Sūrya Pūjā Vidhi (Agni Purāṇa)

Sūrya Pūjā Vidhi · sūrya-pūjā-vidhi, “the rite of the pūjā of Sūrya”

The Sūrya Pūjā Vidhi is the rite of the daily pūjā of Bhagavān Sūrya, lord of the world, as the Agni Purāṇa gives it. In Chapter 73, Parameśvara, Bhagavān Śiva, teaches it to Skanda: “Now I shall tell the method of Sūrya-pūjā with aṅganyāsa and karanyāsa.” The worshipper first holds in his mind the thought “I myself am the radiant Sūrya”. He prepares the arghya (offering of water) with red sandal, does the nyāsa (placing of the mantras on the body), honours the guardians of the door, Gaṇeśa and the guru, and builds in his mind the lotus seat of Sūrya with its four corner-supports. On that lotus he worships the nine śaktis (powers) of Sūrya, from Dīptā to Sarvatomukhī. Then he invokes Sūrya, red in colour, offers him arghya, places his six aṅgas (limbs) round him, and honours the eight grahas around him. He closes with japa, a stuti (praise), a prayer for forgiveness, and the gathering back of Sūrya’s radiance into his own heart. The text promises that one who worships Sūrya in this way, with dhyāna and homa, gains all his wishes.

The Agni Purāṇa returns to Sūrya’s pūjā four more times. In Chapter 21 Nārada gives the Sūrya-arcana among the general pūjās of the devas. In Chapter 148 Bhagavān Śiva gives the Saṅgrāma-vijaya pūjā, the Sūrya pūjā that gives victory in battle. In Chapter 300 Agnideva gives the Sūrya-ārādhana that removes the seizure of the grahas (graha-pīḍā), with two dhyānas of Sūrya. In Chapter 301 Agnideva gives the pūjā of Sūrya as Mārtāṇḍa-Bhairava, which grants dharma, artha, kāma and moksha, and the Saṅgrāma-vijaya mantra once again.

The arghya and the nyāsa

The worshipper first holds the bhāvana (inner conviction) “I myself am the radiant Sūrya“, and then worships the arghya. He carries water mixed with red sandal up near his forehead and fills the arghya vessel with it. He worships the vessel with gandha (sandal paste) and the other upacāras (offerings), and veils it (avaguṇṭhana, printed “rajāvaguṇṭhana”) with the aṅga-mantras of Sūrya. He sprinkles the pūjā materials with that water. Then, facing east, he worships Sūrya.

For the nyāsa he touches all his limbs, beginning with the head, with the mantras, each with its vowel seed syllable (svara-bīja) placed first, in the manner of oṃ āṃ hṛdayāya namaḥ.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 73

The doorway, Gaṇeśa, the guru and the pīṭha

At the door of the pūjā-room he worships Daṇḍin on the right and Piṅgala on the left. He worships Gaṇeśa in the north-east with the mantra gaṃ gaṇapataye namaḥ, and the guru in the south-east.

In the middle of the pīṭha (seat) he visualises a lotus-shaped seat and worships it. In the corners of the pīṭha, in order from the south-east, he worships Vimala, Sāra, Ārādhya and Paramasukha; in the centre, Prabhūtāsana. The four, Vimala and the rest, are in order white, red, yellow and blue, and each has the form of a lion. All of them are worshipped.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 73

The nine pīṭha-śaktis of Sūrya

Inside the lotus on the pīṭha, in the eight directions from the east onward, he worships the eight śaktis, each with her own mantra:

The ninth pīṭha-śakti, Sarvatomukhī, “she who faces every way”, is worshipped in the centre. Then the pīṭha of Sūrya Deva is worshipped with the mantra oṃ brahma-vishṇu-śivātmakāya saurāya yogapīṭhātmane namaḥ, “to the solar yoga-pīṭha whose self is Brahmā, Vishṇu and Śiva“.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 73

The āvāhana and the arghya of Sūrya

The text takes the mantra ḍolāya namaḥ, places the syllables oṃ haṃ khaṃ before it, and so forms the nine-syllable mantra oṃ haṃ kha-tholāya namaḥ (both forms as printed). With this mantra Sūrya is invoked (āvāhana) into the vigraha (the sacred form) and worshipped.

Holding water in his joined palms near his forehead, the worshipper meditates on Sūrya, red in colour, and sees him standing before him. Saying hrāṃ hrīṃ saḥ sūryāya namaḥ, he offers arghya to Sūrya. Showing the bimba-mudrā, he offers the upacāras beginning with the āvāhana, and then, for Sūrya’s delight, the gandha and the rest.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 73

The six aṅgas of Sūrya

The six aṅgas of Sūrya are placed round him, each with its mantra:

• The heart, in the south-east: oṃ āṃ hṛdayāya namaḥ.
• The head, in the south-west: oṃ bhūḥ arkāya śirase svāhā.
• The śikhā (crown-lock), in the north-west: oṃ bhuvaḥ sureśāya śikhāyai vashaṭ.
• The kavaca (armour), in the north-east: oṃ svaḥ kavacāya huṃ.
• The eyes, between the ishṭa-devatā and the worshipper: oṃ hāṃ netratrayāya vaushaṭ, “to the three eyes”.
• The astra (weapon), west of the deity: vaḥ astrāya phaṭ.

Then he shows the mudrās in the directions beginning with the east: the dhenu-mudrā (cow mudrā) for the heart, head, śikhā and kavaca; the gośṛṅga-mudrā (cow’s-horn mudrā) for the eyes; and the mudrā printed trāsalī for the astra.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 73

The nine grahas

Then he bows to the grahas and worships them. In the four main directions from the east:

• East: Candra, oṃ soṃ somāya namaḥ.
• South: Budha, oṃ buṃ budhāya namaḥ.
• West: Bṛhaspati, oṃ bṛṃ bṛhaspataye namaḥ.
• North (by the order): Śukra, oṃ bhaṃ bhārgavāya namaḥ.

In the intermediate directions from the south-east, with gandha and the other upacāras:

• South-east: Kuja (Bhauma), bhauṃ bhaumāya namaḥ.
• South-west: Śanaiścara, oṃ śaṃ śanaiścarāya namaḥ.
• North-west: Rāhu, oṃ rāṃ rāhave namaḥ.
• North-east: Ketu, oṃ keṃ ketave namaḥ.

The pūjā of all these grahas is done together with that of Bhagavān Sūrya (printed “Akhorkī”).

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 73

Stuti, prayer and withdrawal

He does japa of the mūla-mantra (root mantra), takes water in the arghya vessel, offers it to Sūrya, and praises him. After the stuti he stands facing Sūrya, bows and prays to Sūrya: “Prabhu Sūrya, forgive my offences and my lapses.”

Then with the mantra astrāya phaṭ he gathers back the invoked presence (printed aṇu-saṃhāra-samāharaṇa). Saying “Śiva-Sūrya”, with the saṃhāriṇī-mudrā he places the withdrawn tejas (radiance) of Sūrya in his own heart-lotus. He gives the nirmālya of Sūrya, what remains of the offerings, to Caṇḍa, Sūrya’s attendant.

The phala

Having worshipped Sūrya, lord of the world, in this way, and doing dhyāna and homa, the sādhaka has all his wishes fulfilled.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 73

The Sūrya-arcana of Chapter 21

In Chapter 21 Nārada teaches the general pūjā of Vishṇu and the other devatās, with mantras that give every fruit, and among them the mantras of the Sūrya-arcana.

1. First Daṇḍī is worshipped, then Piṅgala.
2. Uccaiḥśravas and Aruṇa are worshipped. Then, in the middle, Prabhūta, Vimala, Soma, the Sandhyās, Parasukha, and Nanda and the others.
3. The nine śaktis are worshipped: Dīptā, Sūkshmā, Jayā, Bhadrā, Vibhūti, Vimalā, Amoghā, Vidyutā and Sarvatomukhī.
4. With the bījas haṃ, aṃ, khaṃ the seat (printed ārāsana) is worshipped; then the mūrti.
5. With hāṃ hrīṃ saḥ sūryāya namaḥ Sūrya is worshipped.
6. With āṃ namo hṛdayāya the heart is worshipped, and with oṃ arkāya namaḥ the head. Sūrya is worshipped likewise as ruling the four intermediate directions, of Agni, Īśa, Asura and Vāyu.
7. With bhūḥ bhuvaḥ svaḥ jvālinyai śikhāyai namaḥ the śikhā is worshipped; with huṃ the kavaca, with bhāṃ the eyes, and with haḥ the astra.
8. Rājñī, the śakti of Sūrya, is worshipped, and Chāyā Devī, who appeared from her.
9. Then Soma, Aṅgāraka, Budha, Guru, Śukra, Śani, Rāhu and Ketu are worshipped, and Tejaścaṇḍa.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 21

The Saṅgrāma-vijaya pūjā

Chapter 148 is the Saṅgrāma-vijaya-pūjā, “the pūjā for victory in battle”; its colophon calls it the Sūrya-pūjā that gives victory in battle. Parameśvara teaches it.

• The mantra: oṃ ḍe ai khyāṃ sūryāya saṅgrāma-vijayāya namaḥ (as printed). The syllables hraṃ hrīṃ hraḥ are named as the six aṅgas of Sūrya, who gives victory in battle.
• The pūjā mantra: oṃ haṃ khaṃ bakholāya svāhā (as printed).
• The aṅga-nyāsa bījas: sphūṃ hrūṃ huṃ krūṃ oṃ hrāṃ keṃ.
• The pīṭha. In the place of the pīṭha are worshipped Prabhūta, Vimala, Sāra, Ārādhya and Paramasukha. On the feet of the pīṭha and in the four directions in the middle, in order: dharma, jñāna, vairāgya and aiśvarya, and adharma, ajñāna, avairāgya and anaiśvarya.
• The seats and the maṇḍalas. Then the Ananta-āsana, the siṃhāsana and the padmāsana; then the pericarp of the lotus and its filaments; and there the Sūrya-maṇḍala, the Soma-maṇḍala and the Vahni-maṇḍala (the orb of fire).
• The nine śaktis: Dīptā, Sūkshmā, Jayā, Bhadrā, Vibhūti, Vimalā, Amoghā, Vidyutā and Sarvatomukhī.
• The tattvas. Then sattva, rajas and tamas; prakṛti and purusha; ātmā, antarātmā and paramātmā. Their mantras are formed by giving the first letter the anusvāra, putting the name in the dative and adding namaḥ: for example, saṃ sattvāya namaḥ.
• The attendants. Then Ushā, Prathā, Sandhyā, Sāyā, Māyā, Aila, Bindu and Vishṇu are worshipped, and the eight dvārapālas (door-guardians). Then, with gandha and the rest, Sūrya, Caṇḍa and Pracaṇḍa are worshipped.

The phala. By doing pūjā, japa, homa and the rest in this way, there is victory in battles and other contests.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 148

The Sūrya-ārādhana that removes graha-pīḍā

In Chapter 300 Agnideva gives the mantras and offerings that bring graha-śānti (the calming of the grahas), and among them the ārādhana of Sūrya that destroys graha-pīḍā.

The first dhyāna. Sūrya holds in his right hands the pāśa (noose), the aṅkuśa (goad), the akshamālā (rosary) and the kapāla (skull-bowl); in his left hands the khaṭvāṅga (skull-staff), the lotus, the cakra and the śakti (spear). He has four faces, eight hands and twelve eyes. He sits on a lotus seat within the Sūrya-maṇḍala, surrounded by the Ādityas and the other hosts of devas. Having done dhyāna and pūjā of Sūrya in this way, one gives arghya at dawn, with an arghya mantra the text gives in code words, addressed to Kalaśārka.

The second dhyāna. Sūrya is seated in padmāsana, red in colour, wearing red garments. His maṇḍala is made of light. He is generous by nature, holds lotuses in his two hands, wears ornaments on every limb, and is gentle in form.

The grahas. All the grahas beginning with Sūrya are gentle, give strength and hold lotuses; their garments are like a mass of lightning. Bṛhaspati is yellow, Śukra white, Śani black like charcoal, and Rāhu and Ketu the colour of smoke. All rest the left hand on the left thigh and show the abhaya-mudrā (the gesture of fearlessness) with the right. The bīja-mantra of each graha is the first letter of its name with the anusvāra.

The vidhi.

1. Uttering vaj (as printed), he cleanses his hands. He does kara-nyāsa from the thumb to the palm, then the five-limbed aṅga-nyāsa from the heart onward, leaving out the eyes, and then the vyāpaka-nyāsa (all-pervading nyāsa) with the three syllables of Sūrya’s mūla-bīja, hrāṃ hrīṃ saḥ.
2. He washes the arghya vessel with the astra-mantra, fills it with water while saying the mūla-mantra, puts in sandal, flowers, akshata (unbroken rice) and dūrvā grass, consecrates it again, and with that water sprinkles himself and the pūjā materials.
3. He builds the yoga-pīṭha. Its feet are imagined as Prabhūta, Vimala, Sāra, Ārādhya and Paramasukha, invoked and worshipped in the four corners beginning with the south-east and in the middle, each with namaḥ after the name.
4. On the yoga-pīṭha he places the heart-lotus, and on its filaments, in the directions and intermediate directions, worships eight śaktis: vāṃ dīptāṃ, eṃ sūkshmāṃ, vūṃ jayāṃ, vṛṃ bhadrikāṃ, veṃ vibhūtaṃ, vaiṃ vimalāṃ, voṃ āsighāta-vidyutāṃ (as printed) and vīṃ sarvatomukhīṃ; then vaṃ pīṭham for the seat.
5. Having worshipped the śaktis, he invokes Ravi (Sūrya), offers pādya (water for the feet) and the other upacāras, and does the pūjā preceded by the six-limbed nyāsa beginning with the heart. The Ravi-mantra the text gives in code gives every fruit.
6. He worships the five aṅgas beginning with the heart, with their mantras, in the south-east, south-west, north-east and north-west and in the middle of the pericarp; in the direction facing himself he worships the astra.
7. In the directions from the east, in order, he worships Candra, Budha, Guru and Śukra; in the intermediate directions from the south-east, Maṅgala, Śanaiścara, Rāhu and Ketu.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 300

Mārtāṇḍa-Bhairava and the Saṅgrāma-vijaya mantra

Chapter 301, “the account of the arcana of Gaṇapati and Sūrya“, gives after the Gaṇapati pūjā the pūjā of Sūrya as Mārtāṇḍa-Bhairava. Agnideva speaks.

The Mārtāṇḍa-Bhairava mantra. The text builds the mantra from code words (ghosha, ha; asmak, ra; prāṇa, ya; śānti, au; arthī, u; daṇḍa, the anusvāra) into the syllable printed hyauṃ, with oṃ. This Mārtāṇḍa-Bhairava mantra, enclosed (sampuṭita) with the bimba-bīja, gives the sādhaka dharma, artha, kāma and moksha.

The vidhi.

1. Placing the five short vowels at the beginning as bījas, he does the nyāsa of the five mūrtis; with the long-vowel bījas he does the aṅga-nyāsa beginning with the heart.
2. Dhyāna: “Namaskāra to Sūrya, red like sindūra, in the north-east, with his consort on his left half.”
3. Having worshipped the Ravi-maṇḍala, surrounded by the Ādityas and the others, he gives arghya at dawn.
4. In the north-east he offers the nirmālya to Kṛtānta, and the kindled radiance to Caṇḍa.
5. The arghya materials: rocanā (gorocana), kuṅkuma, water, red sandal, akshata, sprouts, bamboo seed, barley, śāli rice, śyāmāka (millet), sesame, “rājaka” (as printed) and japā (hibiscus) flowers are put in the arghya vessel. Holding it on his head and kneeling, he gives arghya to Sūrya.
6. Worshipping the grahas with kalaśas consecrated with their own mantras, and doing śānti with the water of the śānti-kalaśa for graha-śānti and the like, the one who does japa of the Sūrya-mantra gains all his desires.

The Saṅgrāma-vijaya mantra. With the mantra of victory in battle, showing the mudrās, he invokes Sūrya from head to feet and worships him. Having done the aṅga-nyāsa, he contemplates “I myself am Ravi.”

The colours of Sūrya for each rite. For māraṇa and stambhana (striking down and stopping an enemy), Sūrya is contemplated as yellow; for āpyāyana (nourishing), white; for destroying enemies, black; for mohana (bewitching), as having the form of a bow.

The phala. One ever devoted to Sūrya’s abhisheka, japa, dhyāna, pūjā and homa becomes radiant, unconquerable and prosperous, and wins victory in battles and the like. When this mantra-nyāsa is done on betel (tāmbūla) with vetiver (uśīra) put in it, and the Saṅgrāma-vijaya bīja is written on one’s own hand, whoever is given that betel, or touched by that hand, comes under one’s sway.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 301

Sources

• Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 21, 73, 148, 300–301