Vedic influence on the Sun-worship in the Puranas
by Goswami Mitali | 2018 | 68,171 words
This page relates 鈥楽urya (the Healer)鈥� of the study on the Vedic influence of Sun-worship in the Puranas, conducted by Goswami Mitali in 2018. The tradition of observing Agnihotra sacrifice and the Sandhya, etc., is frequently observed among the Hindus. Another important innovation of the Sun-worship in the Puranas is the installation of the images of the Sun in the temples.鈥擳his section belongs to the series 鈥淪alient Traits of the Solar Divinities in the Veda鈥�.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 5 - 厂奴谤测补 (the Healer)
In the 峁欢惫别诲补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, 厂奴谤测补 is worshipped to remove sickness, diseases, etc., of the body with his rays.[1]
The life-yielding aspects of the sunrays are mentioned in the interpretation of S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya thus:
办墨诲峁浥沷 谤补艣尘颈岣�/ gabh墨ravep膩岣� gambh墨rakampana岣�/ ra艣me 辫谤补办补尘辫补苍补峁� 肠补濒补苍补峁� ken膩pi dra峁ａ弓uma艣akyamityartha岣�/ 补蝉耻谤补岣� 蝉补谤惫别峁Ｄ佱箖 辫谤腻峁嘺诲补岣�/[2]
In the 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测腻谤补峁噛补办补 also, the life-giving power of the sunrays is fully observed,[3] and the deity is worshipped. 厂奴谤测补 is entreated to cure the heart diseases and jaundice.[4] The yellowness of eyes, skin, teeth and nail, which are the symptoms of jaundice are taken away to the parrots and other yellow-coloured birds, or trees as soon as the Sun rises.[5]
The rays of the Sun contain the power to fight with the worms, for which, in the Atharvaveda, he is worshipped to smite the worms.[6] Again, 厂奴谤测补 is prayed for curing the sting or Yak峁an along with the headache, head ailment, earache, anaemia, limbsplitting, etc.,[7] cough,[8] skin-diseases, etc.[9] 厂奴谤测补 is also worshipped to take away the venomous affect of the body caused by the snakebite.[10]
He is mentioned as the destroyer of poison too:
s奴rye 惫颈峁m膩 蝉补箩腻尘颈 诲峁泃颈 sur膩vato g峁沨e/ so cinnu no mar膩ti no 惫补测补峁� 尘补谤腻尘腻谤别 asya 测辞箩补苍补峁� 丑补谤颈峁ａ弓丑腻 madhu 迟惫腻 尘补诲丑耻濒腻 肠补办腻谤补//[11]
厂奴谤测补 is worshipped to convert 惫颈峁, treated as the 惫颈峁vidy膩, the science of poison, to antidotes with the help of sun-rays, which as a result becomes 尘补诲丑耻濒腻, i.e., 尘补诲丑耻惫颈诲测腻, accomplished by the science of ambrosia.[12] In the Atharvaveda, 厂奴谤测补 is invoked for longevity along with many other gods.[13]
厂奴谤测补 is also worshipped for removing the evil dreams,[14] and evil-spirits.[15] Thus, he is depicted as the healer of mental diseases, who bestows peace and prosperity.[16]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
cf., ten膩smadvi艣v膩manir膩man膩hutimap膩m墨v膩mapa du峁apnya峁� suva/ 峁欢惫别诲补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, 10.37.4 ap膩m墨v膩 b膩dhate veti s奴ryam/ Ibid., 1.35.9;墨v膩峁� rog膩dib膩dh膩m apa b膩dhate samyak nir膩karoti/ S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya, Ibid.
[2]:
S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya on 峁欢惫别诲补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, 1.35.7
[3]:
cf., 蝉补谤惫别峁Ｄ佱箖 bh奴t膩n膩峁� pr膩峁嚹乶膩d膩yodeti/ TA., 1.14.1
[5]:
cf., 艣uke峁 me harim膩峁嘺峁� ropan膩k膩su dadhmasi/ atho h膩ridrave峁 me harim膩峁嘺峁� ni dadhmasi// 峁欢惫别诲补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, 1.50.12; Atharvavedasa峁僪it膩, 1.22.4
[6]:
cf., udayann膩ditya岣� krimin hantu nimrocan hantu 谤补艣尘颈产丑颈岣�/ Atharvavedasa峁僪it膩, 2.32.1
[7]:
[8]:
[9]:
[10]:
cf., 诲别惫腻 adu岣� s奴ryo ad膩d dyaurad膩t p峁泃hivyad膩t/ tisra岣� sarasvat墨radu岣� sacitt膩 惫颈峁d奴峁峁嘺m// Ibid., 6.100.1
[11]:
cf., s奴rye 惫颈峁m膩 蝉补箩腻尘颈 诲峁泃颈峁� sur膩vato g峁沨e/so cinnu na mar膩ti no 惫补测补峁� 尘补谤腻尘腻谤别/asya 测辞箩补苍补峁� 丑补谤颈峁ａ弓丑腻 madhu 迟惫腻 尘补诲丑耻濒腻 肠补办腻谤补// 峁欢惫别诲补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, 1.191.10
[12]:
cf., he 惫颈峁 迟惫腻峁� madhu 补尘峁泃补峁� 肠补办腻谤补/ 惫颈峁sya 惫颈峁bh膩va峁� d奴re使panodya am峁泃墨cak膩reti/ e峁iva madhud膩tr墨 nirvi峁Ｄ玨artr墨 尘补诲丑耻惫颈诲测腻/ yadetad膩dityasya 惫颈峁测辞箩补苍补峁� tena ca 补尘峁泃墨办补谤补峁嘺峁� yadasti e峁Ｄ� 尘补诲丑耻惫颈诲测腻/ S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya, Ibid.
[13]:
[14]:
cf. 鈥� ten膩smadvi艣v膩manir膩man膩hutimap膩m墨v膩mapa du峁ａ梗vapnya峁� suva// 峁欢惫别诲补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, 10.37.4
[15]:
cf., 鈥d峁涐梗峁乶tsarv膩帽jambhayattsarv膩艣ca y膩tudh膩nya// Ibid., 1.191.8
[16]:
cf., vi艣膩h膩 迟惫腻 蝉耻尘补苍补蝉补岣� sucak峁sa岣� praj膩vanto anam墨v膩 an膩gasa岣�/udyanta峁� 迟惫腻 mitramaho divedive jyogj墨v膩岣� prati pa艣yema s奴rya// Ibid., 10.37.7