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Adityas

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For other uses, seeAditya (disambiguation).
An 11th–century sculpture ofSuryawith eleven other Adityas depicted at the top

InHinduism,Adityas(Sanskrit:आदित्य,lit. 'of Aditi'IAST:ĀdityaSanskrit pronunciation:[aːd̪ɪt̪jɐ]) refers to the offspring ofAditi,the goddess representing the infinity.[1]The nameAditya,in the singular, is taken to refer to thesun godSurya.Generally, Adityas are twelve in number and consist of Vivasvan (Surya),Aryaman,Tvashta,Savitr,Bhaga,Dhata,Mitra,Varuna,Amsa,Pushan,IndraandVishnu(in the form ofVamana).[2]

They appear in theRig Veda,where they are 6–8 in number, all male. The number increases to 12 in theBrahmanas.TheMahabharataand thePuranasmention the sageKashyapaas their father.[2]In each month of the year a different Aditya is said to shine.

Sun worship

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Sculpture of the 12asanasof one form of Surya Namaskar[a]inIndira Gandhi Airport, Delhi[3](figures sculpted by Nikhil Bhandari)

Characterisation

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See also:Solar deity

The Aditya have been described in theRig Vedaas bright and pure as streams of water, free from all guile and falsehood, blameless, perfect.

This class of deities has been seen as upholding the movables and immovableDharma. Adityas are beneficent gods who act as protectors of all beings, who are provident and guard the world of spirits and protect the world. In the form ofMitra-Varuna,the Adityas are true to the eternal Law and act as the exactors of debt.[4]

In present-day usage inSanskrit,the term Aditya has been made singular in contrast to VedicAdityas,and is being used synonymously withSurya,the Sun. The twelve Adityas are believed to represent the twelve months in the calendar and the twelve aspects of Sun. Since they are twelve in number, they are referred as DvadashAdityas.[5]

The 12 Adityas are basically the monthly suns, corresponding to the approximately 12 lunations in a solar year.[b]These are also called the 12 purushas, pertaining to the 12 lunar months of the year. Here the months refer to the lunar months. In astronomy thelunar monthswith a solarsankrantiare said to have an Aditya or purusha. The month without a sankranti is said to be neuter and an extra month or theintercalarylunar month.

Mentions in Hindu scriptures

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See also:Hindu texts

The Ādityas are one of the principal deities of theVedicclassicalHinduismbelonging to the solar class. In the Vedas, numerous hymns are dedicated toMitra,Varuna,Savitr,etc.

In hymn 7.99 of theRigveda,Indra-Vishnuproduces the sun, his discus a vestige of his solar creation, equivalent to the sun. TheVishnu Puranaidentifies the discusSudarshana Chakrawith the following: 'thoughts, like the chakra, flow faster than even the mightiest wind.'

TheGayatri mantra,which is regarded as one of the most sacred of the Vedic hymns is dedicated to Savitr, one of the principal Ādityas. The Adityas are a group of solar deities, from theBrahmanaperiod numbering twelve. The ritual ofSurya Namaskaram,performed byHindus,is an elaborate set of hand gestures and body movements, designed to greet and revere the Sun.

The sun god in Hinduism is an ancient and revered deity. In later Hindu usage, all the Vedic Ādityas lost identity and metamorphosed into one composite deity,Surya,the Sun. The attributes of all other Ādityas merged into that of Surya and the names of all otherĀdityasbecame synonymous with, or epithets of, Surya.

TheRamayanahasRamaas a direct descendant of the Surya, thus belonging to theSuryavamshaor the Solar dynasty. The hero of theMahabharata,Karna,as being the son of thePandavamotherKuntiand Surya.

The sun god is said to be married to the goddessSanjna.She is depicted in dual form, being both sunlight and shadow, personified. The goddess is revered in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The charioteer of Surya isAruna,who is also personified as the redness that accompanies the sunlight in dawn and dusk. The sun god is driven by a seven-horsed Chariot depicting the seven days of the week and the seven colours of rainbow which are seen due to the dispersion bySurya's rays.

Surya Namaskaram

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Main article:Sun Salutation

Surya Namaskaram,theSalute to the SunorSun Salutation,is worship of sun[6]which is also included as a practice inyoga as exerciseincorporating a flow sequence of some twelve gracefully linkedasanas.[7][8]Similar exercises were in use in India, for exampleamong wrestlers.The basic sequence involves moving from a standing position intoDownwardandUpward Dogposes and then back to the standing position, but many variations are possible. The set of 12 asanas is dedicated to the solar deitySurya.In some Indian traditions, the positions are each associated with a differentmantra.

Sun worship festivals

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See also:List of Hindu festivals

Makar Sankrantiis a festival dedicated to sun worship in India and by theHindu diaspora.

Chhath(Hindi:छठ,also calledDala Chhath) is an ancient Hindu festival dedicated to Surya, the chief solar deity, unique toBihar,Jharkhandand theTerai.This major festival is also celebrated in the northeast region ofIndia,Madhya Pradesh,Uttar Pradesh,and parts ofChhattisgarh.Hymns to the Sun can be found in the Vedas, the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism. Practiced in different parts of India, the worship of the Sun has been described in the Rigveda. There is another festival called Sambha-Dasami, which is celebrated in the state ofOdishafor thesurya.

The sun is prayed to by South Indians during the harvest festival.[9]InTamil Nadu,theTamil peopleworship the sun god during theTamilmonth ofThai,after a year ofcropfarming. The month is known as the harvesting month and people pay respects to the sun on the first day of theThaimonth known asThai pongal,or Pongal, which is a four-day celebration.[10]It is one of the few indigenous forms of worship by theTamil peopleirrespective of religion.[11]

Names of solar deities

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See also:List of solar deities
The Sun Temple ofGwalioris modelled after the famousKonark.

Rigveda

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In theRigveda,the Adityas are seven or eight in number and include:[2]

  1. Varuna
  2. Mitra
  3. Aryaman
  4. Daksha
  5. Bhaga
  6. Amsha
  7. SavitrorSurya[12][13]
  8. SometimesMartanda

Brahmanas

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The 12 Adityas with solar halos,Udayagiri Caves,c. 401 CE

In theSatapatha Brahmana,the number of Adityas is eight in some passages, and in other texts of the sameBrahmana,twelve Adityas are mentioned.[14]: 102 The list of 12 Adityas is as follows:

  1. Yama
  2. Aryaman
  3. Indra
  4. Ravi
  5. Varuṇa
  6. Dhātṛ
  7. Bhaga
  8. Savitṛ
  9. Sūryaor Arka
  10. Aṃśa
  11. Mitra
  12. Dakṣa

Upanishads

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In theChandogya Upanishad,Aditya is a name ofViṣṇuin his avatar asVāmana.His mother isAditi.

Vishnu Purana

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The Adityas in theVishnu Purana[15]are:

  1. Vishnu
  2. Aryaman
  3. Śakra
  4. Tvaṣṭṛ
  5. Varuṇa
  6. Dhūti
  7. Bhaga
  8. Savitṛ
  9. Vivasvat
  10. Aṃśa
  11. Mitra
  12. Pūṣan

Bhagavata Purana

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In theBhagavata Purana,the Adityas are associated with each month of the year, it is a different Aditya who shines as the Sun-God (Surya).[16]

Name Action
1 AsIndra
or Vishnu(Vamana)		 he destroys the enemies of the gods
2 AsDhata he creates living beings
3 AsParjanya he showers down rain
4 AsTvashtha he lives in the trees and herbs
5 AsPushya he makes foodgrains grow
6 AsAryaman he is in the wind
7 AsBhaga he is in the body of all living beings
8 AsVivasvan he is in fire and helps to cook food
9 AsAmshuman he is again in the wind
10 AsVaruna he is in the waters and
11 AsMitra he is in the moon and in the oceans

Linga Purana

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According to theLinga Purana,[17]the Adityas are:

  1. Brahma
  2. Vishnu
  3. Indra
  4. Tvaṣṭṛ
  5. Varuṇa
  6. Dhata
  7. Bhaga
  8. Savitṛ
  9. Vivasvat
  10. Amshuman
  11. Mitra
  12. Pūṣan

Aditya as nakshatra devatas

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Adityas are responsible for proper functioning of the universe and in Hindu cosmology they are given lordship over celestial constellations, callednakshatrasinJyotish.Nakshatras are forces of universal intelligence which are intertwined with the birth-death cycle of life, identity of all created beings, events and day to day consciousness in our lives. In India, atKonark,in the state ofOdisha,a temple is dedicated to Surya. TheKonark Sun Templehas been declared aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.Surya is the most prominent of thenavagrahasor nine celestial objects of the Hindus.Navagrahascan be found in almost all Hindu temples.

Adityas manage theShaktiof the nakshatras. Here are a few examples.

  1. Bhaga has lordship overPurva Phalguninakshatra. Bhaga is bestower of fortune. Bhaga in Sanskrit means "a portion" so our portion in life is regulated by this divine celestial being. Many a times this is related to fortunate marriages, or fortune from marriage and partnerships. It is a very worldly nakshatra bestowing divine intelligence with respect to worldly gains in life. Beings born when Purva Phalguni is rising in the east are literal physical manifestation of this energy.
  2. Aryaman,the God of Patronage, is an Aditya who is the lord ofUttar Phalguninakshatra and as suggested by the name, a person born under the auspices of Aryaman finds many lucky opportunities with benefactors in their lives, among many other qualities that are possessed by this divine being.
  3. Savitr,rules overHastaNakshatra and is the cheerful Aditya who manages worldly skills and artistry. Handiwork of all kinds, from needlework, pottery making to technical skills industry, sleight of hand pick pockets, magicians, andReikimasters all are blessed by the divine intelligence and benevolence of this Aditya.
  4. Mitra,rules overAnuradhanakshatra they are the peacekeepers of this world.
  5. Varuna,rules overShatbhishaknakshatra the nakshatra of 1000 healers and gives a person intelligence about all sorts of medicine. Varuna as its ruling Aditya is lord keeper of law, hence themes of crime and punishment, law and order fall under his rulership. Varuna in RigVeda is to be feared and not taken lightly.

This makes Vedic Adityas not some conceptual, abstract, or mythological characters in a story book, but part of the visible cosmology and the everyday realities of our daily lives. We manifest their qualities in our lives and as such are part of the divine ourselves.

See also

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Sun worship in Hinduism
Other related

Further reading

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  • "On the Ādityas".hinduwebsite.com.Concepts in Hinduism.

Notes

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  1. ^IncorporatingAshtanga Namaskarain place ofCaturanga Dandasana
  2. ^The actual value is close to⁠12+7/19⁠;⁠7/19⁠≈1⁄3;so there always 12 complete lunar months in a solar year, and about every third year there is an extra, 13 th lunar month, which the assignment of deities to months does not appear to address.

References

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  1. ^ Werner, Karel (2005).A Popular Dictionary of Hinduism.Routledge. p. 17.ISBN9781135797539.
  2. ^abc Dalal, Roshen (2014-04-18).Hinduism: An alphabetical guide.Penguin UK.ISBN978-81-8475-277-9.
  3. ^"Destination Delhi".Indian Express.4 September 2010.
  4. ^ Rig Veda.Translated by Griffith, Ralph T.H. Book 2, Hymn XXVII.
  5. ^ Sathyamayananda, Swami (2012).Ancient Sages.Mylapore, Chennai: Sri Ramakrishna Math. p. 173.ISBN978-81-7505-356-4.
  6. ^Singh, Kritika.Sun Salutation: Full step by step explanation.Surya Namaskar Organization. Archived fromthe originalon 2021-12-21.Retrieved2021-08-30.
  7. ^Mitchell, Carol (2003).Yoga on the Ball.Inner Traditions. p. 48.ISBN978-0-89281-999-7.
  8. ^MacMullen, Jane (1988)."Ashtanga Yoga".Yoga Journal.September/October: 68–70.
  9. ^Jain Chanchreek; K.L. Chanchreek; M.K. Jain (2007).Encyclopaedia of Great Festivals.Shree Publishers. pp. 36–38.ISBN978-81-8329-191-0.
  10. ^"502 Bad Gateway nginx openresty 208.80.154.49".www.pongal-festival.com.Archived fromthe originalon 2021-08-30.Retrieved2021-08-30.
  11. ^"Tamizhs festival".ntyo.org. Archived fromthe originalon 27 December 2001.Retrieved3 July2019.
  12. ^ Jamison, Stephanie; Brereton, Joel (2015).The Rigveda – Earliest religious poetry of India.Oxford University Press. p. 43.ISBN978-0190633394.
  13. ^ MacDonell, Arthur Anthony (1897).Vedic Mythology.Oxford University Press. p. 43.
  14. ^ Muir, John (1863).Original Sanskrit Texts on the Origin and Progress of the Religion and Institutions of India.Williams and Norgate.
  15. ^ "Book I: Chapter XV".Vishnu Purana– via Sacred-Texts.com.
  16. ^ Srimad Bhagavata Purana.12.11.27–49.
  17. ^ Linga Purana.
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