Deity

Surya

सूर्यSūrya

Parent of
Karna, Sani, Yama

What the texts say

In the Samba Purana, Surya is called the soul of all, the lord of all worlds and the god of gods, and is praised as the source of vision and light. Samba Purana 7.3, 12.4 In the Brahma Purana, Surya is hailed as Bhaskara, one of his names, served by hosts of gods, ancestors and yakshas, praised by asuras, the Moon and siddhas, and radiant like excellent gold and blazing fire. Brahma Purana 33.47 The Mahabharata says that at sunrise people attend upon Surya, as do the sages who know dharma, the Siddhas and the Sadhyas. Mahabharata 3.160.7 The Samba Purana ends its account of the supreme rite of Saptami by saying that one who keeps it goes to the world of Surya. Samba Purana 46.32

Key chapters

The chapters where Surya matters most.

  1. Draupadī’s Āditya Māhātmya and the Mayūkhāditya-Gabhastīśvara Foundation Narrative

    Skanda Purana 4.1.49

  2. The Progeny of Surya, the Illusion of Chhaya, and the Trimming of the Sun

    Samba Purana 10

  3. The Ritualistic Worship of Khakholka Surya and His Cosmic Manifestations

    Samba Purana 51

  4. The Establishment of the Surya Idol at Mundira

    Samba Purana 43

  5. Vamśānukramaṇikā: Varuṇa-Kali Descendants and the Naiṛta Grahas (Genealogical Catalogue)

    Brahmanda Purana 2.59

  6. Āditya-Māhātmya in Kāśī: Aruṇa, Vṛddha, Keśava, and Vimala; with Śiva-Liṅga Supremacy Discourse

    Skanda Purana 4.2.1

  7. The Māhātmya of Durvāsā-Āditya (Sūrya) at Prabhāsa

    Skanda Purana 7.1.236

  8. Vishvakarma's Hymn to Surya and the Paring of the Sun

    Narasimha Purana 1.19

  9. Samba's Prayer to Surya and the Miraculous Cure of His Leprosy

    Samba Purana 24

  10. The Account of Puṣpa Brāhmaṇa Receiving Boons from Sūrya

    Skanda Purana 6.1.157

Key episodes

  1. The Birth of Karna

    Mahabharata 1.104

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