam uktv having said
so; tato'gastyo (tat Agastya) then Agastya; jagma ca tathgatam went back in the same
way as he had come.
28) etacchrutv (etat rutv) having thus listened to this hymn (ditya Hdayam); mahtej
great splendour; naaoko'bhavat tad then his sadness disappeared; dhraymsa
prayed to sun god with great attention; suprto - extremely delighted and pleased; rghava -
r Rma; prayattmavn being in the state of devotion.
Summary of verses 25, 26, 27 and 28:
Verses 25 and 26 are phala ruti of ditya Hdayam. Agastya reveals to the world the
benefits of reciting ditya Hdayam.
In verse 3, Agastya addressed Rma, O! Rma! Rma! My child! But in verse 25 Agastya
addresses Rma as Rghava, not even by his name, but by referring to his dynasty. By doing
so, Agastya also conveys to the world, how teacher student relationship should be revered
and preserved. In the initial stages, Agastya treated Rma as his student. By carefully
listening to Agastya, Rma could realize His own Self by getting rid of my. As far as Rma
is concerned, His Power alone is known as my. This subtly conveys that only an evolved
teacher alone can lead others towards the path of realization. Mantra sdhana is only an
infantile stage. Supreme form of sdhana is becoming a sthitapraja and then a yogi. This is
not the end of Self-realization. The state of being a yogi is only the initial stage of realization.
In order to attain liberation, we have to enter into the fifth stage of consciousness, turytta,
which is also known as Universal realization. Even then, we come back to remain in the body
and this state is known as jvanmukta. We merge unto Brahman only if all our karmas are
exhausted through experience. This is what we learn from a realized Teacher.
Verse 25 says that when one is in difficulty he or she has to pray to the sun god with ditya
Hdayam and his or her pains, unfounded fears, miseries, dismay, etc will be annihilated.
This means that the main part of ditya Hdayam was over with verse 24. If this is repeated
regularly (devotion is implied), he will never be afflicted with any types of miseries, some of
30

www.manblunder.com
which are referred above. This verse subtly conveys mahvkya. Chndogya Upaniad
(VI.viii.7) beautifully explains the role of a teacher. The teacher said to his student, That
which is the subtest of all is the Self of all this. It is the Truth. You are That (tatvamasi). The
student is not able to understand the meaning of You are That at one go. He raises several
doubts to his teacher. Teacher patiently clears every doubt of his student and the student in all
earnestness analyses the teachings by meditating on the words of his teacher. One fine
morning the student realizes and affirms that he is in fact Brahman. This is explained in
Bhadrayaka Upaniad (I.iv.10), which says, aha brahms (I am Brahman). The
student would not have come to this conclusion (realization) had his teacher not told him that
he is Brahman. This is exactly what Agastya told Rma in the previous verses. Hence,
Agastyas sayings were interpreted by comparing the planet sun as the miniscule aspect Self-
effulgent Brahman. When Agastya told Rma about His own nature, Rma realized His
Brahman stature and annihilated Rvaa to uphold dharma to make the universe exist.
Verse 26 explains the path to Self-realization. The gross meaning of the verse is that one
should mentally recite ditya Hdayam three times. The verse says that it should be recited
mentally. To emphasise this point, Agastya uses the word japtv (japa means muttering,
which means low and continuous indistinct sound). Therefore ditya Hdayam is a japa
mantra and should not be recited aloud. In order to win over enemies, ditya Hdayam
should be recited mentally or muttered with mild tone three times wit h single pointed focus
on the sun. If this is muttered as directed by Agastya, victory in the battle is assured. The
verse subtly conveys spiritual advancement. The verse says that if we are able to meditate
with intent concentration on the Supreme Self within, all our internal enemies such as ego,
pride, anger, hatred, attachment, desire, etc will be annihilated. The verse clearly says that we
have to meditate on Jagatpatim, Brahman, not the planet sun. If we meditate with one pointed
attention on the Brahman, our internal enemies are destructed and ultimately we transcend
my to realize the Self within.
In verse 27 Agastya says that Rma should kill Rvaa at that very moment and having said
that, Agastya walked away. Subtly, the verse says that once we decide to seek the spiritual
path, we have to start sdhana immediately. Klapurua (time) will not wait for us and if we
want to realize the Self within, we have to begin the practice right at this moment. Agastya as
r Rmas Guru came in search of Him and not r Rma approached Agastya. This also
reminds us the saying that one will get a realized person as Guru, provided his or her karmic
account is good. Agastya approached r Rma, revealed to Him His essential Self and
walked back leaving the rest to r Rma to complete the task. Similarly, a Guru initiates
someone, should stay with him and after making him or her perfect in sdhana, he initiates
another disciple and works with him or her towards the path of realization. This verse also
emphasises the importance of one to one contact between Guru and disciple. If there is no
one to one contact, the efforts of the Teacher as well as his or her students go futile.
Verse 28 says that after having known about ditya Hdayam, r Rma became His original
Self. This means that r Rma realized His Brahman stature, became splendorous, got rid of
all the afflictions and entered His own state of Bliss, which is His perpetual state. The verse
31

www.manblunder.com
uses the word dhraymsa, which can be interpreted to mean focused worship (something
like dhraa, which means intent concentration of the mind upon the object and here it refers
to the sun). This proves that unless mind is fixed on Brahman, any type of meditation
becomes futile. Verse also says that if such intent meditation is practiced, the practitioner
becomes extremely delighted and pleased, which refers to the state of Bliss. Bliss is the
penultimate state to realization. Realization is different from liberation. Liberation is possible
only if there is not karmic account, whereas realization is possible by sdhana.
It is also interesting to note that Agastya only explained the Grandeur of Brahman. He did not
give any mantra to Rma to annihilate Rvaa. It is not the mantra alone that takes us forward
towards realization; it is also the mind that makes realization possible. Mantra only forms the
strong foundation, so that we do not fall from highly exalted spiritual level. If the foundation
is not strong for spiritual life, the fall if any could be disastrous. There is a well known saying
manant tryate iti mantra, which means if mind is protected and preserved without any
afflictions, that is known as mantra, which is constantly repeated to protect the mind from
straying. Mantras are more to do with the mind rather than their effects. However, repetition
of mantras causes subtle vibrations in the mind, which aids in purifying the mind.

ditya prekya japtv tu para haramavptavn |
trircamya ucirbhtv dhanurdya vryavn || (29)
rvaam prekya htm yuddhya samupgamat |
sarvayatnena mahat vadhe tasya dhto'bhavat || (30)
atha raviravadannirkya rma muditaman parama prahyama |
niicarapatisakaya viditv suragaamadhyagato vacastvareti || (31)

(The following two verses do not form part of Rmyaa. They are in the form of prayers to
sun god)

32

www.manblunder.com





srya sundaralokanthamamta vedntasra ivam
jnabrahmamaya sureamamala lokaikacittsvayam |
indrdityanardhipa suraguru trailokyacmai
brahmviuivasvarpahdaya vande sad bhskaram || (32)

bhno bhskara mrta caarame divkara |
yrtogyamaivarya riya putrca dehi me || (33)
Meaning:
29) ditya - Sun, the miniscule form of Brahman; prekya worth seeing or regarded;
possibly referring to contemplation; japtv tu meditating silently; para - supreme; hara -
pleasure or happiness or bliss (along with goose bumps) mavptavn attaining; trircamya
doing camana (sipping drops of water straight from the right palm) three times;
ucirbhtv (thus) becoming pure; dhanurdya taking his bow; vryavn the valorous
(r Rma).
30) rvaam prekya having noticed Rvaa; htm experiencing bliss within;
yuddhya for waging a war; samupgamat approaching very closely; sarva yatnena all
kinds of efforts; mahat mightiness; vadhe tasya Rvaas death; dhto'bhavat present
(in the battle field) with great resoluteness.
31) atha after that; ravi the sun; avadan spoke (or conveyed through facial expressions
without uttering any words); nirkya rma - on seeing r Rma; mudita delighted,
joyful, glad, rejoicing; man - mind; parama - extremely; prahyama - glad, cheerful;
niicarapatisakaya - annihilating demons (Rvaa and his warriors); anhividitv
suragaa madhyagato in the middle of various gods; vacastvareti hurry up.
Summary of verses 29, 30 and 31:
Verse 29 talks about how seriously r Rma took sage Agastyas advise and acted on that
immediately. He performed camana (taking water in the right palm and sipping it without
establishing contact with the lips; this is done to purify the inner body; external body is
purified through bath) three times (three times refers to reciting three names of Viu;
(acyutya nama | anantya nama | govindy nama ||
33

www.manblunder.com
). After doing camana, he looked at the sun, His miniscule form. Having seen
the sun, He became highly energised and determined to annihilate Rvaa and other demons.
(In the morning sun, if one exposes his/her back head (medulla oblongata) to the sun, a lot of
energy will flow into the body and keeps the body not only disease free but energises the
whole body of the practitioner.) Having thus energized (realising His true nature), He took his
bow and arrows and proceeded to the battle field. This can also be explained that Rma
realized His true nature (Brahman). This is subtly conveyed as looking at the sun.
Verse 30 says that r Rma became happy on seeing Rvaa. On the grosser side, Rma
knew that He is going to kill Rvaa in the battle field. As far as Rma is concerned, He also
knew that He is going to liberate Rvaa and in fact this would make Rma happier than
merely killing him. Rvaa was engrossed in penance for years and got several boons. There
are several citations about Rvaas penance. Though Rvaa asked several boons to satiate
his ego, still he had spent several years in deep trance, which made him on par with best
yogis. He was killed in the battle field only because he had arrogance and ego. As he had
already surrendered to Brahman, his further actions never affected his karmic account and he
is all set to get liberated, by passing the state of jvanmukta. Why Rma should have
experienced Bliss on seeing Rvaa so closely? This explains Rmas love and compassion
for Rvaa. Rma killed Rvaa only in the state of Bliss and not in the state of anger.
It is important to know what r Rma spoke to Vibhaa, Rvaas brother after Rvaas
death (Canto 109 of yuddhaka verses 14 to 19). Rvaa has not met his death because
he lacked in energy......He has fallen in combat for the food of the world even though he was
endowed with terrible prowess and exhibited extraordinary enthusiasm of a very exalted type
and always remained undaunted. Warriors who fall on the battlefield while remaining
steadfast in the duty of warriors and winning in battles need not be mourned for. There is no
occasion to grieve for his having been thought under the sway of death by whom, intelligent
he was in all the three worlds........A warrior killed in action does not deserve to be mourned,
say stra-s. There are many such references about Rvaa in Vlmki Rmyaa.
Verse 31 says that sun god encouraged r Rma to spifflicate (means killing, which seems to
be a crude word contextually and I personally do not want to use the word for the simple
reason that Rvaa is liberated at the hands of r Rma) Rvaa immediately. Not only sun
god, but all gods and goddesses also were eagerly awaiting Rvaas last breath. They were
under constant fear that Rvaa could hurt and humiliate them. Rvaa had all the qualities of
a supreme king. He longed for power, wealth and pleasure and never hesitated to do anything
to satiate his ego. That is why sun god told r Rma to finish Rvaa immediately. Subtly
the verse says that the time has come for Rvaa to get liberated and the sun god here refers
to Brahman. r Rmas inner conscience told Him that Rvaas is over and that He has to
ensure liberation of Rvaa at the appointed time. This also goes to prove that Brahman
always ensures the perfect balance between good and bad in order to sustain the universe.
Unless evil forces are eliminated, positive forces cannot successfully discharge their duties.
Positive forces contextually refers to gods and goddesses, as each one of them has a
prescribed duty, such as Agni who is in charge of fire, Varua in charge of water, Vyu in
34

www.manblunder.com
charge of water, etc. It is said that Viu incarnates when adharma prevails over dharma.
Ka says in Bhagavad Gt (IV. 7 9) Arjuna! Whenever virtues (dharma) decline and
immorality (adharma) looms, I embody as an avatar. To sustain the pious, to eliminate the
sinners and to protect dharma I incarnate in every yug. Arjuna! My avatar and actions are
divine. The one who understands this principle is not born again and reaches me when he
dies.
It is important to note the usage of word avadan in this verse, which means not expressed
through words. When Rma looked at the sun, which we are arguing as a minuscule form of
Self-effulgent Brahman, Brahman expressed His ascent to spifflicate Rvaa. If we read the
above verses of Bhagavad Gt read along with various Upaniad-s, we can easily infer that
what is referred in ditya Hdayam is not the planet sun, but a tiny portion of Self-effulgent
Brahman. There is no need for Rma to look at the sun to get his blessings to destroy Rvaa.
Thus ditya Hdayam is a hymn in praise of Self-effulgent Brahman, as described in various
Upaniad-s, probably the only hymn that praises Brahman as Light, though almost all
Upaniad-s make references to this aspect.
CONCLUSION:
Summary of verses 32 and 33
These two verses are in the form of praise of sun god and ditya Hdayam ends with a
prayer. These two verses are not found in the original text. These two verses explicitly, not
subtly, refer to Brahman.
I worship sun god, who is handsome, like nectar to the universe (indicating immortality) ,
essence of Upaniad-s (all Upaniad-s reveal Brahman in different ways), endower of
auspiciousness, the Supreme Knowledge (Taittirya Upaniad II.i says,
satya jna ananta brahma , which means that Truth, Knowledge and Infinity is
Brahman), head of all gods and goddesses (contextually does not refer to Indra*, who is the
chief of all gods and goddesses), who sustains the universe, chief of *Indra, ditya-shuman
beings, Guru of gods and goddesses (deva Guru, mentioned in the text as sura-guru, where
sura means gods, sages and saints, cmai (contextually refers to the best or most
excellent) of the universe, who holds trimrti-s in His heart (trimrti refers to Brahm, Viu
and iva; the text refers to them individually), illuminating eternally and infinitely (only
Brahman is Self illuminating; Kaha Upaniad (II.ii.15) explains this further. In the presence
of Brahman, the sun does not shine, nor do the moon and stars, nor does lightning, let alone
this fire. When Brahman shines, everything follows. By Its light, all these are lighted and
Chndogya Upaniad (VIII.iii.4) says, param joyti upasampadyate which means attaining
the highest light. The Upaniad says Then, this person, who is the embodiment of
happiness, emerging from the body and attaining the highest light, assumes his real nature.
This is the Self.).
Prayer:
35

www.manblunder.com
O! Sun god! O! Bhnu (Splendorous), O! Mrta (which means that Brahman without any
origin and devoid of any parentage; first of all creations and from whom everything else
originates), having powerful rays that is capable of energising the universe, please give me
long and healthy life, wealth, good progeny (to continue his lineage).

With this, ditya Hdayam is concluded.



















36

www.manblunder.com
























37

www.manblunder.com