[Advaita-l] Sun Worship

[Venkata sriram P]

Dear Venkatesh Murty,
 
For health tips, there is exclusively a saMhita that deals exhaustively on
health-related matters.  It is charaka-saMhita.  You can refer that. It says
“bhuktvA shatapathaM gacchet” and “na vEgAn dhArayEt”.  
 
The 1st one emphasizes on daily walk after meals.  bhuktvA means after having
Meals; “shatapathaM gacchet” means walk 100 feet. 
 
The 2nd one says that one should not forcibly suppress that comes out with 
Force from our body viz., mala, mUtra, vIrya, cough, sneeze etc.   
 
So, you can refer that saMhita for further study.  
 
As regards the Sun Worship,  it is inherent in our sanAtana dharma.  Lord Rama
Worshipped Sun and was initiated in Aditya Hridaya by Sage Agastya in Yuddha 
Kanda.   So, it is not true that Sun Worship originated in foreign countries.  
Even what the westerners call as “Sun Bathing”, the concept is inherent in 
“Surya Upasana”.    Basically, there are 7 rays that emanate from Sun which
govern the 7 planets.    
 
They are:
suShumna, harikEsha, vishwakarma, vishwavyacha, saMpadvasu, arvAgvasu
and svarADvasu.  
 
These 7 rays nourish the 7 dhAtus in our body and the ideal time prescribed 
In Ayurveda is to bask under the Sun early in the morning.  After the sun rise,
for a span of half-an-hour, these 7 rays are emanated that envigour the physical
System.  
 
Regs,
Sriram