Lord Surya (Sun god) on his Chariot Talon Abraxas
The Horses of Sun God’s Chariot
In general, the Sun God is envisioned in the form of a person sitting on a chariot drawn by seven horses with its reins in the hands of charioteer Aruḍa (who is devoid of thighs). However, to clear the doubts and various questions that arise in our minds with regard to the Sun God, His chariot with seven horses and others, one has to do an in-depth study of Vedic scriptures, Purāṇas and other literature.
It is customary to praise the Sun god with the mantra ‘saptāśva rathamārūḍham pracaṁḍam kaśyapātmajam śvēta padmadharam dēvam tam sūryam praṇamāmyaham‘ – Meaning ‘my salutations to the Sun God, who rides on a chariot with seven horses, the brightest of lights, son of Sage Kashyapa, and who holds the white lotus flower’ (Sūryāṣtakam 2nd Mantra).
1. Let us now study the interesting features of portion of the above mantra, the ‘saptāśva rathamārūḍham’. Transmitting (emitting) is the ‘characteristic feature of the light’. The source of this light is Prabhakara, prabhām prakāśam karōti, means Sūrya; He who provides light. ‘Aśva‘ means ‘ray of light’. Like a ray of light, a horse also has the ‘characteristic feature of speeding’. This is the reason the rays of the Sun are depicted as horses. Aśnute vyāpnōti sarvatra, means spreading itself, wave, Agni, Sūrya and others. Also, it is typical to the nature of light.
2. Sapta yuṃjaṃti rathamēkacakramēkō aśvō vahati saptanāmā – This is a Ṛk revealed in the Ṛgveda Saṃhita (1-164-2) and also in the Taittirīya Āraṇyaka [3-11(27-28)] that ‘the chariot of the Sun God is with one wheel drawn by a single horse having seven names viz. Ārōga, Bhrāja, Paṭara, Pataṃga, Swarnara, Jyōtiṣmān, and Vibhāsa [Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 1-7(1)] providing illumination to heaven and earth and yielding vigor and power’. Sapta diśō nānāsūryāḥ, Sapta hotāra ṛtvijaḥ [Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 1-7(24)] – This can be opined that the Sapta Sūryas constitute Sapta Ṛtviks or priests to perform yajñas.
3. The movement of the Sun is also related according to astronomy. The chariot of the Sun is drawn by seven horses. This can be symbolized with a rainbow. It is the appearance of chromatic light. The saptavarṇas are the saptaśvas. The twelve leaves on the chariot can be related to the twelve months or twelve constellations in a year.
4. We consider both sunrise and sunset for a day, which are bracketed into weeks, months and years for basic calculations (source: Sūrya Siddhānta). Āditya, the timeless form, is a deity who goes around the universe with emitting light. The body and the mind are energized by assimilating Sun’s rays.
5. According to Purāṇas, the names of the seven horses of the Sun are: Jaya, Vijaya, Ajaya, Jitaprāṇa, Jitaśrama, Manōjava and Jitakrodha (source: Bhaviṣya Purāṇa). These names are different phases of light transmission in a day by the Sun, which are the epitome of power.
6. The Sanātana dharma considers Āditya/Sūrya/Bhānu as a form of the Vedas, the Ṛgyajussāmapāragaḥ (Āditya Hṛudayam, 13th Mantra). The seven horses pulling the chariot of the Sun God are the Vedic meters (chandas) viz., Gāyatrī, Triṣtup, Anuṣtup, Jagatī, Uṣnik, Paṅkti and Bṛhati as revealed in the Veda Saṃhitas and later in Viṣṇu and Sūrya Purāṇas. Hanuman and Yājñavalkya seer became the Vedic students under Guru Sūrya Bhagavān due to their devotion.
7. In the astrology, it is mentioned that different rays of Sun are responsible for empowering the Sūryamanḍalam, viz., the ray ‘Suṣumna’ empowers the planet Moon, the ray ‘Sampadvasu’ (another name udanvasu) for Kuja, the ray ‘Viśvakarma‘ for Mercury, the ray ‘Udāvasu‘ for Jupiter, the ray ‘Viśvavyacassu‘ for Venus, the ray ‘Surāṭ‘ is for Saturn and the ray ‘Harikēśa‘ is for all-pervading stars (source: Sūrya Siddhānta).
8. The essential seven elements that constitute the human body are the skin, blood, flesh, fat, bone, marrow and semen, and this body chariots these elements. Āditya Paramātma is the in the form of consciousness that manages these elements (Garuḍa Purāṇa 15 (27, 62); Śārṅgadhara Saṃhita 1-5-12).
9. The five sense organs (jyānēndriyas) in the human body namely, the skin, the eyes, the ears, the nose and the tongue (Garuḍa Purāṇa 15 (25-26) are driven by the conscious intelligence, the Āditya, is in the form light that resides in the heart in the shape of a paddy grain end part – (source: Taittirīya Āraṇyaka – Mahānarāyanōpaniṣad).
10. The Sun God is in the form of Arka in kunḍalinī (snake shape) that stretches from Mūlādhāra to Sahasrāra and the seven horses form the seven chakrasthanas in the path (source: Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa).
The magnificence of pratyakṣa Bhaskara is neither escapable nor ignorable at any time or Season; yet, like the ‘kāla māna’ or the time cycle, one’s age might wither and memory might dry up in the struggle for existence! But He is There Ever and Ever!
The Vedic scriptures state that the movement of the seven horses is the Sun rays dispensing light waves. The solar energy that emanates from the Sunrays takes the shape of hiraṇmaya pure appearance.
Dr. Raghava S. Boddupalli Beginning with the Vedas, Smṛtis, Purāṇas, Mantra Śāstras, the complete Stōtra Vāṅṃaya are the combined pillars of
