Planet Sun

Astrologically, Sun or Surya is the centre of great powers. Due to its huge gravitational force, the planets revolve around it. It sustains the life on Earth and there would be no life without the almighty Sun. Sun is the Prana, the Lord Almighty. He has a huge significance on the life of human beings. Sun represents the divine brilliance manifested in the Self of humans.

Sun gives life and supplies light to all the planets that revolve around it. It is the source of energy for them and the most powerful of all planets in the Vedic astrology. It is the fuel for all the energies on the Earth. It is considered the King or father of our solar system or the Soul of the universe due to its immense powers. Sun is the lone source of energy and all the other planets depend on Him for energy and survival.

In a Vedic sense the rays of the Sun represents the inner most spirit of all human beings. Hence it is always represented as the life-force on Earth. It is also mentioned as the Atma or the soul of all beings.

The power of Surya is such that if it is favorably placed in the natal chart of a person, he/she receives fame and power in all areas including their field of occupation as well as political power. An adversely placed Sun can make an individual arrogant and lead to the mental and emotional disorders. They become pessimistic and endure humiliation at the hands of others.

The numerological number of Sun is 1. The great significance of the Sun can be felt by the fact that his being there brings hope and energy in the form of light or day and its absence brings night in the form of ignorance or darkness.

Astrological Significance of Sun

Surya gives immense heat and divine powers that make the living beings (humans) believe in higher powers. When benefic, it helps the native have an opinion for oneself. If it is a malefic, the native will be easily swayed by the opinions of others. People with debilitated Sun will not easily digest the opinions of others. However a benefic Sun will definitely lead to name, fame and success.

The color related to Sun is Orange. Its gemstone is Ruby (Manik).

Lessons that Sun teaches

The Sun is the giver of life and in Vedic Astrology represents our conscious mind. It symbolizes our will to survive and creative life. The Sun in true essence represents self-realization and is our basic identity. It also is a representation of our overall vitality. The Sun is the master of our natal chart as it directs us. It is the reflection of the present, the here and now.

It teaches us that the past is gone and the future is yet to come, hence you only have power in the present. It teaches us to release the past with acts of forgiveness and kindness. It teaches us the life lesson of stimulating our self-power, but not giving powers to others. It teaches us to believe in ourselves.

It is said that even though the influence of other planets cause us to think, dream, hope and imagine to be different things, in the end it is the Sun who we are. It teaches us to be the best of what we are. When we are influenced by Sun planet we are proud, directed, creative and purposeful. If we have a malefic Sun we can get judgmental, victimized, haughty and self-centered.

In the natal chart, the placement of Sun with respect to the zodiac sign refers to the native's purpose in life and how they will live their mark in this world. Our personalities are dictated by the Sun in our houses. It decides how our sense of pride takes shape and also our sense of individuality. These are the areas of life in which we seek to focus and express the Sun qualities in us.

Surya the sun god is the bringer of fame and confidence in one's life. Therefore, to overcome Surya Dosha, people should worship Surya on Sundays, and should get up early morning to do Surya Namaskar. As per Valmiki’s Ramayana, Lord Rama is the descendant of sun and an incarnation of Vishnu, hence He rules the Sun. Therefore, to annul the ill effects of Surya Dosha, people should worship Lord Rama every morning as a regular prayer.

Surya governs our Manipura Chakra also known as our navel centre, the seat for your name, fame and power. It is located at our spine and the activation point lies directly over the navel. It is an important phase towards spiritual path. Those who have an energized Manipura chakra can attain the target of Supreme consciousness under the guidance of a self-realized master or guru. This chakra governs our clarity, wisdom, self-confidence and wellbeing. A balanced Manipura chakra can lead to good digestion, good health, power and respect in society as well as better leadership skills. When the Manipura Chakra is in its healthy state, the person is not intimidated by the divine power that governs him. An imbalanced Manipura chakra can cause the person to become angry, withdrawn, lethargic and self-centered. Some of Its physical manifestations are indigestion, weight issues and gastric ulcers.

According to the legend of Ramayana, Surya is the father of King Sugriva, who helped Lord Rama and His brother Lakshmana in defeating the demon Ravana. He also trained Lord Hanuman. Rama belongs to the Suryavanshi dynasty of kings or Solar Dynasty.

According to the legend of Mahabharata, sage Durvasa gave Princess Kunti instruction for a mantra, which when recited would summon any god and she could bear a child by him. Unaware of the potency of this mantra Kunti unwittingly summoned Lord Surya. When the Lord appeared Kunti requested him to go back. However Surya had the compulsion to realize the mantra before returning. Surya blessed Kunti with a child without affecting her chastity. Kunti, an unmarried princess did not need to face any embarrassment she felt compelled to abandon the child. This child was none other than Karna who became one of the pivotal characters in the legendary battle of Kurukshetra. He was also known as Surya Putra.

Saranyu, Ragyi and Prabha were the three wives of Surya. Vaivasvata Manu (the seventh i.e. present Manu) was the son of Saranyu. She also bore the twins Yama and Yami as well as the twins known as Ashvins, the physicians and the divine horsemen to the gods.

Another story regarding Saranyu is that she was unable to bear the severe radiance of Surya and hence fashioned her alter ego called Chhaya from her shadow. In her absence she instructed Chhaya to act as Surya’s wife. Chhaya had two sons Savarni Manu and Shani as well as two daughters, Tapti and Vishti. Surya had two more sons Prabhata with Prabha and Revanta with Ragyi. Surya was also the father of Karna. Shani and Yama, the two sons of Surya are responsible for the judgment of human life and deliverance of justice. Shani gives the result of one’s deeds during one’s life. He causes hurdles and delays as a way of punishment. Yama gives the result of one’s deeds after their death.

Surya has the following of similar type of beings, just like Lord Shiva. Yatudhanas, a clan of Rakshasas were the followers of Surya who wandered with him. It is said that the Daitya, Bhauvana prayed to Lord Surya with the Rathantara saman and was instantly transformed into an elephant. Surya is considered the eye of the Virat Purusha. He is also mentioned as "the eye of Mitra, Varuna, and Agni".

Another story is about Lord Hanuman and the demon king Ravana. It is believed that when Ravana imprisoned the Navgrahas, Hanuman arrived and freed them. All the Grahas thanked Hanuman and said that his devotees would also be blessed by them. Hence the malefic of any planet (including Guru Dosh) can be removed by praying to Hanuman.

Read more about Surya Dosh Remedies and Nivaran