Who we are and whom do we worship

   
      Many have asked me what religion do I belong to, well I belong to a fringe sect called Saura which can be traced back to the Rig Veda and it became more prominent after the Shukla Yajurveda. We worship the Sun God as the supreme Lord of the Universe in an emanationist sense treating each individual gods as distinct separate individual beings all emanating from Savitr. It is the tradition of the great sage Yajnavalkya. This following Appendix is from the book Mahabrahmana by Devudu Narasimha Sashtri, a Sanskrit scholar which will outline our core beliefs and values. The tradition is alive, the rituals are intact and is being practised to this day. We have a lot of similarities with the Valentinian tradition of early Christianity in the 2nd century for which I do not have a reasonable explanation to give. We not only believe that the Aeons were in the Father at the beginning of the creation of the Pleroma, we believe that the Aeons are still in him and form his body, this is what Saint Paul and Valentinus are preaching to us which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is this knowledge of the Father that we are striving for and it is our ultimate goal of our life and this is the 'rest' that Valentinus speaks of in his Gospel of Truth. Our gnosis of the Father is extremely dangerous to secular ecclesiastic and can bring the secular world down that's why they all hate us till death.

"You then who are spiritual should worship neither the creation nor the creator but the Father of Truth" - Herakleon, commentary on Gospel of John

Unlike the Valentinians, we have faced no persecutions, no force or authority suppressing us, we are no heretics, we have no conspiracy behind us, no New Age or Illuminati nonsense, we are a people who are following our ancient genuine Vedic religion and worshipping our Sun God, Savitr who was thousands of years earlier than Mithras, Jesus, Sol Invictus, the Persian-Magian mysteries and the Greco-Roman mysteries ever rouse to the world scene, a God who will never ever incarnate on earth, a God who will not judge us but sows the spiritual seed in all of us. That's how ancient sun worship is in India. 

                                                            

                                                   SandyaVandanam 
Following Appendix by Devudu Narasimha Shastry (1896-1962), Sanskrit Scholar, Translated into English by Prof. N. Nanjunda Sastry

    Every living being in the world is verily a Sun worshipper. Some know it, but a large number of beings are unaware of it. Being aware of what one is doing, systematizing it and doing it fully and consciously through sankalpa is called yoga. Progress is nothing but turning the mind from ayoga to yoga. Vedas declare Surya atma jagataha tasthushascha. It means that the sun is the very soul (atma) of both sthavara and jangama (the immobile and the mobile respectively) beings. Since the universe came into existence through the sun, he is called Aditya. Since all the tejas (luster) in the universe is his, he is called Bhaskara. He is the chieftain of the Grahamandala and all bhagyas such as health, well-being heartiness and wholeness are due to him are well-known. He is the giver of life and light. The evolution (vikasa) of all characharas in the world of human beings due entirely to the sun. Aryas worshipped him as Savithru because every being needs his permission to issue out of mother's womb. Once upon a time the worship of Savithru deva was in vogue in every nook and corner of the world. As dharma declined this Savithru-worship decreased. Now it is being performed here and there.

     In another sense, this Savithru-worship has not been given up at all, and cannot be given up either! For, the support for the breathing process which, takes place every moment is Prana. And in this Prana there are both Chara and sthira factors. This Prana sustains itself by upward and downward movements. It inhales the air from outside and protects the vital air, which is inside and thus is responsible for the being or existence of the body. When this prana is in the upward movement (Urdhwagathi) it is called "sun" and when in the downward movement (adho gathi) it is called "moon". The sthira factor or the stationary element is Surya (sun). The chara-factor or the mobile element is chandra (moon). Because of the latter, namely, chara-factor, there will be decrease and increase (Hrasa and Vriddhi respectively). Between these two namely, Surya and chandra, the former provides the seed form Agni and the latter the food form called soma. It is this Agnishoma mandala's anugraha that every living being is kept alive. This is a matter, which can be tested by means of yoga.

   Just as every living being has this Agnishoma mandala, every loka and even Brahmanda have that mandala. It is on account of this tatwa (philosophical principle) that Veda says, Agnishomatma Kamidam Jagat. This Agni can be called Purusha and Soma becomes Prakrithi. The union of Purusha and Prakrithi and their leela result in sristi, sthrithi and samhara.

    Agnishoma mandala is the moolasthana of Prakrithi and Purusha. The cheif or master of that mandala is Savithru. He that is, Savithru, has to accord permission for anything born, or anything to be born and issue out of the mother's womb. This is the law of Nature (Prakrithi). All those who are aware of this law should worship Savithru; or rather, have been worshipping Savithru. This worship or aradhana is ceaselessly going on in the form of breathing. When this "Worship" is going on in the right way the physical body will be in good health. But if anything goes wrong in that worship, disease attacks the physical body. Ayurveda which recognizes this principle calls him who prevents disease or restores good health, Pranacharya. By this Ayurveda has recognised the original form of this worship. This Savithru deva is none other than Aditya. He protects the "World in his various forms or manifestations. He is a mass of brilliant luster. Veda looks at Him in two ways. They are Vishrutha and Samasthi. Looking at each ray of that mass of lusture is the former way (Vishrutha) and looking at it as a whole (yeka) is the latter way (samasthi). The tejas of Savithrudeva, which Veda calls Samasthiswaroopa, is there in every living being and provokes the activity of the mind and intellect. Sage Vishwamitra has become a lokaddharaka because he has taught the World to worship that tejorashi which is within oneself. The tatwa that he has discovered is in the Gayatri mantra that he has devised. He is indeed a mahapurusha.

      Savithru deva is lord and master of Agnishoma mandala and He is in Samasthi Brahmanda. The same presiding deity (Savithrudeva) rules the microcosm Pindanda. Human beings who are not aware of this imagine that it is they and their own mind and intellect that get things to be done through their indriyas. How can subordinates be independent? Imagining that he is independent, the individual attributes his achievement to his mind and intellect. This amounts to moha and aham-bhava. But those few who are capable of deep reflection realize that there should be one (a power) who inspires or activates the mind and intellect further reflection and contemplation leads such individuals to realize that the Inspirer or Activator is Savithrudeva. It is He and He alone who instill power into the intellect. It is the intellect, which is the center and source of all activity, physical, mental, etc.

       The learned say that which was one (Yeka) split itself into eight for the stability and welfare of the World. So does Savithru deva. Through his rays in the day He is the Sun, by His rays at night He is the moon; by his firm and stable rays He is the earth, by His rasakirana he is water, by his tejakirana (lusterous rays) he is light. He is agni, by his Pranakirana he is air, and by his ethereal (shunya) Kirana. He is the sky. Thus Savithru Deva has spread himself out in the entire macrocosm. And that goes, by the name of Prakrithi, which in some cases is jada(inert) and in other chetana(live and active). It should, however, be remembered that jada and chetana are the two sides of the same coin. Namely, Prakrithi. This jagat of the phenomenal world, is the "sporting ground" (Vyapara kshetra) of Prakrithi and Purusha. The root meaning of the word jagat is that which is in the state of flux. It only means that the jagat (world) in which we live is not firm or fixed but is in continuous motion. That "motion" is called Paakrithi. It is an "element" in Jagat. One may compare this Prakrithi to a blind woman. When the Supreme one (ParaBrahman) decided (sankalpa) to create (srishti) He or It brought Prakrithi and Purusha together.

   This Savithrudeva's other form is the Sun who sends out His rays during day. We call it Prathassandhya when the first rays of the Sun touch the earth. Sayamsandhya is that point of time when the first rays of the moon touch the earth. These two sandhyas we see happening everyday in the outside World, that is, in Brahmanda. The same sandhya (conjunction of time) occurs in the Pindanda (microcosm or the human body) also. It is only a Jnani or Yogi or antarmukhi who can behold this sandhya in the pindanda, whereas our physical eyes are enough to see the sandhya in the outside world.

     These Sandhyas are the timepieces of the world. It is creation (herself) who holds up these clocks and regulates the "commerce" of the world. When dawn breaks and its light spreads it is aho or ahas (daylight or morning). At that point of time the indriyas (sense organs), mind (manas) and intellect (buddhi) become bahirmukha (turned outward) and indulge in their (outward) activities. When it is evening or dusk, that is, when darkness (nisha) spreads, the indriyas, manas and buddhi turn inward (antarmuka). The sandhyas are therefore responsible for expansion (outward activity) and contraction (inward activity). Hence the Aryas of yore called these forms (points) of time's power sandhyas and held them in esteem and importance.

      One has to recognize this power (expansion and contraction) of the two sandhyas and one has to cleanse one's body at those points of time. At the same time one has to cleanse one's jagat (inner world) also and should be ready to attract Gayathree from inside of the sun (Savithru deva) who is the soul (atma) of the jagat (world). One should "establish" Gayathree in one's heart after invoking her. Then one should offer worship to the tejorashi (mass or cluster of luster) Savithru deva and to the diffused (vikeerna) forms of devathas of that tejas. By saluting Savithru deva and through him Gayathree and the other Vikeerna devathas the worshipper now will be able to achieve his own good fortune.

      It is the Aryans (or Aryas) who discovered this esoteric secret. All those who are now let into this secret can be called Aryas, The obligatory duty of every such Arya is to discover the secrets of Nature and impart those secrets to worthy and deserving people. This is otherwise called Brahmayajna, which ought to be pursed through adhyana and adhyapana, He who does not do Brahmayajna will not be able to discharge the three runas, namely, Rishiruna, devaruna and Pithruruna. Discharging these three debts (runas) means, in other words, freeing oneself from the bonds which shackle one to this mundane existence (samsara). This freeing oneself is also called Samskaras which are the prescribed paths for one to travel from apurnathe to purnathe. One of the most important of these samskaras is Upanyajanma, which is technically termed a Punerjanma. The yoga that the vattu (the boy who undergoes Upanayana) secures through Upanayana is Sandyavandana or Sandhyopasana. It is also called Prajapathya Vratha.

      Everyone should perform Sandhyavandana. That act (Kriya) which has been happening in every Sthavar (immobile) and Jangama (mobile) thing should be duly done through sankalpa to the accompaniment of mantras. Then it gets the name Sandhyopasana. If done thus, duly and consciously (the two words) theoupsana becomes a chetanakriya. If the Kriya takes place in voluntarily, that is, without the person's conscious awareness, it becomes a jada kriya. In the former instance, (that is, in chetanakriya) the performer uplifts not only himself but also others. On account of this he becomes the assignor or director. In the case of the latter (that is in jada-kriya) the performer is merely one who is assigned or directed. An assignor is independent while the assigned is subject to another (Paratantra).

      The Aryas were those who eschewed Paratantra (subject to or dependent on another) and won swatantra (freedom or independence). Such Aryas can Aryanise the whole Universe. In the immediate and holy presence of such Aryas the Unarya world can become Arya. It is a matter of fact and of actual experience that in the ashrama of such Aryarishis even cruel animals abandon their inborn cruelty and live a satwie life.

    If it is said (claimed) that the entire jagat is sustained by the diffusion or spreading abroad (prasarana) of the tejas of only one God, namely, Savithrudeva, then a question arises which will have to be answered. The question is "If it is the tejahprasarana of only one deva, Savithrudeva, what is the cause of the many or variegated life we see around us? How can the 'high' and 'low' we see in jagat be explained?" Let us try to answer this all-important question.

    The stage when Prakrithi and Purusha manifest themselves in the form (swaroopa) of Agnishoma mandala is the stage when the formless divine (nirguna) assumes a form (saguna). In this stage the chara and sthira elements in the mandala get together (samsarga or union) and start breaking into many reproduction). This is what the Bhagvad Gita refers to as the eight forms of Prakrithi and it is well known that prakrithi is subject to the three gunas. The gunas manifest themselves at the time or stage of the union of purusha and prakrithi. Just as the eight rays of Savithrudeva assumed eight forms. The eight aspects of prakrithi get subjected to the three gunas. And all of them get mixed or intertwined. The gunas are there in the Agnishoma mandala itself. When one breaks into two, it naturally acquires a certain smallness (inferiority) (alpathe) and incompleteness (apoornathe). As a result of its new relationship (sambandha) with the Gunas it develops a change or a modification, a deviation from its natural state. This is called Vikara. This combination of inferiority or smallness (alpathe) and Vikara are responsible for Jagat's nanathwa, anekathwa, and vaividhya.

       There are two conspicuous elements in Prakrithi. The first is the jada element, which is composed of the Panchamahabhoothas. The second is the Chetana element. The panchamahabhoothas are "held captive" by the Gunas and so form themselves into three kinds, namely, Satwica, Rajasa and Tamasa. These three Gunas get together and build the gross (Sthula) physical body. In the words of the Bhagvad Gita this is Kshetra. In this Kshetra exists the jeeva with the vikaras of alpathe (inferiority or smallness), apurnathe (incompleteness) and subjected to the three gunas. This jeeva is called Kshetrajna. He who has no Vikaras of any kind, and He who is beyond all of them and yet retains His relationship with Prakrithi is called Purushottama. All these together (Kshetra, Kshetrajna and Purushottama) constitute Jagat. That which is beyond is Nirguna (the formless divine). Those who have reasoning power (Buddhi or the Intellect) and dialectical skill can reach Purushottama.

     In this Jagat, which is a close combination of union of Purushottama, the aksharapurusha called Kshetrajna and the ksharapurusha called Kshetra, it is natural to have both the lofty or elevated and the base or low. This presence of loftiness and baseness is the cause of all Karmas.

     Make a close study of the beja and vriksha. When the sprout springs out of the implanted seed, it has a stem and leaves. The first two leaves fall off because they are composed of charamsha while the stem survives because it is composed of sthiramsha the stem grows and when the plant grows into a tree it is this stem that becomes the strong trunk and becomes the adhistana for all the branches and boughs and yields things, leaves, buds, fruits etc. All this variety is due to the small seed that was implanted. Note that in one and same tree it is the seed that is responsible for rasa vaividhya and gunavaividhya owing to avasthabheda owing to the Kshetra bala you find differences in rasa, paka etc.

     In a similar way do consider closely the process of human reproduction. Just one sperm in combination with an ovum is able to produce a child. And when that infant issues out of the womb of the mother it carries within itself the seven essential ingredients of the body. That is the pinda. There are startling differences among children born to the same parents. Just as one pinda acquires diverse or manifold shapes or qualities, ParaBrahman which is whole and single splits in Brahmanda into a variety of shapes, forms and beings.

     On account of this manifoldness of the beings born on earth, their guna, karma and faith vary quite noticeably. Among Karmas, in the lower strata of beings, the Karma of earning one's daily bread and vasana consumes the major part of their time. In other words, it is in fulfilling one's daily requirements that one spends or wastes one's time. But the ones who belong to the higher strata, combine Vichara with Karma. Those who wish to cultivate judgement and wish to move from jnana through vijnana on to the highest knowledge should necessarily do sandhyopasana.