Aditi’s Stotra to Sūrya-Nārāyaṇa

Aditikṛta Sūryanārāyaṇa Stotra · aditi-kṛta sūrya-nārāyaṇa stotra, “the stotra Aditi made to Sūrya-Nārāyaṇa”

Aditi’s Stotra to Sūrya-Nārāyaṇa is the stotra that Aditi, the mother of the devas, sang to Bhagavān Vishṇu as Nārāyaṇa dwelling within the orb of the sun. It is told in Chapter 50 of the Vāmana Purāṇa, by Pulastya Maharshi to Nārada Maharshi. When the daitya Bali had taken the three worlds from her son Indra, Aditi, on Māgha śukla saptamī, kept silence and fasted, saw the rising sun, and praised the Jagaccakshus, the eye of the world, with eight addresses of jaya (victory) and namaskāra. She worshipped his mūrti with red sandal and karavīra flowers and kept a fast without even water. Then Sūrya-Nārāyaṇa came forth from the sun’s orb, granted her darśana, and promised to be born from her womb and destroy the daityas.

The setting

Indra, his lordship of the three worlds lost, went with the devas to the abode of Brahmā and told Pitāmaha that the daitya Bali had taken his whole kingdom by force. Brahmā told him that it was the fruit of his own fault. After Indra had performed tapas for a year on the bank of the Mahānadī in worship of Gadādhara, Gadādhara Deva freed him of his pāpas and promised that he would soon regain his kingdom. Indra then went to the āśrama of his mother Aditi, bowed at her feet, and told her of his defeat by Bali. Seeing her son humiliated by the sons of Diti, that sādhvī took refuge in Bhagavān Vishṇu, who is without beginning or end.

When Nārada Maharshi asked where the mother of the devas worshipped Hṛshīkeśa, Pulastya Maharshi answered: on the holy day of Māgha śuddha saptamī, the seventh day of the bright fortnight of Māgha, Aditi had darśana of the sun rising in the east. She kept mauna (silence), took no food and undertook the dīkshā of tapas, and with a clear and devoted mind she prayed to the Jagaccakshus.

Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 50

The stotra

  1. “Treasure of beauty that mocks the beauty within the heart of divine lotuses! Jaya to you!”
  2. “Axe that cuts down the tree of saṃsāra! Jaya to you!”
  3. “Agnideva who burns to ash the heap of firewood that is pāpa! Jaya to you!”
  4. “Prabhu Nārāyaṇa, who holds back the hosts of pāpas! Jaya, jaya to you!”
  5. “O Bhāskara of divine form! Nārāyaṇa who dwells within the orb of the sun! Namaskāra to you!”
  6. “Treasure of the aiśvarya (lordship) of the three worlds! Praṇāma to you!”
  7. “You alone are the root of this whole moving and unmoving world. You are Sarveśvara, the lord of all. O Viśvamūrti, whose form is the universe! Protect me.”
  8. “By you, who are Jaganmaya, pervading the world, and Jagatpati, lord of the world, all things come to pass; Indra has lost everything and been humiliated by his enemies. Therefore I have come to your shelter. Protect me.”

Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 50

The pūjā and the fast

With the stotra Aditi worshipped Bhagavān Vishṇu in this order:

  1. She adorned the pratimā (mūrti) of Śrīman Nārāyaṇa with red sandal.
  2. She worshipped it with a garland of karavīra (oleander) flowers.
  3. She offered dhūpa (incense), dīpa (lamp) and the other upacāras.
  4. She offered as naivedya śāli rice mixed with ghee.
  5. Praising Bhagavān Vishṇu for Indra‘s welfare, the mother of the devas kept a nirjala upavāsa, a fast without even water.
  6. On the second day she bathed and performed pūjā as the vidhi lays down, gave the brāhmaṇas gold, tila (sesame) and amṛta as dāna, and bowed to them.

Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 50

What came of the stotra

Greatly pleased, Sūrya-Nārāyaṇa, Ghṛtārci, whose flame is fed with ghee, came forth from the orb of the sun, stood before the daughter of Daksha and said: “O Dākshāyaṇī! I am pleased with the vrata you have performed. By my prasāda (grace) your wish will be fulfilled. O mother of the devas, I will give your sons their kingdom; do not doubt. I will be born from your womb and destroy the daityas root and all.”

Trembling at the words of Vāsudeva, Aditi said to the Jaganmūrti: “Prabhu Janārdana, you hold the whole creation of the moving and the unmoving within you; you are hard to bear. How can I bear you in my womb? Act in such a way that no hardship comes to me.”

Bhagavān Vishṇu answered: “It is as you say: I am hard to bear even for the devas and the asuras. Even so, by the power of yoga, joining together myself, these worlds, the mountains, and you yourself with Kaśyapa, I will be born from your womb, mother. Do not grieve; I will let no hardship come to you. The moment I am conceived in your womb, the whole rākshasa world will become lifeless.” So comforting the mother of the devas, Śatrumardana, the crusher of enemies, entered her womb with a subtle portion of all his tejas, for the good of Indra.

Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 50

Sources

  • Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 50