Ratha Saptami is the day on which people worship the Sun as it is the provider of life and energy to a human being. Every life is possible because of the ultimate power of the Sun and its gravitational force that keeps the solar system intact. Therefore, not just scientifically, spiritually, too, Sun is the most important celestial being who is considered as the divine Dev or God.
Ratha Saptami is known as Surya Jayanthi as this day is considered as the birthday of Surya, the son of Kashyapa and Adithi. From this say, Sun starts traveling toward the Northern hemisphere from the South, and this marks the arrival of summer in India. According to legend and Vedas, this is an auspicious period when Surya travels to the Northern hemisphere; the period is also known as Uttarayan.
Significance of Surya Worship
It is believed that all scriptures related to Surya were written by Lord Vishnu itself. He has described Sun as a provider of energy and life that a living being needs to grow and blossom. There are many praises written in the holy scriptures, such as “aditya hrudayam stotram.”
Due to providing life and energy on Earth and to the whole Universe, Sun is also called Aditya, Bhaskara, Ravi, Diwakara, and more. There are many scriptures dated back to the olden centuries that comprise the praise of Lord Surya and its importance. They have described how heavenly the morning sunrays are and what good Surya does to humans and the world. Surya is the one who is the provider of a healthy and long life.
Astrologically too, people who have a benefic Surya or Sun in a strong position take pleasure of social status, financial stability, vitality, and long life.
Even the great Epic Ramayana speaks about the greatness of the God Surya. It describes how Lord Rama recited and praised the Surya; in return, Surya infused the Lord with vitality and limitless power to stay strong against Ravana, and at last, make him fall down. When Rama Worshipped Surya, he instantly got immense energy and power like Sun that even the immortal Ravana had to accept his defeat and got killed by Rama.
Legend Related To Ratha Saptami
There is one legend related to Surya Jayanti. Once upon a time, there was a King who prayed to God and got blessed by a son. The king and whole kingdom were happy upon getting their successor or future king. However, their happiness turned into misery when the king’s son was not able to cope with his ill health.
The son got a chronic illness, and his health was declining day by day. The king went to many places in the hope of his son. One day, he met a sage who suggested him worship Lord Surya on Ratha Saptami and pray him for the health of his son.
Ratha Saptami came, and the king performed the Surya Puja following the proper rituals. After a few days, he noticed his son getting well and healing by every passing day. There was no limit to the king’s happiness, and the whole kingdom started blossoming again. This way, by the grace of the Sun, the whole kingdom was saved, and the son became a successful king after his father passed away.
Rituals of Ratha Saptami
The rituals begin from a day before the Ratha Saptami, where people start cleaning their home and Puja room to conduct the Surya puja.
One the very day, devotees wake up early in the morning, and they visit any nearby holy water body. If not, devotees take a bath in their home while reciting the Surya mantra facing East direction.
Once done, they visit any Surya temple. Some people also worship Surya at their homes. They recite Adithya Hridayam, Surya Ashtakam, Surya Shatakam, Aruna Parayanam, and the Vedic hymns, all dedicated to Lord Surya and describe his glory.
People also pay respect to Surya by doing Surya Namasakaram following all the positions. Some devotees also observe fast, which starts from Sunrise and goes till Sunset. People keep Surya in their hearts and brain on Ratha Saptami, which helps them cut off their bad karma.
So this Ratha Saptami, worship Surya and get bestowed with ultimate power, vitality, strength, and prosperity. One can also start worshipping Surya on Sunday as this is the day of Sun.
