surya ayurveda

SURYA AYURVEDA: THE HEALING SCIENCE OF THE SUN
History and Mechanics of a Lost Science

"Seven regions have their several Suns; the ministering priests are Seven; Seven are the Aditya Deities,-with these, O Soma, guard thou us." (RV.IX.114. 3)

The Sun (Savitar or Surya), also known as Hiranyagarbha or the “Golden Seed” is the first teacher of Yoga and Vedanta in India, and also represents the inner self or atman.

The great Hindu mantra, the Gayatri (“song of deliverance”) is also a solar mantra, revealed first to the great Vedic Rishi, Vishwamitra (Universal friend) in the Rig Veda, and has many great powers.

Thus, the sun is connected to our inner selves, and also is an important figure in Yoga. The older gods, such as Yama (the god of death and karma), Manu (the first man) and the Ashwins (divine physicians and twins) are all solar deities.

Even the seer Yajnavalkya, composer of the Shukla (white) Yajur Veda, and also Sukracharya, the Seer of the Jyotish or “Science of light” (astrology and astronomy), learnt their sciences from the Sun-God, Surya.

In ancient India, the Sun was also an important healer, and most importantly, we learn of the temple at Konorak healing Sri Krishna’s son, Samba, of leprosy.

There are many aspects to Surya Ayurveda, but a few will be dealt with here, and include the following methods:

Solar mantras (such as Om, Hrim and Gayatri)
Yogic postures (asanas), such as the twelve-cycle ‘Surya Namaskaram’
Surya-dhyanam (solar meditation), including activation of the chakras
Ashwini and Surya puja (worship of the Solar twins and Sun God)

Surya-jala or solar-water is also an ancient method. Waters can heal, and provided such liquids as water and milk are natural, contain many minerals that can heal our bodies, especially when blessed with various solar mantras, such as Gayatri.

Mantras alone, when chanted internally, along with Solar postures, such as those of Surya Namaskar practice, and meditation on the awakening of the Sapta Adityas or Seven Suns (Seven Chakras or Pranic centres) in the body, are all also helpful practices, and part of the ancient solar-yoga and ayurveda.

One practice is to empower the body with Gayatri mantra, seeing a great Sun encompassing the body.

By chanting the full Gayatri, and meditating on awakening the Sun of each chakra:

Om Bhurh (Muladhara)

Om Bhuvah (Svadhishthana)

Om Svaha (Manipura)

Om Mahah (Hridaya)

Om Janah (Vishuddha)

Om Tapa (Ajna)

Om Satyam (Sahasrara Padma)

Then with “AUM”, seeing all suns unite, as a channel of light in the Sushumna or Central Current, and Soma flowing from “Satya Loka” or Sahasrara Chakra, the “inner sun” radiates and permeates all 72,000 nadis or subtle channels in the body, thereby aiding in the healing process, and driving off of negative forces.

This process of the chakras is described by the Rishi Yajnavalkya, in his “Briahadanyaka Upanishad”:

"When the person goes away from this world, he comes to the wind. Then the wind makes room for him, like the hole of a carriage wheel, and through it he mounts higher. He comes to the sun. Then the sun makes room for him, like the hole of a Lambara, and through it he mounts higher. He comes to the moon. Then the moon makes room for him, like the hole of a drum, and through it he mounts higher, and arrives at the world where there is no sorrow, no snow. There he dwells eternal years." (BU.V.10.1)

The Wind is the Vishuddha-Chakra, the Sun is the Ajna Chakra and the Moon is the Sahasrarapadma Chakra. What Yajnavalkya describes here, is the movement of Consciousness up from the Hridaya (seat of the self) through the Three Higher Spheres - Vishuddha (or Janarloka), Ajna (or Tapaloka) and Sahasrara (or Satyaloka) - and beyond that immersed in Bliss, he becomes one with Nirguna Parambrahman (The Being without qualities, the Supreme Self).

He dwells eternal years, as he also awakens the “inner Soma” and hence is able to flood the body with the inner amrita (ambrosia, immortal elixir).

The Ashwins also relate to this practice, as in the Vedas, they are taught the science of Soma, and are hence associated with it. As healing gods, they are especially associated with healing the Seer Chyavana, and granting him his youth.

The Ashwins are the Ida and Pingala (Lunar and Solar) nadis in the subtle body, which grant a balance of both sides. Ida grants the balance of kapha-dosha, while Pingala is of the pitta, relating to the sun. Vata is represented by the Sushumna or central nadi, where both are balanced and merged.

The balancing of the Ashwin currents as Ida and Pingala, and also ther dualities, such as Udanavayu (up moving breath) and Apanavayu (downmoving breath) into Samanavayu (still breath) for complete health are hence important. It calms the mind, steadies the body and balances all nadis or subtle channels, chakras and pranas, hence the doshas.

It is only then, that we can release the potent powers inherit in the “Ashwins”, the great solar gods, which then, by balancing our body, grant us these inner powers to be able to heal ourselves, and improve our lifestyles:

“Bring into creation, my tireless meditations that ask for wealth, Shining Ashwins.
“Grant us high spirits in battle, and with your Shaktis, Lords of Shakti, assist us."
(Rig Veda.VII.67.5)

As Rishi Yajnavalkya again states, in his Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, pertaining to the reference of the chakras as Solar and Lunar channels, but as representatives or forms of the Sun or Aditya:

"Now what is the true, that is the Aditya, the person that dwells in yonder orb, and the person in the Right Eye". (BU.V.5.2)

Hence The Sun (Surya) is the Right Eye, the Pingala Nadi. Moon is the Left Eye, the Ida Nadi. The Sun being the Right Eye is what is True or Truth (Sat, Satya), as the left or Moon represents Maya (Illusion) as the Goddess - often expressed in Vedanta as Avidya (Ignorance) or Asatya (Not True). Yajnavalkya thus leaves an obvious assumption to be made here. In this regard we also note Yajnavalkya's explanation of Indra as Right Eye and Viraj (IndranI) as Left Eye, and the 1000 Nadis arising from the heart and thus ascending to Sahasrara above (BU.IV.2.2-3).

It is these two as Shiva-Shakti that give birth to Prana or Indra (BU.I.5.12), being Vata or wind.

We read many mystic passages and tales in Veda. One is that Indra slays his father Vritra (Obstruction), and also his Mother, Danu in some places. We read from the BU of Yajnavalkya that the Father is the Mind and Mother is Speech (I.V.7), their "child" is Breath (Prana, or, as above, Indra).

Thus, Indra the son of Vritra and Danu, who slays his parents, means he has killed Speech and Mind, the two Obstructions in the way of Self-Realisation. Thus by slaying them and going beyond speech (vishuddha chakra or janarloka) and mind (ajna chakra or tapaloka), he becomes one with Sadashiva in Sahasrarapadma Chakra or Satyaloka, as Prana or Somasundara. Hence how we see Yogic secrets in Yajnavalkya's teachings.

What is also interesting is not only were the Chakras well-known in Vedic texts, but also their bijas. The Heart Chakra (also called Hridaya or Anahata), is described in syllables in BU (V.3), where "Yam" is the sacred syllable (of the heart) - later used in Tantric Yoga to open this specific Chakra. Yam means "Control" and refers to the Inner-Controller (of death or Prana, breath of life).

Interestingly also, "Ram" is mentioned (BU.V.12) by Yajnavalkya as the syllable for Prana, relating to Food. Now, the Manipura Chakra has Ram (Rang, the bija-mantric form) as it's mantra, and relates to the Digestive system, thus food. Manipura is also the City of Gemstones chakra, relating to Delight or Bliss, which comes from Ram (pleasure, bliss).

These are also important in the Surya-Ayurveda tradition, as each chakra is also an “Aditya” or “Surya” (Sun), and can hence be awakened by these respective powers.

More specifically, the Hridaya Chakra or Heart, with mantra “Yam” (Control) relates to the seat of Prana (breath) and hence Vata dosha, whereas the Manipura chakra relates to Fire, and hence Pitta Dosha. Vishuddha, the water chakra, relates to kapha dosha.

The importance of these Adityas or Suns, and in relation to Surya Ayurveda is hence important and understood. All of the respective gods of these chakras are also Adityas.

Varuna relates to Svadhisthana as the Water-God - Kapha
Mitra relates to Agni (Fire) as the Manipura Chakra or Solar Fire – Pitta
Indra orSurya relates to the Inner-Prana and is hence Vata

The Vasus (Fire-gods), another class of beings also have their own Yoga and Ayurveda, known as “Agni” types, but are related to the Aditya type, and can be used to stimulate the chakras they represent, as an example.

These practices however, require the mind in the state of sattva (purity), and an ayurvedic lifestyle, and diet, sraddha (faith), dhyana (meditation) and mantra-shakti (power of mantra) for them to be effective, as well as manasashakti (mental or will power).

The great meditation of Surya is described in the Taitiriya Samhita (Krishna Yajur Veda), I.2.13:

“They control their minds, and control their thoughts;
The priests of the mighty wise priest;
He alone, who knows the way, heads their priestly functions;
Great is the praise of the Solar God!”

By controlling their minds and thoughts, the great Seers hence meditate on the great Surya, who permeates their body. He is hence also known as Vishnu (the cosmic pervader).

They hence come to understand the subtle body of the Seven Chakras, known as the Solar Body:

"Seven to to the Chariot (ie. Body) with One Chakra (ie. Soul) yoke the Courser; bearing Seven Names the single Courser draws it.The Chakra has Three naves, sound and undecaying, on which all worlds of being lie. The Seven who are mounted on the Chariot (Body) with Seven Chakras have horses (ie. Pranas), Seven in tale, who draw them onward. Seven Sisters utter songs of praise together, in whom the names of the Seven Cows (Shaktis of the chakras) are treasured." [Rig-Veda.I.164.2-3]

"The rich new Chariot has been equipped at the morning - it has Four Controls, Three Whips and Seven reins which guide it: - Ten-sided and friendly to mortals, the winner of the Self, that must be urged to speed with hymns and wishes." - Rig Veda Samhita, II.19.6

Great asanas or yogic postures, as noted before, used along with mantra and such meditations also help us, as they outwardly help balance and awaken certain pranic centres, and nadis in the body. Various asanas also act as techniques to block, awaken etc. certain channels, not unlike acupuncture, massage etc. as we find in ancient arts such as Dhanurveda (martial arts), with it’s “pressure points” or power centres.

Most importantly however, is devotion or love for the deity, and being able to connect with it, in order for the healing process to begin to work.

What has been described here is a mere history and overview, of the more Siddha aspect of Solar Ayurveda, and it should be remembered again, that the power of the mind, self, devotion and most of all, inner purity (sattvas) is required in order for such processes to work.

Reverence for the Ashwins, through Vedic mantras, and most of all, reverence of seers such as Vishwamitra, the great Solar Seer, are also integral parts to this ancient science and process.

May the solar power illuminate, guide and heal!