4. Worship of Sūrya

The tradition of worshipping god Sūrya is very old. The importance of Sun worship is stated in the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa through a story of king Rājyavardhana and his wife. According to the story Māninī, the queen of Rājyavardhana, shed tears when she found a grey hair in the head of her husband^[1] , the son of Dama^[2] .Consoling her by telling about transitoriness and changes befall on living beings he decided to resort to the forest and in spite of hindrance and request of his wife and his subjects, he did not abandon his decision. After that all people decided to propitiate Sūrya with austerities and prayed him for their king’s longevity. While they were striving to propitiate Sūrya, a Gandharva called Sudāman came there and advised them to go to the forest named Guru-viśāla, frequented by the Siddhas, in very mountainous Kāmarūpa^[3]. Thereupon they went to the forest and offered worship to Sūrya. They were enriched with incense, flowers, oblations, unguents, perfumes, food, lamps and other offerings.^[4] The adorable Sūrya became pleased after three months of worshipping of his subjects with praise and faith. They prayed Sun-god seeking their king’s sickness, victory, treasury and youth so that he might reign ten thousand years more. Their desire was granted by the Sun.^[5] But the king was not satisfied with the boon as the boon did not include all his family and subjects. So he propitiated the Sun and fulfilled his desire^[6]. Thus Sūrya was worshipped by all the subjects and king himself.

There is another story of Sun-worship in this Purāṇa relating to creation. In the story god Brahmā prayed to the Sun-god for the continuance of his creation. One day Brahmā, became anxious about the existence of his creation because of the intense glory of the Sun for which waters would dry up and without water it would not be possible to create the universe.^[7] Then Brahmā prayed to the Sun where the qualities and characteristics of the Sun had been reflected. The Sun consists of everything and everything consists of Him. His body is the universe.^[8] He consists of the three Vedas. His nature is sublime, worthy of the fullness of good qualities. He is the cause of supremely worthy praise of all. He protects the world in five ways. Brahmā also said that even if the Sun dried up the water, he could create the earth and the primeval completion of the worlds.^[9] After being praised by the creator Brahmā, the Sun contracted his supreme glory and retained but very little. And then the lotus-born god accomplished the creation of the world along with Asuras, mortals, other beings, cattle and other animals, trees, hells etc.^[10]

Types of Sun Worship in the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa

There were various types of Sun worship described in the early Purāṇic world. The Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa also shows some different varieties of Sun-worship. In this Purāṇa the subjects of Rājyavardhana who worshipped Sun-god included varieties of Sun-worshippers.

In this context the different methods of worship have been stated.

1. Some people paid adoration with their own bodies by presenting to him the arghya offering and presents and other oblations.^[11]

2. The second variety was of those who gratified the Sun by maintaining silence.

3. The third variety of people worshipped him by repeating the Vedic hymns.

4. The fourth variety consisted of those dvijas who propitiated Sun by abstaining from food, lying down on river sandbanks and wearied with austerities.

5. The fifth category was of those who adored him by the oblations to the fire and repeated hymns day and night composed in honour of the Sun.

6. The sixth variety consisted of those who worshipped Sun by casting their eyes on him and standing there.^[12]

7. There they worshipped the Sun god in his sacred and beautiful shrine by means of incense, flowers, oblations, unguents, prayers, foods, lamps and other offerings. This type of worship fulfils all the characteristics of Purāṇic pūjā which may be termed as the seventh type of Sun-worshipp.

In the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa worship signifies different meanings, viz.

1. pūjā^[13],
2. arcanā^[14],
3. pūjana^[15],
4. arhaṇā^[16] etc.

In this Purāṇa there are very few references available about method, objects and procedure of worship. Offering prayers to gods, with folded hands,^[17] bowing down the head and touching the ground with knees^[18] are the common method of god’s worship. Further, homa and japa are two other ways of worship. There are some very important objects of worship mentioned. These objects are water, garlands, sandal, fruits, flowers, other perfumes etc.^[19] Besides, gift of food is also an important object of worship.^[20] Likewise fasting is also an object generally to be observed.^[21] Thus various methods of worship specially of the Sun worship have been mentioned in this Purāṇa. These methods of worship are followed by the people of the present time also.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

kadācittasya sā subhrūḥśiraso’vyañjnādṛte /
paśyato rājalokasya mumocāśrūṇi māninī // Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, 106.11

[2]:

Viṣṇupurāṇa, 4.1

[3]:

tasmād guruviśālākhyaṃ vanaṃ siddhaniṣevitam /
kāmarupe mahāśaile gamyatāṃ tatra vai laghu // Mārkaṇḍyapurāṇa.,106.57

[4]:

puṣpānulepanādyaiśca dhūpagandhādikaistathā/
japahomānnadānādyaiḥ pūjanaṃ te samāhitāḥ // kurvantastuṣṭuvurbrahmanvivasvantaṃ dvijātayaḥ // Ibid.,106.61

[5]:

Ibid.,107.4

[6]:

Ibid.,106.78

[7]:

Ibid.,100.2-4

[8]:

namasye yanmayaṃ sarvametat sarvamayaśca yaḥ /
viśvamūrtiḥ paraṃ jyotiryattadhyāyanti yoginaḥ // Ibid., 100.5

[9]:

vahnistavameva jalaśoṣaṇṭaḥ pṛthivyāḥ sriṣṭiṃ karoṣi jagatāṃ ca tathādya pākam /
vyāpī tvameva bhagavangaganas varūpaṃ tvaṃ pañcadhā jagadidaṃ paripasi viśvam // Ibid.,100.9

[10]:

Ibid.,100.14-15

[11]:

tatraikaniścayāḥ kārye kecidgehe ca bhāskaram /
samyagardhopacārādyai rupahārairapūjayan // Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, 106.50

[12]:

apare maunino bhūtvāṛkjāpena tathāpare /
yajuśāmatha sāmnāṃ ca toṣayāñcakrire ravim //
apare ca nirāhārā nadīpulinśāyinaḥ /
tapāṃsi cakruricchaṃto bhāskarārādhanaṃ dvijāḥ //
agnihotraparāscānye ravisūktānyaharniśam /
jepustatrāpare tathurbhāskare nyastadṛṣṭayaḥ // Ibid., 106.51-53

[13]:

Ibid., 10.54

[14]:

Ibid., 31.27

[15]:

Ibid., 31.75

[16]:

Ibid., 90.7

[17]:

tato vidyādharagaṇā yakṣarākṣasapannagāḥ /
kṛtañjalipuṭāḥ sarve śirobhi praṇatā ravim // Ibid.,103.55

[18]:

sa cakāra tadā stotraṃ saptarcceryatamānasaḥ /
sa caikacitto medinyāṃ nyastajānuḥ kṛtāñjaliḥ // Ibid., 96.26

[19]:

pādasaṃvāhanādyena arghyārdhāharaṇena ca /
srakcandanādigandhāmbuphalādyānayanena ca // Ibid., 17.2

[20]:

Ibid., 106.61

[21]:

Ibid., 90.8