Happy Pongal/Makara Sankranti - Rare Keshavaditya Ashtottaram

[K.N.RAMESH]

Courtesy : Sri.K.Muralidharan Iyengar

Dear All,

Greetings and Namaste. As Makara Sankranti falls on 15-Jan-2015 (Thursday), I am happy to share a rare Ashtottaram on Lord Surya titled Keshavaditya Ashtottaram taken from Skanda Puranam, Avanti Khanda, Chapter 44. This hymn appears as Keshavaditya Mahatmyam and is presumably created by Lord Vishnu.

As we have seen in the last few years, Lord Surya worship is given a prominent status within Sanatana Dharma - regardless of the sub-sects and secondary leanings. Lord Surya is just another manifestation of the one and only Brahman as is explained by Sage Agastya to Lord Rama in Aditya Hrudayam in Valmiki Ramayana.

Lord Surya is sometimes alluded to as Lord Narayana and sometimes as Lord Rudra. A few years ago, I had shared a rare Surya Hrudayam from Kurma Puranam where Lord Surya is prayed as Lord Rudra Himself. In the attached hymn too this plurality is driven home eloquently - viShNuM, ahirbudhnyaM, hara-netraM, Madhya-dine-rudraM, dina-xaye-shyAmaM viShNum, etc. In Surya Stavaraja Stotram in Brahma Vaivarta Puranam Lord Surya is prayed as brahma-Vishnu-maheshAnAM-aMshaM (manifestation of Brahma/Vishnu/Shva).

We have also seen (last year) that Sage Vyasa mentions that there is no God beyond Aditya in Bhavishya Purana and there is no refuge than him. Since such superlatives are given for each and every deity form in various puranas, it all converges to the point that the Brahman manifests in different forms for our own benefit and therefore there is no need to cook up a Gartner Magic Quadrant on Divinity - that's absolute bunkum and ineptitude :)

May We Pray To Lord Surya On The Makara Sanktranti day with this rare Keshavaditya Ashtottaram. Wishing You All a Very Happy Pongal!

(Note : I am not quite sure about a couple of names in the stotra as the print is feeble)

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