Importance of Worshiping the Sun God – From Bhavishya Purana

Article by Shubhangi Naik

Bhavishya Purana has given the greatest importance to Sun God, devoting a huge space in it as compared to other Puranas; as sun is exalted now, we reproduce below  verbatim translation of a chapter devoted to benefits of Sun worship.

Chapter 103

Lord Brahma said: O Madhusudan! A person, who builds a Sun temple with devotion, achieves the abode of Lord Surya (the Sun god) for seven generations.

Whoever worships the Sun god in the Sun temple for as much number of years gains happiness in the abode of Sun for that many thousands of years.

Whoever worships the Sun god with Ardhya (offering of water), flower,

sandalwood paste, food etc. offered to the Sun god with rituals gets similar status as that of the Sun himself in all his deeds, whether good or bad.

Whoever worships Lord Surya with devotion daily and by offerings of beautiful and fragrant flowers, dhoop (incense with maximum sandalwood) by the names of ‘Vijayadhoop’ and ‘Amrutdhoop’, fragrant camphor, lamps, food/fruits etc. all his desires are fulfilled.

The lord of the Yagnas (a Vedic ritual performed to please the Gods by offering libation/oblation in the sacred  with Mantra), lord Bhaskar (the Sun god) gets pleased by performing yagnas. As only few and rich people can afford to perform the Yagnas like Ashwamedha Yagna (considered a very high end yagna, this  Yagna with lengthy rituals were performed by the Kings, in this the horse is made to roam and the areas where the horse roams falls under the reign of the performer of the Yagna) and Rajsuya Yagna (performed by Kings   to establish their emperorship, to integrate factions under their rule, and to distribute wealth to many people)  which are with plenty of rituals and expensive, if a person worships the Sun god with devotion and with Durvas (short grass with light green blades)  he begets the rich and rare fruits.

Whatever offerings are made to the Sun god, like flowers, food, fruits, sandalwood paste, ornaments, red fabrics should be of the quality as are required to offer to the Sun god; and worship the Adidev (the first god), the lord of the Yagnas,  will total devotion.

Whoever offers bath to lord Surya in the Sun temple with water of sacred rivers, sandalwood paste, honey, ghrut (ghee – a class of clarified butter that originated in the Indian subcontinent) and milk, is blessed with abundance of sweetness and peace in life.

originated in the Indian subcontinent) and milk, is blessed with abundance of sweetness and peace in life.

Lord Vishnu asked: O Brahman! (addressed to Lord Brahma), how is Sun god pleased by fasting? How should the person fasting, worship the Sun god? You please tell us…

Lord Brahma Said: When a person, worships Lord Surya with total devotion and by offering dhoop, flowers etc, but without observing the fast, is blessed by the Sun god then what can be said about a person who observes fast and worships the Sun god?

Fasting means total abstinence from sins and pleasures; it is about developing good qualities in oneself. The person who fasts with total devotion to the Sun god on 1, 2 or 3 nights or performs japas (chanting of mantras) and performs all the duties, such person attains heavenly abode by worshiping the Sun god.

Whoever worships the Sun god with total devotion and with some wishes or desires in heart, the person achieves it all on pleasing the Vrushadwaj  (The flag on the chariot of the Sun God has a bull’s picture  on it), the Sun god.

Vishnu asked: O Vibho! (another name for Lord Brahma) How would the Brahmin (scholarly community), Kshatriya (rulers and warriors community), Vaishya (mercantile and artisan community), Shudras (service-providing community), females and others involved in the materialistic world attain happy and comfortable position.

Lord Brahma said: Men would attain salvation on worshiping the Sun god, the destroyer of all the darkness, with selfless devotion.

How can a sinful person, who is weak and does not pray with heart to the Sun god get salvation?

If a person wishes to obtain salvation from all the sufferings, he has to worship Lord Surya, the lord of all planets with flowers, dhoop, agaru (aromatic aloe wood), sandalwood, clothes, ornaments and offerings of food/fruits.

If one wishes to stay away from the materialistic life and achieve peace, then one has to worship the Sun god, the lord of the time.

If a person is unable to offer flowers for worship then he can offer the newly sprung leaves of auspicious trees and durva.

By worshiping, the Bhaskara, (the Sun god) as per one’s capacity with flowers, water, leaves of the auspicious trees and with incense/dhoop, one can get incomparable satisfaction.

Worshiping lord Surya only once but with proper ritual is equal to performing ‘Ten Ashwamedh Yagnas’. The person, who performs Ten Ashwamedh Yagnas, is born repeatedly on earth, but a person who worships lord Surya is freed from the cycle of life and death.

This way of worshiping the Sun god with total devotion & rituals, the person gains tremendous success.

Lord Brahma continues: By worshiping him, I have attained divinity. You (i.e. Lord Vishnu) have also achieved your desires by worshiping the Sun god. Lord Shiva has been freed from the sin of Brahmahatya (killing of a Brahmin) only due to worshiping the Sun god.

By worshiping Lord Divakara, (another name of Sun god) men have achieved godliness, Gandharva (celestial males) and others have achieved expertise in their respective works.

Publisher: Useful remedy for curse of Guru or malefic influencing Jupiter in ones chart. If one knows how to use Vara Chakra, then one can confirm the remedy of Sun worship & even when one is suffering through a bad transit of Jupiter, Sun worship is most useful.

The king named Lek, has obtained the position of Indra (the king of Gods) only by worshiping Lord Surya and by performing hundred yagnas, which is why no other gods are so worshipable like the Sun god.

Females should worship Lord Surya apart from worshiping their husbands. Married men should also worship Lord Surya. Vaishya’s should also worship Lord Surya, the destroyer of darkness. Even Sanyasis (people who have renounced the world) should always pray and worship Vibhavasu (another name of the Sun god).

This way, Chitrabhanu Lord Suryanarayan is worshipable by persons belonging to all Varnas (castes)and all Ashrams. Worshiping the Sun God gives utter peace.