Markandeya Purana (Study)
by Chandamita Bhattacharya | 2021 | 67,501 words
This page relates 鈥榃orship of Surya鈥� of the study on the Markandeya Purana, one of the oldest of the eigtheen Mahapuranas preserving the history, civilisation, culture and traditions of ancient India. The Markandeyapurana commences with the questions raised by Rishi Jaimini (a pupil of Vyasa), who approaches the sage Markandeya with doubts related to the Mahabharata. This study examines various social topics such as the status of women, modes of worship, yoga, etc.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
4. Worship of 厂奴谤测补
The tradition of worshipping god 厂奴谤测补 is very old. The importance of Sun worship is stated in the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 through a story of king 搁腻箩测补惫补谤诲丑补苍补 and his wife. According to the story 惭腻苍颈苍墨, the queen of 搁腻箩测补惫补谤诲丑补苍补, shed tears when she found a grey hair in the head of her husband[1] , the son of Dama[2] .Consoling her by telling about transitoriness and changes befall on living beings he decided to resort to the forest and in spite of hindrance and request of his wife and his subjects, he did not abandon his decision. After that all people decided to propitiate 厂奴谤测补 with austerities and prayed him for their king鈥檚 longevity. While they were striving to propitiate 厂奴谤测补, a Gandharva called 厂耻诲腻尘补苍 came there and advised them to go to the forest named Guru-惫颈艣腻濒补, frequented by the Siddhas, in very mountainous 碍腻尘补谤奴辫补[3]. Thereupon they went to the forest and offered worship to 厂奴谤测补. They were enriched with incense, flowers, oblations, unguents, perfumes, food, lamps and other offerings.[4] The adorable 厂奴谤测补 became pleased after three months of worshipping of his subjects with praise and faith. They prayed Sun-god seeking their king鈥檚 sickness, victory, treasury and youth so that he might reign ten thousand years more. Their desire was granted by the Sun.[5] But the king was not satisfied with the boon as the boon did not include all his family and subjects. So he propitiated the Sun and fulfilled his desire[6]. Thus 厂奴谤测补 was worshipped by all the subjects and king himself.
There is another story of Sun-worship in this 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 relating to creation. In the story god 叠谤补丑尘腻 prayed to the Sun-god for the continuance of his creation. One day 叠谤补丑尘腻, became anxious about the existence of his creation because of the intense glory of the Sun for which waters would dry up and without water it would not be possible to create the universe.[7] Then 叠谤补丑尘腻 prayed to the Sun where the qualities and characteristics of the Sun had been reflected. The Sun consists of everything and everything consists of Him. His body is the universe.[8] He consists of the three Vedas. His nature is sublime, worthy of the fullness of good qualities. He is the cause of supremely worthy praise of all. He protects the world in five ways. 叠谤补丑尘腻 also said that even if the Sun dried up the water, he could create the earth and the primeval completion of the worlds.[9] After being praised by the creator 叠谤补丑尘腻, the Sun contracted his supreme glory and retained but very little. And then the lotus-born god accomplished the creation of the world along with Asuras, mortals, other beings, cattle and other animals, trees, hells etc.[10]
Types of Sun Worship in the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺
There were various types of Sun worship described in the early Pur膩峁噄c world. The 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 also shows some different varieties of Sun-worship. In this 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 the subjects of 搁腻箩测补惫补谤诲丑补苍补 who worshipped Sun-god included varieties of Sun-worshippers.
In this context the different methods of worship have been stated.
1. Some people paid adoration with their own bodies by presenting to him the arghya offering and presents and other oblations.[11]
2. The second variety was of those who gratified the Sun by maintaining silence.
3. The third variety of people worshipped him by repeating the Vedic hymns.
4. The fourth variety consisted of those dvijas who propitiated Sun by abstaining from food, lying down on river sandbanks and wearied with austerities.
5. The fifth category was of those who adored him by the oblations to the fire and repeated hymns day and night composed in honour of the Sun.
6. The sixth variety consisted of those who worshipped Sun by casting their eyes on him and standing there.[12]
7. There they worshipped the Sun god in his sacred and beautiful shrine by means of incense, flowers, oblations, unguents, prayers, foods, lamps and other offerings. This type of worship fulfils all the characteristics of Pur膩峁噄c 辫奴箩腻 which may be termed as the seventh type of Sun-worshipp.
In the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 worship signifies different meanings, viz.
In this 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 there are very few references available about method, objects and procedure of worship. Offering prayers to gods, with folded hands,[17] bowing down the head and touching the ground with knees[18] are the common method of god鈥檚 worship. Further, homa and japa are two other ways of worship. There are some very important objects of worship mentioned. These objects are water, garlands, sandal, fruits, flowers, other perfumes etc.[19] Besides, gift of food is also an important object of worship.[20] Likewise fasting is also an object generally to be observed.[21] Thus various methods of worship specially of the Sun worship have been mentioned in this 笔耻谤腻峁嘺. These methods of worship are followed by the people of the present time also.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
kad膩cittasya s膩 subhr奴岣ヅ沬raso鈥檝ya帽jn膩d峁泃e /
pa艣yato r膩jalokasya mumoc膩艣r奴峁噄 m膩nin墨 // 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 106.11
[2]:
痴颈峁ａ箛耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 4.1
[3]:
[4]:
pu峁膩nulepan膩dyai艣ca dh奴pagandh膩dikaistath膩/
箩补辫补丑辞尘腻苍苍补诲腻苍腻诲测补颈岣� 辫奴箩补苍补峁� te sam膩hit膩岣� // kurvantastu峁ａ弓uvurbrahmanvivasvanta峁� dvij膩taya岣� // Ibid.,106.61
[5]:
Ibid.,107.4
[6]:
Ibid.,106.78
[7]:
Ibid.,100.2-4
[8]:
namasye yanmaya峁� sarvametat sarvamaya艣ca ya岣� /
惫颈艣惫补尘奴谤迟颈岣� 辫补谤补峁� jyotiryattadhy膩yanti yogina岣� // Ibid., 100.5
[9]:
[10]:
Ibid.,100.14-15
[11]:
tatraikani艣cay膩岣� k膩rye kecidgehe ca bh膩skaram /
samyagardhopac膩r膩dyai rupah膩rairap奴jayan // 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 106.50
[12]:
apare maunino bh奴tv膩峁沰j膩pena tath膩pare /
yaju艣膩matha s膩mn膩峁� ca to峁y膩帽cakrire ravim //
apare ca nir膩h膩r膩 nad墨pulin艣膩yina岣� /
tap膩峁僺i cakruriccha峁僼o bh膩skar膩r膩dhana峁� 诲惫颈箩腻岣� //
agnihotrapar膩sc膩nye ravis奴kt膩nyaharni艣am /
jepustatr膩pare tathurbh膩skare nyastad峁涐梗峁璦ya岣� // Ibid., 106.51-53
[13]:
Ibid., 10.54
[14]:
Ibid., 31.27
[15]:
Ibid., 31.75
[16]:
Ibid., 90.7
[17]:
tato vidy膩dharaga峁嚹� yak峁r膩k峁sapannag膩岣� /
k峁泃a帽jalipu峁佱弗 sarve 艣irobhi pra峁嘺t膩 ravim // Ibid.,103.55
[18]:
sa 肠补办腻谤补 迟补诲腻 蝉迟辞迟谤补峁� saptarcceryatam膩nasa岣� /
sa caikacitto mediny膩峁� nyastaj膩nu岣� 办峁泃腻帽箩补濒颈岣� // Ibid., 96.26
[19]:
p膩dasa峁僾膩han膩dyena arghy膩rdh膩hara峁噀na ca /
srakcandan膩digandh膩mbuphal膩dy膩nayanena ca // Ibid., 17.2
[20]:
Ibid., 106.61
[21]:
Ibid., 90.8