Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 105 of 128 · 31 verses
The Heart of the Sun (Aditya Hridaya)
Seeing Rama weary from battle and standing in thought, and Ravana before him ready to fight, the blessed sage Agastya, who has come with the gods to watch the battle, approaches Rama and says: Rama, Rama, mighty-armed one, hear the eternal secret by which, my child, you will conquer all your enemies in battle: the Aditya Hridaya, the Heart of the Sun, holy, destroyer of all enemies, bringer of victory, a prayer for constant recitation, imperishable, supremely auspicious, the blessing of all blessings, destroyer of all sins, calmer of anxiety and grief, the best increaser of life. Worship Vivasvan, the radiant one rising with his rays, honoured by gods and asuras, Bhaskara, lord of the worlds. He is the self of all the gods, brilliant, the source of rays; with his rays he protects the worlds of gods and asuras. He is Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Skanda and Prajapati, great Indra, the Lord of Wealth, Time, Yama, Soma and the lord of the waters; the ancestors, Vasus, Sadhyas, the Ashvins, the Maruts and Manu, Wind and Fire, all creatures and the breath of life, maker of the seasons, the maker of light.
The hymn then names him by many names, among them Aditya, Savita, Surya, Khaga, Pusha, Gabhastiman, the golden one, Bhanu, Hiranyareta, Divakara, lord of the bay horses, thousand-rayed, drawn by seven horses, destroyer of darkness, Shambhu, Tvashta, Martanda, Amshuman, the golden womb, Tapana, Ravi, son of Aditi, lord of the sky, master of the Rig, Yajur and Sama Vedas, friend of the waters, traveller over the Vindhya’s path, Death, the tawny one, the sage, the universe, the twelve-formed, lord of stars and planets, maker of all, the most brilliant of brilliant ones; and it bows to him again and again, as the eastern mountain and the western mountain, lord of the hosts of lights, lord of the day, victory and the blessing of victory, the fierce one, the hero, the one who wakes the lotus, the lord of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, destroyer of darkness, cold and enemies, destroyer of the ungrateful, witness of the world. This lord destroys what has come into being and creates it again; he dries, heats and rains with his rays; he is awake in sleeping creatures, established within them; he is the fire offering and its fruit for those who offer it, the gods, the sacrifices and their fruits, and the supreme lord of all actions in all the worlds. No one who praises him in trouble, in hardship, in the wilderness or in fear, Raghava, comes to grief. Worship him with a single mind, the god of gods, lord of the world; reciting this three times, you will be victorious in battle. In this very moment, mighty-armed one, you will slay Ravana. Having said this, Agastya goes as he came.
Hearing this, the radiant Raghava is freed from grief; pleased and self-controlled, he takes it to heart. Gazing at the sun and reciting the hymn, he attains the highest joy; sipping water three times and becoming pure, the valiant one takes his bow, looks at Ravana and with a glad heart comes forward for victory, set with all his great effort on killing him. Then the Sun, in the midst of the gods, looking at Rama, glad at heart and greatly rejoicing, knowing that the destruction of the lord of the night-wanderers is at hand, says: “Hurry!”
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ततो युद्धपरिश्रान्तं समरे चिन्तया स्थितम् । रावणं चाग्रतो दृष्ट्वा युद्धाय समुपस्थितम् ॥ १ ॥
Then, seeing Rama worn out by battle, standing in thought in the fight, and Ravana before him, come ready for battle,
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The Heart of the Sun (Aditya Hridaya) 1 min read.
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दैवतैश्च समागम्य द्रष्टुमभ्यागतो रणम् । उपगम्याब्रवीद् राममगस्त्यो भगवांस्तदा ॥ २ ॥
having come with the gods to see the battle, the blessed Agastya approached Rama then and said:
राम राम महाबाहो शृणु गुह्यं सनातनम् । येन सर्वानरीन् वत्स समरे विजयिष्यसे ॥ ३ ॥
“Rama, Rama, mighty-armed one, hear the eternal secret by which, my child, you will conquer all enemies in battle:
आदित्यहृदयं पुण्यं सर्वशत्रुविनाशनम् । जयावहं जपं नित्यमक्षयं परमं शिवम् ॥ ४ ॥
“the Aditya Hridaya, holy, destroyer of all enemies, bringer of victory, a prayer for constant recitation, imperishable, supreme, auspicious,
सर्वमङ्गलमाङ्गल्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् । चिन्ताशोकप्रशमनमायुर्वर्धनमुत्तमम् ॥ ५ ॥
“the blessing of all blessings, destroyer of all sins, calmer of anxiety and grief, the best increaser of life.
रश्मिमन्तं समुद्यन्तं देवासुरनमस्कृतम् । पूजयस्व विवस्वन्तं भास्करं भुवनेश्वरम् ॥ ६ ॥
“Worship Vivasvan, possessed of rays, rising, honoured by gods and asuras, Bhaskara, lord of the worlds.
सर्वदेवात्मको ह्येष तेजस्वी रश्मिभावनः । एष देवासुरगणाँल्लोकान् पाति गभस्तिभिः ॥ ७ ॥
“For he is the self of all the gods, radiant, the source of rays; he protects the worlds of the hosts of gods and asuras with his rays.
एष ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च शिवः स्कन्दः प्रजापतिः । महेन्द्रो धनदः कालो यमः सोमो ह्यपां पतिः ॥ ८ ॥
“He is Brahma and Vishnu, Shiva, Skanda, Prajapati, great Indra, the giver of wealth, Time, Yama, Soma, and the lord of the waters;
पितरो वसवः साध्या अश्विनौ मरुतो मनुः । वायुर्वह्निः प्रजाः प्राण ऋतुकर्ता प्रभाकरः ॥ ९ ॥
“the ancestors, the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the two Ashvins, the Maruts, Manu, Wind, Fire, the creatures, the breath, the maker of the seasons, the maker of light;
आदित्यः सविता सूर्यः खगः पूषा गभस्तिमान् । सुवर्णसदृशो भानुर्हिरण्यरेता दिवाकरः ॥ १० ॥
“Aditya, Savita, Surya, the sky-goer, Pusha, possessed of rays, golden-hued, Bhanu, whose seed is gold, maker of the day;
हरिदश्वः सहस्रार्चिः सप्तसप्तिर्मरीचिमान् । तिमिरोन्मथनः शम्भुस्त्वष्टा मार्तण्डकोंऽशुमान् ॥ ११ ॥
“he of the bay horses, thousand-flamed, seven-horsed, possessed of rays, destroyer of darkness, Shambhu, Tvashta, Martanda, Amshuman;
हिरण्यगर्भः शिशिरस्तपनोऽहस्करो रविः । अग्निगर्भोऽदितेः पुत्रः शङ्खः शिशिरनाशनः ॥ १२ ॥
“the golden womb, the cool one, the heater, the maker of day, Ravi, bearing fire within, son of Aditi, the conch, destroyer of cold;
व्योमनाथस्तमोभेदी ऋग्यजुःसामपारगः । घनवृष्टिरपां मित्रो विन्ध्यवीथीप्लवंगमः ॥ १३ ॥
“lord of the sky, splitter of darkness, master of the Rig, Yajus and Saman, the one who brings heavy rain, friend of the waters, swift traveller over the Vindhya’s path;
आतपी मण्डली मृत्युः पिङ्गलः सर्वतापनः । कविर्विश्वो महातेजा रक्तः सर्वभवोद्भवः ॥ १४ ॥
“the burning one, the circle, Death, the tawny one, the heater of all, the seer, the universe, of great splendour, the red one, the source of all becoming;
नक्षत्रग्रहताराणामधिपो विश्वभावनः । तेजसामपि तेजस्वी द्वादशात्मन् नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ १५ ॥
“lord of the constellations, planets and stars, creator of all, most brilliant of the brilliant: you of twelve forms, salutation to you.
नमः पूर्वाय गिरये पश्चिमायाद्रये नमः । ज्योतिर्गणानां पतये दिनाधिपतये नमः ॥ १६ ॥
“Salutation to the eastern mountain, salutation to the western mountain; salutation to the lord of the hosts of lights, to the lord of the day.
जयाय जयभद्राय हर्यश्वाय नमो नमः । नमो नमः सहस्रांशो आदित्याय नमो नमः ॥ १७ ॥
“To victory, to the blessing of victory, to him of the bay horses, salutation, salutation; salutation, salutation, thousand-rayed one; to Aditya, salutation, salutation.
नम उग्राय वीराय सारङ्गाय नमो नमः । नमः पद्मप्रबोधाय प्रचण्डाय नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ १८ ॥
“Salutation to the fierce, to the hero, to the swift-moving, salutation, salutation; salutation to the awakener of the lotus; to the mighty one, salutation to you.
ब्रह्मेशानाच्युतेशाय सूरायादित्यवर्चसे । भास्वते सर्वभक्षाय रौद्राय वपुषे नमः ॥ १९ ॥
“To the lord of Brahma, Ishana and Acyuta, to the hero, to him with the splendour of Aditya, to the shining one, to the devourer of all, to the form of Rudra, salutation.
तमोघ्नाय हिमघ्नाय शत्रुघ्नायामितात्मने । कृतघ्नघ्नाय देवाय ज्योतिषां पतये नमः ॥ २० ॥
“To the destroyer of darkness, the destroyer of cold, the destroyer of enemies, the boundless self, the destroyer of the ungrateful, to the god, to the lord of lights, salutation.
तप्तचामीकराभाय हरये विश्वकर्मणे । नमस्तमोऽभिनिघ्नाय रुचये लोकसाक्षिणे ॥ २१ ॥
“To him with the splendour of molten gold, to Hari, to the maker of all, salutation; to the destroyer of darkness, to the radiance, to the witness of the world.
नाशयत्येष वै भूतं तमेव सृजति प्रभुः । पायत्येष तपत्येष वर्षत्येष गभस्तिभिः ॥ २२ ॥
“This lord destroys what has come into being, and creates it again; this one dries, this one heats, this one rains with his rays.
एष सुप्तेषु जागर्ति भूतेषु परिनिष्ठितः । एष चैवाग्निहोत्रं च फलं चैवाग्निहोत्रिणाम् ॥ २३ ॥
“This one is awake in those who sleep, established within beings; this one is the fire offering and the fruit of those who offer the fire offering;
देवाश्च क्रतवश्चैव क्रतूनां फलमेव च । यानि कृत्यानि लोकेषु सर्वेषु परमप्रभुः ॥ २४ ॥
“and the gods and the sacrifices and the fruit of the sacrifices: whatever actions there are in all the worlds, he is the supreme lord.
एनमापत्सु कृच्छ्रेषु कान्तारेषु भयेषु च । कीर्तयन् पुरुषः कश्चिन्नावसीदति राघव ॥ २५ ॥
“No man who praises him in calamities, in hardships, in wildernesses and in fears, comes to grief, Raghava.
पूजयस्वैनमेकाग्रो देवदेवं जगत्पतिम् । एतत् त्रिगुणितं जप्त्वा युद्धेषु विजयिष्यति ॥ २६ ॥
“Worship him with one-pointed mind, the god of gods, lord of the world; reciting this three times, you will be victorious in battles.
अस्मिन् क्षणे महाबाहो रावणं त्वं जहिष्यसि । एवमुक्त्वा ततोऽगस्त्यो जगाम स यथागतम् ॥ २७ ॥
“In this moment, mighty-armed one, you will slay Ravana.” Having said this, Agastya then went as he had come.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा महातेजा नष्टशोकोऽभवत् तदा । धारयामास सुप्रीतो राघवः प्रयतात्मवान् ॥ २८ ॥
Hearing this, the very radiant one became free from grief then; greatly pleased, Raghava, self-controlled, took it to heart.
आदित्यं प्रेक्ष्य जप्त्वेदं परं हर्षमवाप्तवान् । त्रिराचम्य शुचिर्भूत्वा धनुरादाय वीर्यवान् ॥ २९ ॥
Looking at the sun and reciting this, he attained the highest joy; sipping water three times and becoming pure, the valiant one took his bow.
रावणं प्रेक्ष्य हृष्टात्मा जयार्थं समुपागमत् । सर्वयत्नेन महता वृतस्तस्य वधेऽभवत् ॥ ३० ॥
Looking at Ravana, glad at heart, he came forward for victory; with all great effort he was set on his killing.
अथ रविरवदन्निरीक्ष्य रामं मुदितमनाः परमं प्रहृष्यमाणः । निशिचरपतिसंक्षयं विदित्वा सुरगणमध्यगतो वचस्त्वरेति ॥ ३१ ॥
Then the Sun, in the midst of the hosts of gods, looking at Rama, glad at heart, greatly rejoicing, knowing the destruction of the lord of the night-wanderers, spoke the word: “Hurry!”