Common questions about IAS, our mission, and how you can be part of this spiritual movement.
Yes. Even today, some people perform Surya Puja and other Hindu rituals hoping to have a child, including a son.
- In Hindu mythology: Samba worshipped Surya Dev for relief from illness. Other traditions associate prayers and penance with the wish for children.
- In present-day practice: Some devotees pray to Surya Dev or observe religious vows for fertility, a healthy child, and family well-being.
- Important: Prayer may provide spiritual comfort, but there is no scientific evidence that a puja determines a baby's sex or guarantees conception.
The Sun’s orbit around Mount Manasottara is described in Hindu Puranic cosmology.
- Mount Manasottara: A mythical mountain said to stand on Mount Lokāloka's inner side, associated with the Sun's celestial path.
- Sun’s orbit: The Sun is described as moving around Mount Meru along a circular route, passing through the four celestial cities associated with Indra, Yama, Varuna, and Soma.
- Meaning: This describes the movement of the Sun and the changing cycle of day and night in traditional Hindu cosmology.
Movement of the Sun
- According to science: The Sun rotates on its axis and moves through the Milky Way galaxy. Earth revolves around the Sun.
- According to Hindu mythology: Surya Dev travels across the sky in a chariot drawn by seven horses, driven by Aruna.
- Daily movement: The Sun appears to rise in the east and set in the west because Earth rotates from west to east.
- Seasonal movement: The Sun's apparent position shifts north and south throughout the year because Earth's axis is tilted.
Movement of Surya Dev’s Chariot:
- Driver: Aruna, the charioteer of Surya Dev.
- Horses: Seven horses, symbolizing the seven metres of Vedic hymns or the seven colours of light in later interpretations.
- Path: According to Hindu Puranic cosmology, the chariot travels along a celestial route around Mount Meru.
- Purpose: It illuminates the three worlds and regulates day and night.
One wheel: Symbolizes the cycle of time and the year.
Seven horses: Represent the seven metres of Vedic hymns; they are also popularly associated with the seven colours of sunlight.
Aruna: The charioteer who guides Surya Dev’s chariot.
Axle: Represents the structure supporting the chariot’s movement in Puranic cosmology.
Celestial path: The chariot travels across the heavens, bringing light and marking the passage of time.
Surya Dev’s caste: According to many Hindu traditions, Surya Dev is associated with the Kshatriya (warrior-ruler) varna. However, descriptions vary across scriptures and traditions, and caste classifications of deities are not entirely consistent.