for students of Sem 3 BHU

1. BA III Sem
Topic: Saur Sampradaya
By
Prachi Virag Sontakke

2. Introduction
• The Sun has been worshipped in various
forms
• Worshipped as Hindu, Buddhist, Jain deity
Development of a surya cult
• Worship of Sun god as the main God by the
worshippers of Surya cult

3. Concept of Saur sampradaya
• Worship of Sun represents a continued ancient tradition.
• Traces in Primitive religion and Vedic religion.
• Surya was not an important god then.
• Worship of sun as a powerful cult god occurs in later part of history.
• Surya as Omnipotent diety.
• Surya as the creator of this world.
• Distinct texts, Distinct mode of worship

4. Texts of Saur cult
• The theology of this sect appears in a number of texts
• Saura Samhita: Only extant copy is currently in Nepal and has been dated to
941 CE
• Surya Satakam: by Mayurbhatta, a poet in the court of Harshavardhana and a
rival of Banabhatta.
• Samba Purana: a Saurite upapurana
• Brahma Purana: 108 Names of Surya

5. Foreign Origin
• Emergence of a distinct sun cult was not an Indian concept.
• Legends: Brought in India By Samba
• Bhavishya+ Garuda Purana: Priests for this sun worship came from Saka
dweep Iran.
• Brihadsamhita : Maga priests only can worship Surya
• Sakadweepi Brahmin

6. Antiquity of Sun worship in India: Early Phase
• Rgveda: Surya, Usha, Savitr
• Later period: Importance declines significantly
• Ramayana: Lord Rama was taught the Ādityahṛdayam stotra (before his war against
Ravanawas) in praise of Lord Surya
• Mahabharata: Karna as son of sun God + On one occasion, when leaving his chambers in
the morning, Yudhisthira encounters one thousand Saurite brahmins with eight
thousand followers
• Kusana period: Revival of sun worship.
• Representations of sun on coins.
• Varah Purana: Worship of sun god at Mathura.

8. Antiquity of Sun worship in India: Gupta-Post Gupta period
• Mandsore inscription: worship of Sun & construction of
sun temple.
• Indore copper plate of Skandgupta: construction of a
sun temple.
• Gupta period Sun idols from Vaishali and Bhita.
• Gwalior Inscription: Huna kings Tormana and Mihirkula
were worshippers of Sun god.
• Banabhatta: refers to practise of sun worship in Ujjain.
• Xuang Zang: Sun temple in Kashmir

9. Sun worship in Early Medieval period
• Kannauj copper plate of Gahadwal dynasty: Refers to Sun worship
• Chahman king Chandmaha Sena: a devotee of Sun.
• Patan Copper plate of Chaulukya Bhim deva: daan to sun temple.
• Prabandhchintamani: Jains were also practising sun worship in western
India.
• Govindapur inscription: Presence of Maga brahman in Bihar

10. Iconography of Surya
• Brihat Samhita : Surya should be shown with two hands and
wearing a crown. It specifically describes his dress to be
Uddichyya vesh
• Vishnudharmottara Purana: Surya iconography should show
him with four hands, with flowers in two hands, a staff in third,
and in fourth he should be shown to be holding writing
equipment
• Wears crown, kundals, shoes.
• Seated/Standing on a chariot driven by horses driven by Arun
• Accompanied by Usha, Pratyusha/ Saranyu, Chhaya

14. Method of worship
• Worship of various forms of Surya- Lolark Bhaskar,
Martand, Bhaskar swami + 12 Adityas
• Use of red mala, red circular chandan.
• Chanting of Gayatri matra.
• Observance of vrat on Sunday.
• Daily ritual of Surya namaskar.
• Special festivals: Sankranti, Kumbha, Lolark , Chhath,
Samba dashmi.

15. Sun temples in India