Please share thoughts
I believe that our empathy, our kindness, our ability to forgive, our will to live, our willingness to help and our capacity to bring a little less suffering into the lives of other beings are among the truest measures of what our soul has become. Or can.
And if our willingness to be good, to follow dharma and to become more like Bhagwan is driven primarily by the incentive of some reward after death, in some dimension called heaven, then perhaps our dharma remains shallow and transactional.
I do not want to be good merely because I am afraid of punishment or because I am promised a reward. I want to be good because, somewhere within me, I believe that goodness is itself sacred. I want to help because somebody needed help. I want to be kind because another being can feel pain.
I don't want to live truly usually. Yet, I want to live because maybe, just maybe, some body's darkness go away by our words. Or action.
And perhaps, if there is truly something divine within us, then becoming a little more compassionate, a little more truthful, a little more courageous and a little more useful to the world is itself a form of moving closer to Him.
Maybe there is heaven. Maybe there is rebirth. Maybe there is moksha. I do not know.
But even if there were no reward waiting beyond this life, I would still want to leave this world having caused a little less pain and created a little more light than I found in it.
That, to me, is dharma.
These are simply my thoughts, sitaram β¨
Inspired by the famous quote that goes I love loved a flower so much that I left it alone
The Flower
I asked God for the flower I adored.
He answered not with petals, but with rain outpoured.
I asked again for the bloom I sought.
He gave me humble soil instead of what I thought.
I pleaded once more for the flower I knew.
He placed in my hands tiny seeds that quietly grew.
I asked again with hope untold.
He sent warm sunshine and winds so bold.
Day after day, night after night,
The flower lived within my sight.
It became my purpose, my reason to strive,
The dream that kept my soul alive.
I saw my future in every leaf,
It carried my joy through sorrow and grief.
Time slipped by without a sound,
As roots reached deep into the ground.
Then one blessed day the flower bloomed,
Brighter than all I had assumed.
I reached... but stopped.
How could I tear away what my heart had grown?
How could I claim what love had shown?
For love does not possess or bind;
It lets the truest beauty shine.
In every reality and universe left,
She is the one to whom I am indebt
Whether I have million lives or ninety nine,
Whether I live in this or any timeline,
Whether my days are many or few, Whether my skies are dark or blue,
I will carry this love till my final breath Beyond the boundaries of life and death.
She was, and always will be, The only flower my soul chose to love and see.
Written in remembrance of my love of life who is no more with us on this planet.
Inspired by the famous quote that goes I love loved a flower so much that I left it alone
The Flower
I asked God for the flower I adored.
He answered not with petals, but with rain outpoured.
I asked again for the bloom I sought.
He gave me humble soil instead of what I thought.
I pleaded once more for the flower I knew.
He placed in my hands tiny seeds that quietly grew.
I asked again with hope untold.
He sent warm sunshine and winds so bold.
Day after day, night after night,
The flower lived within my sight.
It became my purpose, my reason to strive,
The dream that kept my soul alive.
I saw my future in every leaf,
It carried my joy through sorrow and grief.
Time slipped by without a sound,
As roots reached deep into the ground.
Then one blessed day the flower bloomed,
Brighter than all I had assumed.
I reached... but stopped.
How could I tear away what my heart had grown?
How could I claim what love had shown?
For love does not possess or bind;
It lets the truest beauty shine.
In every reality and universe left,
She is the one to whom I am indebt
Whether I have million lives or ninety nine,
Whether I live in this or any timeline,
Whether my days are many or few, Whether my skies are dark or blue,
I will carry this love till my final breath Beyond the boundaries of life and death.
She was, and always will be, The only flower my soul chose to love and see.
Written in remembrance of my love of life who is no more with us on this planet.
Apologies for delay in this post.
Part 1 : introduction : Bowing to the eternal light because of whom every tree, every river, every civilization, every kingdom and every human breath exists, the only Devata whom every human being on this planet witnesses every single day regardless of religion, nationality or belief, the visible manifestation of life itself... Shri Surya Narayan... Shri Ganeshaaye Namah.
Among all the Navagraha, perhaps none is simultaneously more obvious and more neglected than Surya Dev. Every civilization that has ever existed, from the oldest known cultures to modern scientific societies, has instinctively understood one simple truth long before philosophy and theology entered the picture: if the Sun disappears, everything else disappears shortly after it. There is no agriculture without sunlight, no forests without photosynthesis, no rivers sustained by the water cycle, no food chain, no biological clock, no changing seasons and ultimately no civilization. Every breath that every living creature takes is, in one way or another, borrowed from the energy continuously radiating from the Sun. Perhaps this alone explains why our Rishis never reduced Surya merely to a celestial body floating in space. They recognised him as the visible expression of the sustaining force of Bhagwan Himself.
Among almost all Hindu deities, Surya occupies a uniquely extraordinary position because he does not require imagination, faith or symbolism to establish his existence before us. Every morning he rises before kings and labourers, saints and criminals, believers and atheists alike without asking anyone their caste, language, wealth or opinion. He shines equally upon the righteous and the wicked because light itself does not discriminate. Perhaps this silent impartiality is the very first lesson Surya teaches humanity every single day without uttering a single word.
According to our Puranas, Surya is the son of Maharishi Kashyapa and Devi Aditi, making him one of the twelve Adityas repeatedly glorified throughout the Vedas, the Mahabharata and numerous Puranic traditions. The Rigveda itself contains many hymns dedicated to Surya in his different forms, while perhaps the most famous mantra known to almost every Hindu, the Gayatri Mantra, invokes Savita, the divine solar principle responsible not merely for physical illumination but for awakening higher intelligence itself. Our ancestors were therefore not merely praying for sunlight; they were praying that the same force which illuminates the external universe may also illuminate the darkness within the human intellect.
His divine family itself contains profound symbolism. His principal wife, Devi Sanjna, the daughter of Vishwakarma, found Surya's unbearable radiance impossible to withstand despite her own greatness. Unable to tolerate such intense brilliance, she eventually left behind her own shadow, Chhaya, while she departed to perform tapasya. From Sanjna were born Vaivasvata Manu, regarded as the progenitor of present humanity, Yama Dev, who presides over Dharma and karmic justice after death, and Yamuna, whose sacred waters continue to nourish millions even today. From Chhaya were born Shani Dev, the relentless dispenser of karmic consequences, Savarni Manu and Tapati. It is difficult to ignore the extraordinary symbolism hidden within this family alone. From Surya emerge Dharma, Karma, humanity itself and one of Bharat's holiest rivers. Even his shadow gives birth to Time's slow justice through Shani. It is almost as if the entire architecture of worldly existence quietly unfolds from the household of Surya himself.
His chariot is driven by Aruna, the reddish glow that announces dawn before sunrise, while seven magnificent horses pull him across the heavens. Different traditions interpret these seven horses differently. Some describe them as the seven colours contained within visible sunlight, others identify them with the seven Vedic metres, while many interpret them as the seven days of the week or even the seven levels of consciousness through which the human being gradually ascends. Whatever interpretation one prefers, the symbolism remains remarkably consistent. Surya represents movement, rhythm, order and the uninterrupted continuity of time itself. Every sunrise silently reminds mankind that regardless of our personal victories, failures, ambitions or grief, Time never forgets to move forward.
Throughout Sanatan Dharma, Surya's presence quietly appears behind some of its greatest personalities. Bhagwan Shri Ram himself belonged to the Suryavansha, the Solar Dynasty whose ideals continue to shape Hindu thought even today. Before the decisive battle against Ravana, Maharishi Agastya instructed Shri Ram to recite the Aditya Hridaya Stotra, reminding him that even the greatest warrior sometimes requires remembrance of inner light before confronting external darkness. Karna, perhaps one of the most tragic and misunderstood heroes of the Mahabharata, was born through Surya's grace. Hanuman himself is traditionally regarded as a disciple of Surya, from whom he learned grammar, scriptures, the Vedas and countless branches of knowledge while travelling alongside the Sun's daily journey across the sky. Few deities have influenced so many defining personalities of our civilization so quietly yet so profoundly.
Within Vedic astrology, Surya is universally accepted as the natural Atmakaraka. Unfortunately, this is often misunderstood in popular discussions as representing nothing more than ego or authority. In reality, Surya represents something far deeper. He signifies the organising centre of one's existence, the inner principle that allows a human being to stand upright before the world with dignity, responsibility and integrity. He governs vitality, self-respect, confidence, leadership, honour, reputation, father, government, administration, authority, eyesight, immunity, bones, courage and the willingness to carry responsibility even when nobody is watching. If Chandra governs the changing landscape of the human mind, Surya governs the stable centre from which that mind must ultimately be directed.
Naturally, everything connected with sovereignty, administration and illumination falls under Surya's jurisdiction. Governments, kings, constitutional authority, high-ranking officials, judges, administrators, public honour, national leadership, gold, copper, wheat, jaggery, saffron, ruby, red flowers, Sunday, the eastern direction, the heart, bones, eyesight and the very force of vitality itself are traditionally associated with Surya. Even modern biology now increasingly studies circadian rhythms and the profound influence of early morning sunlight upon hormonal regulation, sleep cycles, immunity and mental health. Long before scientific terminology existed, our ancestors had already woven this understanding into daily spiritual discipline through practices such as Surya Arghya and Sandhya Vandana.
Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of Surya worship, however, is its extraordinary simplicity. Unlike many rituals that demand elaborate arrangements, expensive offerings or complex procedures, Surya asks for remarkably little. Stand before the rising Sun with humility, offer clean water with gratitude, fold your hands and acknowledge that another day of life has been gifted to you. That itself becomes worship. Perhaps that is why our scriptures lovingly call him Pratyaksha Devata he visible God, the deity who never hides behind mystery because he chooses instead to rise before every human being each morning. And perhaps that is also why Surya is called the natural Atmakaraka. Before a human being can hope to illuminate the lives of others, he must first become capable of illuminating himself.
Part 2 my own harsh commentaries and opinions on today's society wrt Sun
2.1 Borrowed Light in the Age of Infinite Information
Perhaps the greatest irony of modern civilization is not that human beings have become less intelligent than our ancestors. If anything, we possess more information in the palm of our hands than entire kingdoms possessed throughout centuries of history. The tragedy is something far more subtle and, in my opinion, far more dangerous. Never before has mankind accumulated such an unimaginable ocean of information while simultaneously losing the willingness to struggle for understanding. We have mistaken access for achievement, information for wisdom and speed for intelligence. Somewhere in this relentless pursuit of convenience, humanity has quietly forgotten that truth has always demanded effort before it offers clarity. This is perhaps why Surya is called the self-luminous one.
He is not illuminated because another celestial body reflects light upon him. He shines because radiance is his own intrinsic nature. That symbolism is perhaps one of the deepest lessons hidden inside Jyotisha itself. The soul was never meant to become a warehouse of borrowed opinions, borrowed convictions and borrowed identities. It was meant to become luminous through its own tapasya, through disciplined enquiry, through mistakes honestly acknowledged, through books patiently studied, through silence willingly embraced and through experience painfully earned. LEARN TO STAND YOUR GROUND AND BELIEVE IN SELF AND THINGS U LIKE.
And perhaps this is exactly where the modern human condition begins to resemble an eclipse.
Because today, very few people are producing light.
Most of us, including myself far more often than I would like to admit have become extraordinarily efficient at reflecting somebody else's.
2.2 The Death of Study
There was once a time when knowledge demanded pilgrimage. A student travelled hundreds of kilometres to live under a Guru. Scriptures were copied by hand. Books were treasured because obtaining one itself was difficult. Questions remained unanswered for months or even years until sufficient study, contemplation and discussion slowly revealed understanding. Today, every answer arrives within seconds. Ironically, genuine understanding often takes longer than ever.
Technology is not the enemy. Artificial intelligence is not the enemy. Search engines are not the enemy. They are extraordinary gifts when treated as tools. The danger begins only when the tool quietly replaces the tapasya that knowledge has always demanded. Reading is slowly replaced by summaries. Reflection is replaced by scrolling. Debate is replaced by algorithms that continuously feed us opinions we already agree with. Curiosity slowly dies because certainty has become unbelievably cheap. Typing a question is not the same as studying. Receiving an answer is not the same as understanding it.
Memorising conclusions is not the same as transforming consciousness.
Real knowledge has always been uncomfortable because it forces a human being to repeatedly discover that he was wrong yesterday. Convenience rarely offers that gift.
Sometimes I genuinely wonder whether Rahu's greatest victory over Surya was never technology itself, but convincing humanity that instant information could somehow replace the discipline of genuine learning.
2.3 The Illusion of Knowing Everything
One of the strangest psychological diseases of our age is that almost everybody appears informed while very few people are deeply educated. Ask almost anyone about geopolitics and they will confidently explain how nations should function. Ask about economics and there is no shortage of experts. Ask about relationships, psychology, nutrition, philosophy, spirituality or history and opinions emerge effortlessly, often delivered with astonishing certainty.
Yet certainty itself has become suspiciously inexpensive.
The more a person genuinely studies a subject, the more they begin to appreciate its complexity. The more complexity they discover, the more carefully they speak. They become slower in judgement, more precise in language and more willing to admit uncertainty.
Strangely, the opposite trend has become increasingly common.
People who have barely entered a subject often speak as though they have exhausted it.
Perhaps this is why Surya represents illumination rather than noise. Light does not shout to prove that it exists. It simply removes darkness.
2.4 Everybody Wants To Become the Authority
Another quiet epidemic of our generation is that almost everybody dreams of becoming the authority while remarkably few people genuinely enjoy the process of becoming worthy of authority.
Everybody wishes to become the boss.
Everybody wishes to become the father.
Everybody wishes to become the mentor.
Everybody wishes to become the one whose opinion
Yet discipline, which is the actual price paid for all these things, is often quietly negotiated away.
We have somehow become a civilization filled with leadership coaches who cannot govern their own emotions, relationship experts unable to sustain their own relationships, financial advisors drowning in personal disorder, spiritual influencers permanently distracted by the very attention they preach detachment from, and political commentators who cannot successfully manage peace within their own homes.
Before wishing to govern institutions, perhaps every human being, should first ask a far less glamorous question.
Can I govern my own anger?
Can I govern my own tongue?
Can I govern my own sleep?
Can I govern my own impulses?
Can I govern the promises I make to myself when nobody else is watching?
Because the smallest kingdom a man fails to govern is almost always himself.
Acts of charity increasingly seek witnesses before they seek recipients.
Pilgrimages become photographs.
Meditation becomes content.
Fitness becomes branding.
Kindness quietly waits for a camera before introducing itself.
Even grief sometimes feels incomplete unless it has first been uploaded.
Yet every single morning the greatest teacher of all performs the same lesson.
Perhaps every one of us should occasionally ask a question so brutally honest that it becomes uncomfortable.
"If absolutely nobody could ever know that I performed this act, would I still choose to do it?"
The answer often reveals whether we seek light or merely attention.
2.5
The Real Battle of Kaliyuga is our attention and critical thinking.
Entire industries compete for it.
Applications compete for it.
Political parties compete for it.
Media organizations compete for it.
Advertisers compete for it.
Streaming platforms compete for it.
Artificial intelligence competes for it.
Every notification whispers the same request.
"Look here."
Very few voices quietly ask us to look within.
And perhaps that is why attention has become one of the greatest spiritual responsibilities of modern life. Whatever repeatedly receives our attention slowly shapes our identity. We eventually become whatever we consistently observe, repeatedly admire and habitually consume. The eclipse of Surya rarely begins outside. It begins the moment a human being gradually loses ownership over his own attention
Perhaps this is why Surya is honoured as the natural Atmakaraka.
Not because he grants authority.
Not because he grants status.
Not because he grants power.
But because he constantly reminds us that every human being must eventually answer one question that nobody else can answer on his behalf.
Am I living through my own light, or have I become comfortable surviving on borrowed light?
The purpose of life cannot merely be becoming brighter than another human being.
The purpose is to become so sincere in one's pursuit of truth that whatever light eventually emerges belongs genuinely to the soul itself.
Perhaps that is the lesson Surya has been teaching humanity every single dawn since the beginning of creation. Nobody is coming to save us.
End of Part 2
Part 3 : The Upayas
As always, before discussing individual remedies, I will repeat what I have said in every episode because I genuinely believe it.
The king of all upayas remains Shri Vishnu Sahasranama. Along with this, the Navagraha Stotram is always recommended as a beautiful daily practice.
Also remember that these upayas are not only for people having a weak or afflicted Surya. They may be performed by anybody irrespective of lagna, rashi, dasha or planetary placement. Good karma, discipline and devotion never go to waste.
Above all, never forget that upayas are catalysts. Your karma remains the base chemical.
U1. Again, routine. Again and again. Almost every graha ultimately comes back to discipline. Try to synchronise your circadian rhythm with nature and wake up close to sunrise every day. Everything starts with the time you wake up.
U2. Offer Surya Arghya every morning with devotion. Regular listening or recitation of the Aditya Hridaya Stotram is considered one of the most powerful remedies associated with Surya.
U3. Donate wheat, atta and copper according to your capacity to poor, hungry and deserving people.
U4. Store clean drinking water overnight in a copper vessel and consume it the following morning.
U5. Observe fasting on Sundays according to your health and capacity. Many traditions also recommend avoiding salt on Sundays.
U6. Stop lying. Surya represents truth, integrity and character. Speaking truth and living honestly is itself one of the greatest Surya remedies.
U7. Stay away from excessively tamasic food, intoxicants and unhealthy eating habits. Simplicity in food supports both the body and the Surya tattva.
U8. Respect your father. Try to understand him instead of only judging him. Work consciously on improving your relationship wherever possible. Understanding your family history, inherited trauma and behavioural patterns often helps you understand yourself much more deeply.
U9. A copper kada or a copper ring on the ring finger may be worn after basic puja and proper sankalpa.
U10. Applying Lal Chandan on the forehead regularly is considered beneficial for Surya.
U11. On Surya Sankranti, performing Tula Daan by donating wheat approximately equal to one's own body weight, according to one's capacity, is regarded as a highly auspicious act.
U12. Agni represents Surya, and Jatharagni, the digestive fire, is one of its manifestations within the body. Keeping your diet disciplined, eating healthy food and maintaining good digestive health helps strengthen this principle.
U13. The Madaar plant, whether red or black, is traditionally associated with Surya. Watering this plant regularly, especially on Sundays, is considered beneficial.
U14. The Bel tree, so sacred in Mahadev worship, is also connected with Surya remedies. Its root may be respectfully invited one day in advance and, after proper puja, worn as a tabeez or bajuband in silver or copper using a red thread. Watering the Bel plant on Sundays is also considered auspicious.
U15. The prescribed quantity for Vedic Surya Mantra Japa is traditionally stated to be 28,000 repetitions with proper sankalpa.
U16. Ek Mukhi Rudraksha is traditionally regarded as the principal Rudraksha for Surya. Das Mukhi Rudraksha is also considered beneficial in many traditions.
U17. Needless to say, sincere Mahadev Upasana remains one of the greatest remedies not only for Surya but for planetary afflictions in general.
U18. According to one traditional remedy, donating jaggery to a cow equal in kilograms to the house occupied by Surya in your horoscope is considered auspicious. For example, if Surya occupies the fifth house, five kilograms of jaggery may be donated according to one's means.
U19. The cotton obtained from the Madaar plant may be used to prepare a wick for a pure ghee lamp. Sitting alone before this lamp and practising Trataka Sadhana is considered a beneficial practice in certain traditions.
Outro in comments :
As always, all karta bhaav submitted to the Lord. I am merely a typewriter pawn. βοΈ
Ramo Vighravaan Dharma πΉ Sitaram π