Konark Temple: A Soul’s Symbolic Journey Part 3

 

Continued From: The Forgotten Empires Of India: Konark Temple: A Soul’s Symbolic Journey Part 2

Symbolism behind Sun Worship

The Target of Solar Worship:

Solar worship was quite prevalent in ancient times. The Sun was seen as the direct manifestation of the Supreme Paramatman. The Purusha Suktam describes the Supreme Purusha as one with the hue of the rising sun, Adithya varnam. The Chandogya Upanishad describes this Supreme Purusha in the Solar Orb as a beautiful being with a golden complexion, golden hair and even a golden moustache.

 

The Antaraditya Vidhya is one of the 32 Brahma Vidhyas. This Brahma Vidhya focuses on the Sun as a manifestation of the Supreme Paramatman. The target of the meditation taught by the Antaraditya Vidhya is not just the Sun, but the Sun, which has the Supreme Paramatman as the indwelling controller.

 

The Goddess Gayathri is invoked during the Sandhya Worship three times a day. She is worshipped as Gayathri, Savithri and Saraswati. The Sandhya Worship is performed at Sunrise, at midday when the Sun is directly above us in the sky, and at sunset. Savithri Rik is another name for the Gayathri Manthram. This manthram attracts the effulgent Supreme Paramatman and requests Him to reveal Himself to us. The Vedic verse mentions that brilliant rays emanate from the Supreme Purusha, making it difficult for us to see Him. He shines brilliantly like the sun and is hence unseen by us. We can meditate upon Him only if He reveals Himself to us. The Gayathri Manthram is a request for the Supreme Purusha to reveal Himself to us.

 

The Konark Temple is a pictorial representationof the Gayathri Manthra. The temple is in the form of a chariot with twelve pairs of wheels. The Gayathri Metre has eight syllables in each of its three pada, making it 24 in total. The temple has 24 wheels representing this sacred Gayathri Metre.

 

The Supreme Purusha, the target of worship in the Antaraditya Vidhya and the Gayathri Manthram, is none other than Lord Sriman Narayana. The Chandogya Upanishad, while describing the golden Purusha in the solar orb, states that kapyAsam puNdareekam yEvam akshiNI. This is the clue that identifies the Purusha inside the Solar Orb as Lord Sriman Narayana because He is the only one who has beautiful lotus-like eyes.

கம்பீராம்பஸ் ஸமுத்பூத ரவிகர விகசித பங்கஜ தள அமல-ஆயதேக்ஷணா. Kam pipathi ithi kapihi. Kam means water. Pipathi means to drink. Kapi means that which drinks water. We all know that the Sun drinks the water. The word “aasam” means that which has been made to blossom. The word kapyasam in the above verse describes the beautiful red lotus which blossoms when touched by the warm rays of the Sun (kapyasam). Alternatively, A lotus stalk also drinks water. The lotus stalk is kapi. The lotus, which is attached to its stalk, has its seat (aasam) on the stalk. The lotus, which is seated on its stalk in a deep pond, looks very cool, fresh and attractive. This lotus is called kapyasam. In this context, kapyasam refers to the red lotus with a very long stalk, which always stays fresh because it uses its stalk to drink water from the pond! Lord Sriman Narayana’s eyes resemble such a beautiful lotus that always looks cool and fresh.

 

The name of the deity mentioned in the Gayathri Manthram is Savitr. This name is the name given to the creator of the Universe. In the context of the manthra, it does not refer to the four-faced Lord Brahma, but to the Supreme Creator Lord Sriman Narayana, who created the creator Lord Brahma.

 

रविर्नारायणस्तेजः चन्द्रो नारायणो महः ।

वह्निर्नारायणः साक्षात् नारायण नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ ८॥

ravir nArAyaNastejah candrO nArAyaNO mahah | vahnirnArAyaNah sAkshAt nArAyaNa namOstu tE || 6

 

The above slokam from the Narayana Hrdayam mentions that the effulgence of Lord Narayana is the Sun, and the light of Lord Narayana is the moon. This slokam reiterates the meaning of the 60^th manthram of the Mahanarayanopanishad, in which Lord Sriman Narayana is eulogised as the antaryami of the Sun, the Moon, and Agni.

 

The name Hrishikesha highlights that Lord Sriman Narayana is the antaryami of the sun and the moon. The usual meaning provided by many for “Hrishikesha” is “the one who controls our senses, but “Hrishikesha” also means the one who makes others happy by showering His effulgence on them. This name refers to Lord Sriman Narayana empowering the Sun and the Moon with His brilliance, thus bestowing joy upon us through sunlight and moonlight. This explanation is found in the Vishnusahasranama commentary by Sri Chinmayananda and by Sri P.Sankaranarayanan in the Sri Vishnusahasranama stotram commentary.

The above image is the commentary of Sri Vishnu Sahasranama by Sri Adi Sankara Bagawathpadal.  The acharya has given two meanings for the name Hrishikesha. Hrishikesha: He who controls the senses, the supreme Atman; or He who, in the form of sun and moon, delights the world by His (kesa) rays. Lord Krishna mentions in the Moksadharma in the Santi Parva of the Mahabharata (MB, Santi., 12. 330. 1-2) that,  “ The sun and moon through their rays known as kesa always uphold the universe as it were by awaking it and causing it to sleep. By such awaking and causing to sleep, the universe is delighted. It is in consequence of these acts of fire (Sun) and Soma who uphold the universe that I have come to be called by the name of Hrishikesha, O son of Pandu! Indeed, I am the boon-giver, the Lord, the sustainer of the universe.”

 

The core philosophy of Sanathana Dharma revolves around Lord Sriman Narayana’s antaryamitvam. As evident from the examples from various texts given above, Lord Sriman Narayanan, as the indwelling controller of the sun, is the target of sun-worship. 

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