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@gmail.com
Sent: Sun, 15 Oct 2023 20:37:26
To: alakendu das <mailmealakendudas@rediffmail.com>
Cc: indology@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@list.indology.info> wrote:
Dr Spier,

It , may , refer to 8 different aspects of Surya .

Regards
Alakendu Das

From: indology@list.indology.info
Sent: Sun, 15 Oct 2023 00:42:53
To: indology@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



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