Rama Recites a Hymn to the Sun

                                        “Om Sri Lakshmi Narashimhan Nahama”

                                                    Ramayana  Chapter 105

                              Rama Recites a Hymn to the Sun

The sage Agastya saw Rama standing on the battlefield absorbed in thought and

exhausted from fighting, with Ravana facing Him ready to fight. Approaching Rama with the

demigods who had come to watch the conflict, the blessed sage Agastya said: “O Rama! O

Rama! O strong-armed one! Hear this eternal secret by which you will conquer all your enemies

in battle, my dear prince. The chanting of this eternal and most holy hymn called Aditya-hridaya

destroys all enemies. It brings victory. It is the most auspicious of all auspicious things. It destroys

all sins. It allays all anxiety and sorrow and is the most efficacious means to prolong one’s life.

“Worship the splendorous sun, the ruler of the worlds clothed in rays and risen on the

horizon. He is honored by all the gods and demons and illuminates the world. He is indeed the

embodiment of all the gods. He is resplendent. By his rays he creates and maintains the hordes

of gods and demons and their worlds. He is Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Skanda, Prajapati, Indra,

Kuvera, time, Yamaraja, Soma, Varuna, the forefathers, the Vasus, the saadhyas, the Ashvins,

the Maruts, Manu, Vayu, Agni, the creatures, life, the controller of the seasons, the brilliant one,

the son of Aditi, the vivifier, the sun, the courser in the sky, the nourisher, the splendorous one,

the golden one, the golden seed and the maker of the day.

“He has seven dark green horses hitched to his chariot. He has thousands of rays. He

destroys darkness. He is Shambhu, Tvastha, Martanda, Anshuman, Hiranya-garbha, the source

of heat during the winter, the effulgent sun, the womb of fire, the son of Aditi, the conch shell, the

destroyer of cold, lord of the sky, the splitter of darkness, the pervader of the Rig, Yajur and

Sama Vedas, the giver of heavy showers of rain, the friend, the swift courser along his own path,

the warmer, the orb, death itself, yellowish, warming all, all-knowing, most splendid, red and the

source of all existence. He is the lord of the asterisms, the planets and the stars. He is the source

of everything. Of splendor, he is the splendid one. I offer my prostrated respects to him who has

twelve forms.

“The hymn is as follows:

namah purvaya giraye

pashcimayadraye namah

jyotir gananam pataye

dinadhipataye namah

jayaya jaya-bhadraya

hary-ashvaya namo namah

namo namah sahasramsho

adityaya namo namah

nama ugraya viraya

sarangaya namo namah

namah padma-prabodhaya

pracandaya namo ’stu te

brahmeshanacyuteshaya

surayaditya-varcase

bhasvate sarva-bhakshaya

raudraya vapushe namah

tamoghnaya himaghnaya

shatrughnayamitatmane

kritaghnaghnaya devaya

jyotisham pataye namah

tapta-camikarabhaya

haraye, vishva-karmane

namas tamo ’bhinighnaya

rucaye loka-sakshine

“‘I offer my respects to you who are the eastern mountain and the western mountain, the

lord of the hosts of luminaries and the lord of the day. I offer my respects to you who are victory,

the giver of victory and the owner of the green horses. I offer my respects to you who have a

thousand rays, the son of Aditi. I offer my respects to you who are fearsome, valiant and

speckled. I offer my respects to you who are the awakener of the lotus, the fierce one. I offer my

respects to you who are the lord of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, the resplendent sun itself,

effulgent all-illuminating and having a fierce body. I offer my respects to you who are the

destroyer of darkness, the destroyer of ice, the destroyer of enemies, the unlimited Soul, the

destroyer of the ungrateful, the lord of all lights. I offer my respects to you who are as brilliant as

molten gold, fire itself, the creator of this universe. I offer my respects to you who are the

destroyer of darkness, the shining one, the witness of the world.’

“That lord certainly creates, maintains and destroys whatever exists. By his rays he heats

and showers down rain. He is the one who remains awake when the living beings have fallen

asleep. He is the oblations offered in the sacrificial fire and the fruit enjoyed by those who perform

sacrifice. He is all the gods, the sacrifices and the fruit of sacrifices. He is the Supreme Lord of all

the activities in all the worlds. The person who glorifies him when in difficulties or danger never

comes to grief, O Rama. Worship that God of gods, the Lord of the world with concentration. By

chanting this hymn three times, one will be victorious in battles. This very moment You will kill

Ravana, O strong-armed one.”

Having said this, Agastya left the same way he had come. When Rama heard this advice,

His sorrow immediately vanished. Controlling Himself, he maintained the feeling of delight in His

mind. Rama sipped water three times with appropriate prayers to purify Himself and then

experienced great pleasure by reciting the hymn while looking at the sun. Grabbing His bow and

staring at Ravana, the valiant Rama joyfully proceeded to the battlefield to achieve victory. He

became determined to kill Ravana with all His effort. Pleased to see Rama offering prayers and

understanding that Ravana would soon be killed, the sun-god, who was in the midst of hosts of

gods, said to Rama: “Hurry!”