UG and Aditya Hridayam (Hymn to Sun God)
“In the center of all rests the Sun. For who
would place this lamp of a very beautiful temple in another or better place
than this from which it can illuminate everything at the same time.”
- Copernicus (1473 - 1543)
It was in Parekhji’s place, Mumbai, in the mid-90s that I first heard the
famous hymn ‘Aditya Hridayam’ (आदित्य हृदयं), the ‘Hymn to the Sun God’. It was UG who
requested the couple, Chandrasekhar Babu and Suguna to recite this very
mellifluous, ancient, and popular hymn. UG didn’t stop at that, he went on and insisted
an encore![1]
Mahesh Bhatt used to call this hymn as ‘UG’s bathroom song’, it seems UG
used to chant the hymn while taking his bath and Mahesh used to eavesdrop, he
says, “You should listen to UG singing this song! He sings in a low voice but it
is so melodious.”
Incidentally seems this hymn was also JK’s favourite!
It was in the late 80s that Chandrasekhar Babu was initiated into
this hymn by none other than UG himself and later during his every visit, he
would request Babu to recite the hymn at least once during his stay.
This is from Babu:
Again in Vellacrosia, during his final days:
UG: 'What is that chant Chandrasekhar? My bathroom singing...?'
'Aditya Hridayam?' I supplied the word
hesitantly. 'Yes. Chant that once' said UG lying on the couch. He would rarely
ask me to chant the Hymn to the Sun God. In fact, it was his remarks on the
hymn that made me to learn it by heart years ago.[2] That's a different
story anyway. On that morning when he asked me to chant, I started chanting…
-
Chandrasekhar Babu
****
The hymn, ‘Aditya Hridayam’ finds a mention in the ancient Indian epic
Ramayanam of sage Valmiki. The context is the Yudda Kanda (The Battle Canto)
where Sri Rama, the Lord in the human form, is battling it out with the formidable
ogre Ravana, who has kidnapped His divine consort Sita.
Finding Sri Rama exhausted, battle weary and worried after an intense
and prolonged battle with Ravana, the sage Agastya arrives on the scene to cheer
him up with this powerful invocation to the Sun God. This is the Aditya
Hridayam, an ‘Ode to the Sun’ that spotlights our star as the source of all energy,
of all life on the planet. It gives a heliocentric perspective about creation, preservation,
and dissolution of life.
The hymn is a scientific exposition on our closest star, the Sun. Dr.
Raja Ramanna,[3]
one of the greatest physicists from India has penned a beautiful commentary of
the hymn. He particularly clarifies some ‘intriguing lines’ therein. One such is
the description of Sun as ‘Sarva Bhakshakaha’ (सर्व भक्षकः), literally ‘the Gobbler or Eater of the
worlds’ Many religious zealots lacking the scientific perspective abhor this expression
as ‘devilish’ projection of their favourite god, instead they offer a solemn, benign
alternative, ‘Sarva Rakshkaha’ (सर्व रक्षकः) meaning ‘The Protector of All’, and coax people to replace the inauspicious Gobbler word!
Dr. Ramanna meticulously explicates the meaning of the
word Gobbler, saying it indeed is the rightful expression for the sun. He goes
on to commend the astronomical prowess of the sage Agastya who could discern this
astro-phenomenon thousands of years ago. [4]The
scientist adds that Gobbler describes the sun in his new avatar six billion
years from now. Sun is five-billion years old at present and will eventually turn
into a White Dwarf, with intense heat, its flames will then burst forth into
space and begin engulfing or consuming our planet, ending life and reducing the
planet to a burnt-out mass.[5]
****
What is fascinating is that there are some striking parallels between
the Sanskrit word Guru and the Sun!
Interestingly the Sun fits the description of Guru (गुरु) in Sanskrit to a ‘T’! Guru means that which
is heavy, something huge. Sun is nearly 300,000 times heavier than our planet.
This ‘ball of fire’, the biggest ‘nuclear reactor’ in our sky throws up huge
amounts of energy into space. Being the heaviest, it also exerts the greatest gravitational
pull on all planets in our solar system. This Force of Gravity interestingly is
called Gurutva (गुरुत्व) in Sanskrit.
The Sun lights up the skies, provides heat and warmth that
nourishes life, sustains creation , maintains the dance, the rhythm, the cycles
of nature, pulls the planets into orbits, makes the planets spin on their axes,
brings about a zillion effects and changes in the universe – all these and much
more, but without ever compromising on its aloofness, its independence, its
freedom from all that it supports, all that it governs, guides and sustains! A self-standing
benefactor – par excellence!
This captures the true essence of a Guru who is a real
benefactor of all but is fiercely independent!
****
While touching and transforming many lives, UG managed to stay aloof, independent,
and unconcerned about all the good that happened in people’s lives! He
exercised rare skill, courage and restraint that ensured that no relationship
or cult grew around him.
Having lived and interacted with ‘flesh and blood’ gurus for decades (mostly
under the supervision of UG), I am privy to the pain, anguish and miseries of
gurus who are so invested in relationships and so fiercely possessive. They are
not ready to let go their acolytes and vice versa! Expectations, obligations,
sentiments corrode the true beauty and joy of a relationship!
The golden chain of human relationship can suddenly and quickly turn
into a noose. This can undo any good that may have accrued in the relationship!
True, there is a tremendous, overwhelming, phenomenal power in emotional
bondage. It is a double-edged sword and can cut either way. If one is not aware
of its dangers, it can delude people - the gurus and disciples alike. This is
the tyranny of sentiment and a golden trap that most people find difficult to avoid
or escape.
Whenever UG took leave and bid goodbye, he inevitably added these words for
effect and emphasis, repeating to everyone, ad nauseum " Bye, bye! See you
sometime, somewhere!" Then he turned and walked away. There was no parting
speech, nothing to comfort anyone’s pain! It was pure dismissal! Like the act
of drawing a curtain. Period!
Every departure was an ending, a closure. UG was a past master and every
time he departed, no one could tell when the next meeting would be coming. During
one such parting, I dared to utter to someone within UG’s earshot, “Yes! UG
would be here again during winter”, he snapped back at me with such ferocity, “How
can you say that? Are you a psychic? Even I don’t know where I will be next!”
This kind of parting had amazing consequences! This brought into sharp
focus the inevitability of leading one's own life on one's own strength. Each
one went back to his or her life. UG's
company of a few hours, few days, and his harsh, fiery words never missed their
mark. The clarity handed over to each one without a song, ceremony, without even
a speech, all was given away to people without a hint of obligation, handed out
in total indifference, like oblation in the fire.
UG’s appreciation for Aditya Hridayam, in a way, is an acknowledgement
of his true independence as a friend, philosopher and guide like the Sun that touched
many a life while standing aloof!
****
Here is a humble attempt to provide the essence of this great hymn.
Before that a little preamble is imperative to provide a little background
and a little familiarity of terms and concepts that are assumed in the hymn.
Firstly a peek at the Vedas and the concept of Reality.
The Vedas highlight two significant aspects of Reality- ‘Energy’ and ‘Force’,
representing the static and the dynamic facets of the universe!
Energy denotes the latent, potent form, while Force is essentially the manifestation
of Energy in some dynamic, Force is ‘Energy in Action’.
The vedas consider Energy or Siva , शिव as the male aspect and, Force or Sakti,
शक्ति as the female aspect , two faces of the same coin. ‘Siva and Sakti’ is a
single entity in the Vedas. There is the famous icon of ‘Ardhanareeshwara’ (अर्ध नारीश्वर) – the symbolic representation of this ‘man-woman’
principle![6]
On similar lines, Aditya Hridayam depicts the Sun as Energy while its powerful
manifestations like Gravity, Heat, Light etc. are its Forces. The hymn uses many
pregnant expressions to depict each of these manifestations.
The Vedas depict various Forces as ‘gods’, primarily as different manifestations
of the Cosmic Energy. There are multitude of manifetations in nature and hence multitude
of gods!
The Vedas describe Cosmic Energy variously as Vishnu meaning ‘that
which is all-pervading’, as Siva meaning ‘ the aspect of inertia, the
void, the darkness, ‘tamas’ तमस ( what today’s science describes as dark
matter filling the length and breadth of the universe)’, also as Brahma
or ‘the Cosmic Spirit animating the Universe.’
The Cosmic Energy is sometimes also viewed for convenience as Trinity
with regard to describing its various functional attributes - Brahma as Creator,
Vishnu as Sustainer and Siva as Destroyer governing the birth, growth
and death of all things and beings.
The Vedic notion is consistent with the well-established scientific fact
that Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but only recycled.
Without death, birth or recycling is not possible, and hence birth and
death are essential part of Reality.
Reality is therefore an eternal movement - the constant churning of Cosmic
Energy bringing forth birth, growth, decay and death of universes and galaxies
in a never-ending cycle.
****
Aditya Hridayam proper:
Once we begin to see the grand Vedic vision of Cosmic Energy and Trinity
we can appreciate its operation in the Sun or Aditya (आदित्य).
Aditya Hridayam articulates this grand vision of Cosmic Energy and
Trinity.
The hymn points to the Sun as the source of Energy and it also showcases
the Sun as the Trinity – Sun as the Creator, Sustainer and Destroyer - all
rolled into one!
Here is a short list of terms used in the hymn to describe certain attributes
of the sun as seen in our day to day life.
-Devaha , देव: or Illuminator, the source of light,
-Vyomanathaha, व्योमनाथः or Lord of the skies,
-Sarva Devatmakaha , सर्व देवात्मकः or Soul (energy) of all gods (forces),
-Timironmatanaha, तिमिरोन्मतनः or Dispeller of darkness,
-Tamobhedihi, तमोभेदि Dispeller of inertia,
-Martanda, मार्ताण्डः or Creator or Recycler of
the dead,
-Tapanaha, तपनः or Generator of heat,
-Agnigarbhaha, अग्निगर्भः or Carrying fire in the womb,
-Sisiranasanaha, शिशिरनाशनः or Destroyer of cold, dampness,
-Mrithyhu, मृत्य्हु: or Death or destruction,
-Sarva Bhavodbhavaha, सर्व भवोद्भःवः or Creator of all,
-Lokasakshine, लोकसाक्षिणे or the Witness to everything,
-Pranaha, प्राणः or the Life Breath of all beings
-Rutukartaha, ऋतुकर्ता: or the Cause of Seasons
The list is by no means exhaustive, the hymn includes the other well-known
aspects of the Sun, Ugraha, उग्रः or the Terrible One, a pointer to the harmful,
destructive aspects of the sun like the sun’s powerful radiations in the form
of UV rays, X rays etc. and its power to destroy planets as a White Dwarf!
There are again mantras in the hymn that use different terms to
highlight and describe the nature, form, character, quality and intensity of Sun’s
rays characterising them as mild, gentle, healing, nourishing, harsh, terrible
and so on.
Some mantras tie these varying attributes of the rays to different periods
of the day from sunrise to sunset as well as different periods of the night. The
quality and intensity of the sun rays bring about rain, shine, warmth and cold.
Interestingly the sage has not lost sight of the fact that the pleasing
and gentle rays from the moon are only the sun’s rays bouncing off the surface
of moon. The moonlight, according to the Vedic physicians ( as in Ayurveda) plays
an important role in the growth and nourishment of medicinal or healing character
of plants.
The Sun therefore provides a powerful metaphor for the Vedic sage as the
All-in-All, as the Universal Soul, as the Creator, Sustainer and Destroyer, as the
Source of all energy.
****
The hymn holds the golden secret , referred to as Hridayam or Heart, to all
our problems in life, to all our conflicts.
The beauty of the hymn lies in shifting our attention from ‘thinking’ as
a solution to all our problems, to ‘energy’ and ‘vitality’ as the real working solution.
Changing the approach by resorting to life energy instead of thinking
and worrying, and by learning to tap the infinite reserves in our own bosom is
a paradigm shift in the approach to all problems and as this hymn indicates has
been a timeless remedy.
Mark Sage Agastya’s words as he begins the hymn specifically addressing
Rama’s problems - his battle weariness and his anxiety due to engagement with a
powerful enemy with these remarks,
Dear Rama! Oh, the
mighty-armed One! Listen to this ancient secret;
This shall enable you to
conquer all your enemies (including internal ones like worries) and win this
battle.
The Sun’s Secret is its Auspicious
Energy that shall destroy all enemies;
Knowing the Secret shall
make thee Victorious, Imperishable and Supremely Auspicious
Lack of energy is at the heart of many of our problems. Thinking drains
away life energy depleting us of our vitality and strength, making us incapable
to resolve conflicts and issues. Energy can help where thinking fails, energy invigorates , provides vitality - the attributes for success in any endeavour!
The timely, powerful, inspiring, and invigorating mantra by the Sage Agastya provided the right stimulant to Sri Rama. This made it possible for him to draw immense strength from the inexhaustible wellspring of energy within his own bosom, a legacy of every living being!
The story goes that after performing his ablutions and purifying himself,
Sri Rama recited the Hridayam thrice as instructed by the sage to invoke the
Sun. Fully regaining his composure, vigour and valour, he once again engaged with
the enemy with his new found enthusiasm, and brought about the final destruction
of the evil in the form of Ravana.
Battles, they say are won in the minds of people. Thought is the real enemy
says UG! Once we conquer the demons in the form of thoughts by taking recourse
to the free-flowing energy in our own system and letting it handle life and problems, the real battle is won!
****
Here is a fitting end to this great hymn. An anecdote of UG that drives
home the real efficacy of all that is said in the mantra!
Once after the lunch in Babu’s house with UG, Dr. Sreedhav and his dad
Dr. Subba Rao decided to fact-check UG’s habit of throwing up food that he ate.
They followed him to the bathroom and watched him as he emptied everything that he had eaten during the lunch.
Many of us have witnessed this on many occasions.
Now both being medical experts wanted to confirm exactly what came out!
They watched him puke and peeked into the sink – they were flabbergasted to see
that UG threw up everything in the reverse order of what he ate - meaning what
he consumed last, came out first and so on, which was simply impossible for the
doctors to accept.
Still reeling under shock of this incident, Dr. Subba Rao ventured to ask
UG, if he rejected all that he ever ate, then how could he ever get his calories for
basic survival?
UG gave him a stunning reply – that he did not need any food to sustain
himself and, Energy in the Cosmos was his true Source!
[1]
That day UG made the Babus sing the hymn three times, the ancient texts insist
on repeating it thrice! After a few weeks when I visited the couple again, Mr. Parekh
asked me to specifically convey his thanks and gratitude to Babus for singing
the hymn, saying it had greatly helped them during some health crisis!
[2] UG
had extolled the hymn and spoken of its efficacy and benefits for health etc.
UG had admitted to singing it regularly as did JK!
[3] Dr. Raja Ramanna’s writeup was
published in some journal journal somewhere in the 80s or 90s. Shall be
grateful if anyone could provide a copy for the citation.
[4] In Vedic literature and in Upanishads ( like
Chandogya) Sun is described as that which never rises and sets, that sunrise
and sunset is a fallacious perception. This was thousands of years before Copernicus
rejected the geocentric theory.
[5] Our sun, given its size may end up as
a White Dwarf, not a Black Hole as per scientists.
[6]
The X-Y genotype in humans, with X chromosome coming from the mother and
the Y chromosome from the father is a great analogy for this Vedic ‘man-woman’ symbol.
