2023-02-23 18:48:35 by ambuda-bot
This page has not been fully proofread.
85
scription and praise of Surya's rays; stanzas 44-49, to the horses
that draw his chariot; stanzas 50-61, to Aruna, his charioteer;
stanzas 62-72, to the chariot itself; and stanzas 73-80, to the
solar disk. The remaining stanzas are miscellaneous in char-
acter. In some of them (viz. 91, 92 and 93), Sürya is compared
to Siva, Viṣṇu, and Brahmā respectively, and in stanza 88 he is
shown to be superior to those divinities in the matter of con-
ferring blessings upon the universe. Stanzas 85, 95 and 96
picture conditions on the earth when Sürya is absent at night, and
stanza 87 gives the opposite picture, describing how all nature
moves smoothly in its accustomed channels as long as Surya con-
tinues to shine. In stanza 94 is attested Sürya's universal
supremacy; in 99, he is identified with the principal gods of the
Hindu pantheon; and stanza 100 states the incomprehensibility of
his nature.
INTRODUCTION
Among the ideas that a perusal of the Süryaśataka conveys
with more or less emphasis to the reader, may be mentioned the
following: Sürya is a reservoir of water which is drawn up from
the earth and afterwards poured down again in the form of rain
(stanzas 9, 14, 30, 73, 91, 93) ; emancipation from rebirth may be
obtained through Sürya (stanzas 9, 10, 11, 29, 73, 80, 86, 89);
Sürya drives away sin (cf. above, p. 84, where the aśis is dis-
cussed); Sürya is the life of the world and the benefactor of the
universe (stanzas 59, 77, 80, 87, 88, 97, 100); the nature of Sürya
is incomprehensible, except to yogins (stanzas 29, 65, 100);
Sürya is responsible for his acts to no one except himself (stanzas
6, 19, 84, 97); he is identical with the Vedas (stanza 89); his
twelve personalities will eventually destroy the worlds (stanza 94).
Of passing interest, too, is the 6th stanza, in which Sürya is
said to cure what are apparently the symptoms of leprosy; also
stanza 13, which is a kind of play on the numerals from 1 to 10;
stanza 38, showing the unusual doubling of a series of syllables
at the beginning and end of each päda; and stanza 50, which con-
tains a rather elaborate simile drawn from the realm of the
drama.
scription and praise of Surya's rays; stanzas 44-49, to the horses
that draw his chariot; stanzas 50-61, to Aruna, his charioteer;
stanzas 62-72, to the chariot itself; and stanzas 73-80, to the
solar disk. The remaining stanzas are miscellaneous in char-
acter. In some of them (viz. 91, 92 and 93), Sürya is compared
to Siva, Viṣṇu, and Brahmā respectively, and in stanza 88 he is
shown to be superior to those divinities in the matter of con-
ferring blessings upon the universe. Stanzas 85, 95 and 96
picture conditions on the earth when Sürya is absent at night, and
stanza 87 gives the opposite picture, describing how all nature
moves smoothly in its accustomed channels as long as Surya con-
tinues to shine. In stanza 94 is attested Sürya's universal
supremacy; in 99, he is identified with the principal gods of the
Hindu pantheon; and stanza 100 states the incomprehensibility of
his nature.
INTRODUCTION
Among the ideas that a perusal of the Süryaśataka conveys
with more or less emphasis to the reader, may be mentioned the
following: Sürya is a reservoir of water which is drawn up from
the earth and afterwards poured down again in the form of rain
(stanzas 9, 14, 30, 73, 91, 93) ; emancipation from rebirth may be
obtained through Sürya (stanzas 9, 10, 11, 29, 73, 80, 86, 89);
Sürya drives away sin (cf. above, p. 84, where the aśis is dis-
cussed); Sürya is the life of the world and the benefactor of the
universe (stanzas 59, 77, 80, 87, 88, 97, 100); the nature of Sürya
is incomprehensible, except to yogins (stanzas 29, 65, 100);
Sürya is responsible for his acts to no one except himself (stanzas
6, 19, 84, 97); he is identical with the Vedas (stanza 89); his
twelve personalities will eventually destroy the worlds (stanza 94).
Of passing interest, too, is the 6th stanza, in which Sürya is
said to cure what are apparently the symptoms of leprosy; also
stanza 13, which is a kind of play on the numerals from 1 to 10;
stanza 38, showing the unusual doubling of a series of syllables
at the beginning and end of each päda; and stanza 50, which con-
tains a rather elaborate simile drawn from the realm of the
drama.