Vaivasvata (Bhakta of Sūrya)
Vaivasvata, “a bhakta of Bhagavān Sūrya”
Grammar: masculine noun; from vivasvat: “of Vivasvān“.
Meaning: a bhakta of Bhagavān Sūrya; the text glosses it so.
In the scriptures: in the Brahma Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahmā tells Vishṇu that to do the ārādhana of Bhānudeva one must first become a Vaivasvata, and those who are not Vaivasvatas cannot know or praise Bhagavān Sūrya. Those filled with bhakti for him become Vaivasvatas and reach Vivasvān. A Vaivasvata harms no being by mind, speech or body, and has heartfelt bhakti for Bhagavān Sūrya. He always bows to the Bhojaka dvijas. He does not consume another’s wealth. He knows all devatās to be Bhagavān Sūrya and Bhagavān Sūrya to be all the worlds, and does not think himself other than him. He sees no deva, human, creature, cattle, bird, ant, tree, stone, wood, earth, ocean or sky, nor himself, as different from Divākara. He holds past, present and future to be an aṃśa of Bhagavān Sūrya, and holds that Bhānudeva, meditated on with bhakti, breaks the fear of bhava. Pure in thought, word and deed, he holds good feeling for all beings. He performs pūjā with bhakti, with no regard for outward aims. He has no enemies or friends and sees all evenly as Bhagavān Sūrya. This high state is not gained by hard tapas nor by yajñas with lavish dakshiṇā. One who fixes bhakti wholly on Bhānudeva is kṛtārtha (fulfilled) and praiseworthy (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 120).
Related terms: Sūrya · Bhojaka · Bhakti
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 120