Koṇāraka is the sacred kshetra of Bhagavān Sūrya on the eastern coast of Bhārata-varsha, in Utkala. It is known for its great Sūrya temple. The Brahma Mahā Purāṇa gives Chapters 28 to 33 to the māhātmya (glory) of this kshetra. These chapters cover the twelve Ādityas, the birth of Mārtāṇḍa, the Sūrya pūjā rite, and the sacred power of the Koṇārka Sūrya kshetra. Koṇāraka lies near Purushottama Kshetra. It belongs to the sacred land of Utkala, which holds the Śaiva centre of Ekāmra, the Śākta centre of Viraja and the Vaishṇava centre of Purushottama, with Koṇārka as the Sūrya kshetra.

The twelve Ādityas

The Sūrya section of the Brahma Purāṇa (Chapters 28 to 33) begins with the teaching on the twelve Ādityas. They are the twelve forms of Bhagavān Sūrya, one for each month of the year. They are:

Dhātā
Aryamā
Mitra
Varuṇa
Indra
Vivasvān
Pūshā
Parjanya
Aṃśa
Bhaga
Tvashṭā
Vishṇu

Each Āditya shows one side of Sūrya’s work in the whole creation. Each is tied to a month, to a set of devas and ṛshis, and to particular epithets (Brahma Mahā Purāṇa, Chapters 28 to 33).

The birth of Mārtāṇḍa

The Brahma Purāṇa tells of the birth of Mārtāṇḍa, the name of Bhagavān Sūrya as the son of Kaśyapa and Aditi. Among the twelve Ādityas, Mārtāṇḍa is the one tied to the living power of the sun, which keeps life going and drives the seasons. Worship of him at sacred tīrthas such as Koṇārka brings great puṇya (merit). This section also teaches Sūrya’s place in the whole creation as the source of kāla (time), light and the life-force of all living beings (Brahma Mahā Purāṇa, Chapters 28 to 33).

Sūrya pūjā rite

The section gives full instructions for Sūrya pūjā in the setting of Koṇārka. They cover the good occasions and tithis for Sūrya pūjā, the offerings, the names and forms of address for each Āditya, and the fruit of doing this pūjā at the Koṇārka kshetra compared with ordinary places. The Brahma Purāṇa shows Koṇārka as a kshetra where the merit of Sūrya pūjā grows greater because of the holiness of the place (Brahma Mahā Purāṇa, Chapters 28 to 33).

The glory of Koṇārka Kshetra

The Brahma Purāṇa sets Koṇāraka down as a kshetra of very great sacred power, on the eastern ocean in Utkala. The name Koṇārka is made of koṇa (corner or angle) and arka (sun). The kshetra stands among other great tīrthas of Utkala: Purushottama, Ekāmra and Viraja. This makes the whole coast of Utkala one of the richest gatherings of tīrtha power in Bhārata (Brahma Mahā Purāṇa, Chapters 28 to 33).

The Sāmba and Sūrya tradition

The wider Purāṇic tradition records that the Sūrya temple at Koṇārka was set up within the Sāmba and Sūrya tradition. Sāmba was the son of Kṛshṇa and Jāmbavatī. After twelve years of tapas (austerity) at the Chandrabhāgā tīrtha, Bhagavān Sūrya healed him of a śāpa (curse). Sāmba then set up Sūrya worship in Bhārata by inviting the Bhojakas from Āryāvarta. The Sūrya section of the Brahma Purāṇa and the Koṇārka māhātmya belong to this wider tradition of Sūrya bhakti (devotion) in the east (Brahma Mahā Purāṇa, Chapters 28 to 33).

Sources

Brahma Mahā Purāṇa, Chapters 28 to 33