Bhagavan Shiva ~ the Chaitanya worshipped in Surya mandala

[V Subrahmanian]

The following is a post by Sri Natraj Maneshinde in FB.  He has made an impressive collection of references linking Gayatri to Shiva from various sources.   I have given a short reference to Upanishad/Vedic sources:

 In this post of Sri Natraj Maneshinde, the following verses cited, are provided with Upanishadic/Vedic references by me below:

1. Shiva Purana, Kailasa Samhita, Chapter 13 :

The Hiranya-maya Purusha beheld in the Surya mandala, whose limbs are of golden hue, who is described so in the Chandogya upanishad is verily Bhagavan Shiva.

एष त आत्मांतर्यामी योऽमृतश्च शिवस्स्वयम् ।। [Antaryami Brahmana of Braihadaranyaka Upanishad. ]

यश्चायम्पुरुषे शंभुर्यश्चादित्ये व्यवस्थितः ।। १३ ।।

स चाऽसौ सेति पार्थक्यं नैकं सर्वं स ईरितः ।।

सोपाधिद्वयमस्यार्थ उपचारात्तथोच्यते ।। १४ ।। [Taittiriya Upanishad: स यश्चायं पुरुषे यश्चासावादिये....]

तं शम्भुनाथं श्रुतयो वदन्ति हि हिरण्मयम् ।।

हिरण्य बाहव इति सर्वांगस्यो पलक्षलम् ।। १५ ।। [Sri Rudra Prashna of the Krishna yajur veda: नमो हिरण्यबाहवे सेनान्ये दिशां च पतये नमः...]

अन्यथा तत्पतित्वं तु न भवेदिति यत्नतः ।।

य एषोन्तरिति शंभुश्छान्दोग्ये श्रूयते शिवः ।। १६ ।।

हिरण्यश्मश्रुवांस्तद्वद्धिरण्यमयकेशवान् ।।

नखमारभ्य केशाग्रा सर्वत्रापि हिरण्मयः ।।१७ [Chandogya Upanishad]

The above verses are the Upanishadic/Vedic upabrhmanam in the Shiva Purana.   

https://www.facebook.com/natraj.maneshinde/posts/3658214734317618

Bhagavan Shiva ~ the Chaitanya worshipped in Surya mandala

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The Maya-vishishtha-Brahman, which brings about Srishti-Sthiti-Laya of the creation, whose lusture inspires our intellect, is the object of worship in Sandhyopasana. Throughout our scriptural literature, this Surya-antargat Chaitanya is extolled in many forms. Vishnu upasaka-s worship Shanka-Chakra-dhari Narayana as the deity in the solar orb. Devi upasakas worship the same Chaitanya as Bhagavati Sandhya, either in her five-faced form or in her three manifestations as Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati. Similarly, the scriptures also describe this Chaitanya as Shiva. In this post, I will make an attempt to gather a few Shastric evidences which establish Bhagavan Shiva as the Purusha worshipped in the Sun by means of Gayatri mantra.

Before I proceed further, I thank Shri Subrahmanian Vaidyanathan ji for initiating this small search and also for furnishing many interesting evidences.

1. Shiva Purana, Kailasa Samhita, Chapter 13 :

The Hiranya-maya Purusha beheld in the Surya mandala, whose limbs are of golden hue, who is described so in the Chandogya upanishad is verily Bhagavan Shiva.

एष त आत्मांतर्यामी योऽमृतश्च शिवस्स्वयम् ।।

यश्चायम्पुरुषे शंभुर्यश्चादित्ये व्यवस्थितः ।। १३ ।।

स चाऽसौ सेति पार्थक्यं नैकं सर्वं स ईरितः ।।

सोपाधिद्वयमस्यार्थ उपचारात्तथोच्यते ।। १४ ।।

तं शम्भुनाथं श्रुतयो वदन्ति हि हिरण्मयम् ।।

हिरण्य बाहव इति सर्वांगस्यो पलक्षलम् ।। १५ ।।

अन्यथा तत्पतित्वं तु न भवेदिति यत्नतः ।।

य एषोन्तरिति शंभुश्छान्दोग्ये श्रूयते शिवः ।। १६ ।।

हिरण्यश्मश्रुवांस्तद्वद्धिरण्यमयकेशवान् ।।

नखमारभ्य केशाग्रा सर्वत्रापि हिरण्मयः ।।१७

2. Shiva Purana, Vayavya Samhita, Uttaradha, chapter 8 :

Shiva who is non-different from Surya and Vishnu, is worshipped in the Saura-mandala at dawn, noon and dusk with the offering of Arghya.

नमश्शिवाय शांताय सगणायादिहेतवे ॥ ७.२,८.३४

रुद्राय विष्णवे तुभ्यं ब्रह्मणे सूर्यमूर्तये ॥ ७.२,८.३४

यश्शिवं मण्डले सौरे संपूज्यैव समाहितः ॥ ७.२,८.३५

प्रातर्मध्याह्नसायाह्ने प्रदद्यादर्घ्यमुत्तमम् ॥ ७.२,८.३५

प्रणमेद्वा पठेदेताञ्छ्लोकाञ्छ्रुतिमुखानिमान् ॥ ७.२,८.३६

3. Suta Samhita, Yagna-vaibhava khanda, chapter 6 :

This chapter is dedicated to Gayatri mantra. Verses 6, 34 convey the fact that Shiva with his Shakti/Maya, who is Neelagreeva, Virupaksha, Rudra etc is the adhi-devata of Gayatri mantra. The verses are attached in the comments.

4. Shiva Purana, Shatarudra Samhita, Chapter 2 :

This chapter describes Astha-murtis of Shiva. It is a well know fact that Shiva manifests as Astha-mutirs. Among these eight forms, Surya is verily the Ishana swaroopa of Shiva.

सन्दीपयञ्जगत्सर्वं दिवाकरसमाह्वयम् ।।

ईशानाख्यं महेशस्य रूपं दिवि विसर्पति ।।3.2.१०।।

5. Shiva Purana, Kotirudra Samhita, chapter 35 :

This chapter has a Shiva Sahasranama stotra. There are many names in this sahasranama that are suggestive of Surya. Interestingly, the sahasranama also has ’Savita’ as one of the names of Shiva. Bhagavan Shiva is described here as 'Gayatri Vallabha'.

रुचिर्बहुरुचिर्वेद्यो वाचस्पतिरहस्पतिः ।।

रविर्विरोचनः स्कंदः शास्ता वैवस्वतो यमः ।। ५६ ।।

युक्तिरुन्नतकीर्तिश्च सानुरागः पुरंजयः ।।

कैलासाधिपतिः कांतः सविता रविलोचनः ।। ५७ ।।

गायत्रीवल्लभः प्रांशुर्विश्वावासः प्रभाकरः ।।

शिशुर्गिरिरतः सम्राट् सुषेणः सुरशत्रुहा ।। ६५ ।।

Also, Bhagavati Sandhya/Gayatri is again described as Bhagavan Sadashiva’s consort in Shiva Purana's Kailasa Samhita chapter 13 :

इयम्भगवती साक्षाच्छंकरार्द्धशरीरिणी ।।

पंचवक्त्रा दशभुजा विपञ्चनयनोज्ज्वला ।।५२।।

सदाशिवस्य देवस्य धर्मपत्नी मनोहरा ।।

जगदम्बा त्रिजननी त्रिगुणा निर्गुणाप्यजा ।। ५६ ।।

इत्येवं संविचार्य्याथ गायत्रीं प्रजपेत्सुधीः ।।

आदिदेवीं च त्रिपदां ब्राह्मणत्वादिदामजाम् ।।५७।।

यो ह्यन्यथा जपेत्पापो गायत्री शिवरूपिणीम्।।

स पच्यते महाघोरे नरके कल्पसंख्यया ।। ५८ ।।

6. Mahabharata, Shiva Sahasranama :

The identity of Shiva and Savita, established in Shiva Purana, is also corroborated by the Shiva Sahasranama of Mahabharata

प्रभावः सर्वगो वायुरर्यमा सविता रविः ।

उषङ्गुश्च विधाता च मान्धाता भूतभावनः ॥ १०५॥

6. Shiva Purana, Vidyeshwar Samhita, :

These verses beautifully describe the relation between Savita tattva and Shiva linga. Bhagavan Shiva/Bharga is verily Surya who brings about the creation(Prasavita). Hence, he is worshipped in the form of a linga.

भर्गः पुरुषरूपो हि भर्गा प्रकृतिरुच्यते ९५

अव्यक्तांतरधिष्ठानं गर्भः पुरुष उच्यते

सुव्यक्तांतरधिष्ठानं गर्भः प्रकृतिरुच्यते ९६

भगवान्भोगदाता हि नाऽन्यो भोगप्रदायकः

भगस्वामी च भगवान्भर्ग इत्युच्यते बुधैः १०३

भगेन सहितं लिंगं भगंलिंगेन संयुतम्

इहामुत्र च भोगार्थं नित्यभोगार्थमेव च १०४

भगवंतं महादेवं शिवलिंगं प्रपूजयेत्

लोकप्रसविता सूर्यस्तच्चिह्नं प्रसवाद्भवेत् १०५

लिंगेप्रसूतिकर्तारं लिंगिनं पुरुषो यजेत्

लिंगार्थगमकं चिह्नं लिंगमित्यभिधीयते १०६

7. Kurma Purana, uttaradha, chapter 7 :

Shiva says I am Savitri among all the Japya mantras.

सावित्री सर्वजप्यानां गुह्यानां प्रणवोऽस्म्यहम् ।

सूक्तानां पौरुषं सूक्तं ज्येष्ठसाम च सामसु ॥ ७.१३

From these evidences, it is quite clear that Bhagavan Shiva is worshipped in the Surya mandala as the upasya devata of Gayatri mantra. Shrimad Appyya Deekshitentra also describes the same in his ‘Aditya Stotra Ratnam’ :

आदित्ये मण्डलार्चिः पुरुषविभिदयाद्यन्तमध्यागमात्म-

न्यागोपालाङ्गनाभ्यो नयनपथजुषा ज्योतिषा दीप्यमानम्

गायत्रीमन्त्रसेव्यं निखिलजनधियां प्रेरकं विश्वरूपम् ।

नीलग्रीवं त्रिने(णे)त्रं शिवमनिशमुमावल्लभं संश्रयामि ॥ १२॥

Thus, there remains no room for any doubts regarding Bhagavan Shiva being the upasya of Gayatri mantra. Shiva upasakas worship this tattva as Shiva while Devi upasakas worship the same tattva as Bhagavati Sandhya, who is Bhagavan Sadashiva’s consort and is non-different from him.

May Bhagavan Sadashiva, who is non-different from Bhagavati Gayatri, inspire our intellect and guide us on the path of Dharma.

।। हर नम: पार्वती पतये हर हर महादेव ।।

।। पराचितिस्वरूपिणि जय जय जगज्जननि।।