
Hymns to Surya From the Rig-Veda - Book I

HYMN L. Surya.
1 HIS bright rays bear him up aloft, the God
who knoweth all that lives,
Surya, that all may look on him.
2 The constellations pass away, like thieves, together with
their beams,
Before the all-beholding Sun'
3 His herald
rays are seen afar refulgent o'er the world of men,
Like
flames of fire that burn and blaze.
4 Swift and all beautiful
art thou, O Surya, maker of the light,
Illuming all the radiant
realm.
5 Thou goest to the hosts of Gods, thou comest hither
to mankind,
Hither all light to be belield.
6 With that
same eye of thine wherewith thou lookest brilliant Varuna,
Upon the busy race of men,
7 Traversing sky and wide mid-air,
thou metest with thy beams our days,
Sun, seeing all things
that have birth.
8 Seven Bay Steeds harnessed to thy car
bear thee, O thou farseeing One,
God, Surya, with the radiant
hair.
9 Surya hath yoked the pure bright Seven, the daughters
of the car; with these,
His own dear team, he goeth forth.
10 Looking upon the loftier light above the darkness we have
come
To Surya, God among the Gods, the light that is most
excellent.
11 Rising this day, O rich in friends, ascending
to the loftier heaven,
Surya remove my heart's disease, take
from me this my yellow hue.
12 To parrots and to starlings
let us give away my yellowness,
Or this my yellowness let
us transfer to Haritala trees.
13 With all his conquering
vigour this Aditya hath gone up on high,
Giving my foe into
mine hand: let me not be my foeman's prey.
HYMN CXV. Surya.
1. THE brilliant presence of the Gods hath risen,
the eye of Mitra, Varuna and Agni.
The soul of all that moveth
not or moveth, the Sun hath filled the air and earth and heaven.
2 Like as a young man followeth a maiden, so doth the Sun the
Dawn, refulgent Goddess:
Where pious men extend their generations,
before the Auspicious One for happy fortune.
3 Auspicious
are the Sun's Bay-coloured Horses, bright, changing hues, meet
for our shouts of triumph.
Bearing our prayers, die sky's
ridge have they mounted, and in a moment speed round earth and
heaven.
4 This is the Godhead, this might of Surya: he hath
withdrawn what spread o'er work unfinished.
When he hath
loosed his Horses from their station, straight over all Night
spreadeth out her garment.
5 In the sky's lap the Sun this
form assumeth that Varuna and Mitra may behold it.
His Bay
Steeds well maintain his power eternal, at one time bright and
darksome at another.
6 This day, O Gods, while Surya is ascending,
deliver us from trouble and dishonour.
This prayer of ours
may Varuna grant, and Mitra, and Aditi and Sindhu, Earth and
Heaven.
Suggestions for Further Reading
- The Rig Veda translation by Griffith, Introduction
- Hymns of the Sama veda translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith
- Yajur Veda: The Veda Of The Black Yajus School
- Hymns Of The Atharva-Veda
- Anugita English Translation
- THE Sanatsugâtîya, A Spiritual Dialogue
- Dharmashastras, the Sacred Law Books of Hindus
- The Hindu Dharmashastras, Subject Index
- The Grihya Sutras, The Vedic Domestic Ritual Texts
- The Sankhya Sutras of Kapila, Index page
- Translation of Upanishads by Swami Paramananda, Index
- A History Of Indian Philosophy - Chapter Index
- The Upanishads translated by Max Muller
- Vedic Reader for Students
- The Bhagavad-gita in a nutshell
- Essays On Dharma
- Esoteric Mystic Hinduism
- Introduction to Hinduism
- Hindu Way of Life
- Essays On Karma
- Hindu Rites and Rituals
- The Origin of The Sanskrit Language
- Symbolism in Hinduism
- Essays on The Upanishads
- Concepts of Hinduism
- Essays on Atman
- Hindu Festivals
- Spiritual Practice
- Right Living
- Yoga of Sorrow
- Happiness
- Mental Health
- Concepts of Buddhism
- General Essays
Source: An English translation of the Vedas by Ralph T.H. Griffith, 1896.