[INDOLOGY] Why is this hymn an aṣṭakam?

[alakendu das]

Mr Spier,
I have an answer to your query, but it may be a probable one . 
Yajur Veda has two branches-Kannya and Madhyandin.In the 34th chapter of Madhyandin , names of Solar Gods have been mentioned . I have spotted 7 names ascribed to Sun relating to the different time periods of a day. They are Surya, Sabita, Pushpa, Mitro,Arrko or Aryama, Bhogo and Vishnu . I got some of them, like the Sun from morning to 12 noon is Arrko . Vishnu is the Afternoon Sun. Bhogo is the Sun just after Sunrise.The mild  early morning Sun is Pusha. Further elucidation invited. Regards. Alakendu Das. 
From: vasishtha.spier at gmail.com
Sent: Sun, 15 Oct 2023 20:37:26 
To: alakendu das <mailmealakendudas at rediffmail.com>
Cc: indology at list.indology.info
Subject: Re: [INDOLOGY] Why is this hymn an aṣṭakam?


Dear Alakendu,Its Mr. Spier not Dr. Spier, but more importantly, are you aware of any references in the literature to "eight" aspects or somethings of the sun.Thanks,Harry Spier

On Sat, Oct 14, 2023 at 11:11 PM alakendu das via INDOLOGY <indology at list.indology.info> wrote:
Dr Spier,
It , may , refer to 8 different aspects of Surya .
RegardsAlakendu Das
From: indology at list.indology.info
Sent: Sun, 15 Oct 2023 00:42:53 
To: indology at list.indology.info
Subject: [INDOLOGY] Why is this hymn an aṣṭakam?


Dear list members,
I've been asked why the title of this hymn is sūryamaṇḍalāṣṭakam, when it has twelve verses and a phalam verse. Written after the collophon is sūryamaṇḍaladvādaśastotram . I do not know where that came from, whether from the transcriber or from what he was transcribing. 
Is it possible that the aṣṭakam in the title doesn't refer to the number of verses but is a qualifier of sūryamaṇḍala in the title? I.e. sūryamaṇḍalāṣṭakam means "the eight circles of the sun" ?
	
	


The hymn is:
	
	

 sūryamaṇḍalastotraṁ athavā sūryamaṇḍalāṣṭakam
namaḥ savitre
jagadekacakṣuṣe jagatprasūtī sthitināśahetave ।
trayīmayāya
triguṇātmadhāriṇe virañci nārāyaṇa śaṅkarātman ।
namo\'stu sūryāya
sahasraraśmaye sahasraśākhānvitasambhavātmane ।
sahasrayogodbhavabhāvabhāgine
sahasrasaṅkhyāyugadhāriṇe namaḥ ॥


yanmaṇḍalaṁ
dīptikaraṁ viśālaṁ ratnaprabhaṁ tīvramanādirūpam ।
dāridryaduḥkhakṣayakāraṇaṁ
ca punātu māṁ tatsaviturvareṇyam ॥
1॥
yanmaṇḍalaṁ
devagaṇaiḥ supūjitaṁ vipraiḥ stutaṁ bhāvanamuktikovidam ।
taṁ devadevaṁ
praṇamāmi sūryaṁ punātu māṁ tatsaviturvareṇyam ॥
2॥
yanmaṇḍalaṁ
jñānaghanaṁ tvagamyaṁ trailokyapūjyaṁ triguṇātmarūpam ।
samasta-tejomaya-divyarūpaṁ
punātu māṁ tatsaviturvareṇyam ॥
3॥
yanmaṇḍalaṁ
gūḍhamatiprabodhaṁ dharmasya vṛddhiṁ kurute janānām ।
yatsarvapāpakṣayakāraṇaṁ
ca punātu māṁ tatsaviturvareṇyam ॥
4॥
yanmaṇḍalaṁ
vyādhivināśadakṣaṁ yadṛgyajuḥsāmasu sampragītam ।
prakāśitaṁ yena
ca bhūrbhuvaḥ svaḥ punātu māṁ tatsaviturvareṇyam ॥
5॥
yanmaṇḍalaṁ
vedavido vadanti gāyanti yaccāraṇa-siddhasaṅghāḥ ।
yadyogino yogajuṣāṁ
ca saṅghāḥ punātu māṁ tatsaviturvareṇyam ॥
6॥
yanmaṇḍalaṁ
sarvajanaiśca pūjitaṁ jyotiśca kuryādiha martyaloke ।
yatkālakālādyamanādirūpaṁ
punātu māṁ tatsaviturvareṇyam ॥
7॥
yanmaṇḍalaṁ
viṣṇucāturmukhākhyaṁ yadakṣaraṁ pāpaharaṁ janānām ।
yatkālakalpakṣayakāraṇaṁ
ca punātu māṁ tatsaviturvareṇyam ॥
8॥
yanmaṇḍalaṁ
viśvasṛjaṁ prasiddhamutpatti-rakṣā-pralaya-pragalbham ।
yasmiñjagatsaṁharate\'khilaṁ
ca punātu māṁ tatsaviturvareṇyam ॥
9॥
yanmaṇḍalaṁ
sarvagatasya viṣṇorātmā paraṁ dhāma viśuddhatattvam ।
sūkṣmāntarairyogapathānugamyaṁ
punātu māṁ tatsaviturvareṇyam ॥
10॥
yanmaṇḍalaṁ
vedavido vadanti gāyanti yaccāraṇa-siddhasaṅghāḥ ।
yanmaṇḍalaṁ
vedavidaḥ smaranti punātu māṁ tatsaviturvareṇyam ॥
11॥
yanmaṇḍalaṁ
vedavidopagītaṁ yadyogināṁ yogapathānugamyam ।
tatsarvavedyaṁ
praṇamāmi sūryaṁ punātu māṁ tatsaviturvareṇyam ॥
12॥
sūryamaṇḍalasustotraṁ
yaḥ paṭhet satataṁ naraḥ ।
sarvapāpaviśuddhātmā
sūryaloke mahīyate ॥ 13॥
iti śrī
bhaviṣyottarapurāṇe śrīkṛṣṇārjunasaṁvāde
       
sūryamaṇḍalastotraṁ sampūrṇam॥
sūryamaṇḍaladvādaśastotram




Thanks,Harry Spier

	
	


	
	


	
	




_______________________________________________

INDOLOGY mailing list

INDOLOGY at list.indology.info

https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology




_______________________________________________

INDOLOGY mailing list

INDOLOGY at list.indology.info

https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://list.indology.info/pipermail/indology/attachments/20231015/7ac3750c/attachment.htm>