[Advaita-l] Sun Worship

[V Subrahmanian]

On Wed, Mar 9, 2011 at 9:39 PM, Ramakrishna Upadrasta <
uramakrishna at gmail.com> wrote:

> namaste,
>
>
> Further, this collection of mantras is full of vedantic import, asking
> for opening of the divine eye ala the conversation in 11th chapter of
> Bhagavd Gita. Also, the last mantra, which equates the savitR to the
> all pervading brahman has echoes in various other upanishhads -- not
> just the saura-upanishhads. I request a scholar to provide the
> corresponding mantra from munDaka-upanishad.
>
> praNAms
> Ramakrishna
>
> Namaste.

The mantra you have in mind appears to be the one in the
*Kathopanishad*rather than the one in the munDaka:

सूर्यो यथा सर्वलोकस्य चक्षुः
न लिप्यते चाक्षुषैर्बाह्यदोषैः ।
एकस्तथा सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा
न लिप्यते लोकदुःखेन बाह्यः ॥ 2.1.11॥

   As the sun, which helps all eyes to see, is not affected by the blemishes
of the eyes or of the external things revealed by it, so also the one Atman,
dwelling in all beings, is never contaminated by the misery of the world,
being outside it.


एको वशी सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा
एकं रूपं बहुधा यः करोति ।
तमात्मस्थं येऽनुपश्यन्ति धीराः
तेषां सुखं शाश्वतं नेतरेषाम् ॥2.1.12 ॥

  12.There is one Supreme Ruler, the inmost Self of all beings, who makes
His one form manifold. Eternal happiness belongs to the wise, who perceive
Him within themselves—not to others.

In the BhagavadgItA too we have a verse that compares the Sun to teach the
nature of Atman/Brahman:

यथा प्रकाशयत्येकः कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रविः।

क्षेत्रं क्षेत्री तथा कृत्स्नं प्रकाशयति भारत।।13.33।।

As the single sun illumines this whole world, similarly, O descendant of the
Bharata dynasty, the Knower (kShetrajna/puruSha/Atman/Brahman) of the field
illumines the whole field (kShetram/prakRti).

The Mundaka mantra, which has a different message to convey, is:

न तत्र सूर्य्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं नेमा विद्युतो भान्ति कुतोSयमग्निः |
तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वं तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति ||
The sun does not shine there, nor the moon and the stars, nor these
lightnings, not to speak of this fire. When He shines, everything shines
after Him; by His light everything is lighted.

The above mantra also appears in the Kathopanishad 2.1.15

Regards,
subrahmanian.v