Saura sect in Hinduism

[Pleroma]

I'm a follower of the Saura sect and we reject the concept of Trimurthi entirely in Hinduism. Surya, the Hindu Sun God is the supreme Lord of the Universe. We are hard polytheists and we believe that the gods literally exist, they are neither symbolic creations or archetypes of the human mind or pure myths created by humans. Gods exist independent of the human mind in their own realm and our view is an emanationist view of God. All other gods emanated from Surya and all other gods exist in his womb and hence he is called as Hiranyagarbha, Surya is Saguna Brahman and hence this view is henotheism, he is the supreme Lord neither Krishna, Vishnu, Shiva or Brahma.

The Saura sect that worships Surya as the supreme person of godhead and saguna brahman doesn't accept the Trimurti as they believe Surya is God. Earlier forms of the Trimurti sometimes included Surya instead of Brahma, or as a fourth above the Trimurti, of whom the other three are manifestations; Surya is Brahma in the morning, Vishnu in the afternoon and Shiva in the evening. Surya was also a member of the original Vedic Trimurti, which included Agni and Vayu. Some Sauras worship either Vishnu or Shiva as manifestations of Surya, others worship the Trimurti as a manifestation of Surya, and others exclusively worship Surya alone.

"The Suryaites or Sauras are followers of a Hindu denomination that started in Vedic tradition, and worship Surya as the main visible form of the Saguna Brahman. The Saura religion was influential in times of old but declined between the 12th and 13th century CE and today remains as a very small movement."

 

[StarryNightshade]

Even though the Trimurthi itself is rejected, and Surya is considered supreme, where do the other Devas (like Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha, etc.) stand in this tradition?

 

[Chakra]

This is interesting. I've never seen a Saurya. Do you have any Acharyas?

 

[Maya3]

I like the concept that the Sun is God. It kind of is, without it we would not be here.
If the planet and the water is Shakti then the Sun is Shiva. That is just my simplified version, I realize that that is not what you believe.

Maya

 

[Aupmanyav]

Welcome, Saura. SNS, like Pleroma said - "All other gods emanated from Surya and all other gods exist in his womb and hence he is called as Hiranyagarbha, .."

ud vayaṃ tamasas pari jyotiṣ paśyanta uttaram l
devaṃ devatrā sūryamaghanma jyotiruttamam ll
(Looking upon the loftier light above the darkness we have come
To Sūrya, God among the Gods, the light that is most excellent.)
Rig Veda: Rig-Veda Book 1: HYMN L. Sūrya.

 

[Pleroma]

This is interesting. I've never seen a Saurya. Do you have any Acharyas?

We have a lineage that dates back to the Rig Veda.

Shuklayajurveda - Veda, Yajur Veda,

 

[Pleroma]

Even though the Trimurthi itself is rejected, and Surya is considered supreme, where do the other Devas (like Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha, etc.) stand in this tradition?

They all are subordinate to him and no god can resist his will.

 

[Aupmanyav]

[QUOTEhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv10121.htm="Pleroma, post: 4012363, member: 39035"]We have a lineage that dates back to the Rig Veda.[/QUOTE]That is nice, Pleroma.

"Hiraṇyagharbhaḥ samavartatāghre bhūtasya jātaḥ patirekaāsīt l
sa dādhāra pṛthivīṃ dyāmutemāṃ kasmai devāyahaviṣā vidhema ll
(In the beginning rose Hiranyagarbha, born Only Lord of all created beings.
He fixed and holdeth up this earth and heaven. What God shall we adore with our oblation?)

But how many Adityas were there? Seven, Eight, Ten, Twelve?

 

[Pleroma]

But how many Adityas were there? Seven, Eight, Ten, Twelve?

Only six. We do not accept that Surya was subordinate to Aditi and this is very evident from the Rig Veda.

1. Mitra
2. Aryaman
3. Bhaga
4. Varuna
5. Daksa
6. Amsa

HYMN XXVII. Ādityas.
1. THESE hymns that drop down fatness, with the ladle I ever offer to the Kings Ādityas.
May Mitra, Aryaman, and Bhaga hear us, the mighty Varuṇa Dakṣa, and Aṁśa.
2 With one accord may Aryaman and Mitra and Varuṇa this day accept this praise-song—
Ādityas bright and pure as streams of water, free from all guile and falsehood, blameless, perfect.
3 These Gods, Ādityas, vast, profound, and faithful, with many eyes, fain to deceive the wicked,
Looking within behold the good and evil near to the Kings is even the thing most distant.
4 Upholding that which moves and that which moves not, Ādityas, Gods, protectors of all being,
Provident, guarding well the world of spirits, true to eternal Law, the debt-exactors.
5 May I, Ādityas, share m this your favour which, Aryaman, brings profit e’en in danger.
Under your guidance, Varuṇa and Mitra, round troubles may I pass, like rugged places.
6 Smooth is your path, O Aryaman and Mitra; excellent is it, Varuṇa, and thornless.
Thereon, Ādityas, send us down your blessing: grant us a shelter hard to be demolished.
7 Mother of Kings, may Aditi transport us, by fair paths Aryaman, beyond all hatred.
May we uninjured, girt by many heroes, win Varuṇa's and Mitra's high protection.
8 With their support they stay three earths, three heavens; three are their functions in the Gods’ assembly.
Mighty through Law, Ādityas, is your greatness; fair is it, Aryaman, Varuṇa, and Mitra.
9 Golden and splendid, pure like streams of water, they hold aloft the three bright heavenly regions.
Ne’er do they slumber, never close their eyelids, faithful, far-ruling for the righteous mortal.
10 Thou over all, O Varuṇa, art Sovran, be they Gods, Asura! or be they mortals.
Grant unto us to see a hundred autumns ours be the blest long lives of our forefathers.
11 Neither the right nor left do I distinguish, neither the cast nor yet the west, Ādityas.
Simple and guided by your wisdom, Vasus! may I attain the light that brings no danger.
12 He who bears gifts unto the Kings, true Leaders, he whom their everlasting blessings prosper,
Moves with his chariot first in rank and wealthy, munificent and lauded in assemblies.
13 Pure, faithful, very strong, with heroes round him, he dwells beside the waters rich with pasture.
None slays, from near at hand or from a distance, him who is under the Ādityas’ guidance.
14 Aditi, Mitra, Varuṇa, forgive us however we have erred and sinned against you.
May I obtain the broad light free from peril: O Indra, let not during darkness seize us.
15 For him the Twain united pour their fulness, the rain from heaven: he thrives most highly favoured.
He goes to war mastering both the mansions: to him both portions of the world are gracious.
16 Your guiles, ye Holy Ones, to quell oppressors, your snares spread out against the foe, Ādityas,
May I car-borne pass like a skilful horseman: uninjured may we dwell in spacious shelter.
17 May I not live, O Varuṇa, to witness my wealthy, liberal, dear friend's destitution.
King, may O never lack well-ordered riches. Loud may we speak, with heroes, in assembly.

 

[Chakra]

Are you guys a Shruti sect only? No Puranas or Mahabharata?

 

[Pleroma]

Are you guys a Shruti sect only? No Puranas or Mahabharata?

Yes mainly shruthi because they are heard scriptures and they are the true words revealed by the gods, its the true words of the gods. Smrithi is not considered very seriously though it might contain some interesting historical events of the Vedic lineage which occurred in the laukik world.

The Saura sect was in vogue during the time of Mahabharatha as described in the Vishnu Purana. Multan Sun Temple which was built around 515 B.C by Samba, the son of Krishna. Some believe that it was the Magha Brahmins or the Persian Magi who first introduced Sun worship in India which is not true as Sun worship was very much prevalent in India from ancient times and he is lauded in the Vedas. However the Magi were definitely experts in Sun worship in the Indo-Iranian region. We accept the Puranas not as literal Apaurusheya truths of the divine world but as consisting of true historical events of the laukik world. Bhagavad Gita is also interpreted allegorically and not literal.

The Saura sect was popular during the time of Adi Shankara too and that's why Surya is an important deity in the Smartha tradition of Adi Shankara.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Only six. We do not accept that Surya was subordinate to Aditi and this is very evident from the Rig Veda.

1. Mitra, 2. Aryaman, 3. Bhaga, 4. Varuna, 5. Daksa, 6. Amsa

Perhaps this may help you in information about your sect:

"Thus in RigVeda IX, 114, 3, seven Âdityas and seven priests are mentioned together, though the names of the different suns are not given therein. In II, 27 1, Mitra, Aryaman, Bhaga, Varuṇa, Dakṣha and Aṁsha are mentioned by name as so many different Âdityas but the seventh is not named. This omission does not, however, mean much, as the septenary character of the sun is quite patent from the fact that he is called saptâshva (seven-horsed, in V, 45, 9, and his “seven-wheeled” chariot is said to be drawn by “seven bay steeds” (I, 50, 8 ), or by a single horse “with seven names” in I, 164, 2. The Atharva Veda also speaks of “the seven bright rays of the sun” (VII, 107, 1); and the epithet Âditya, as applied to the sun in the Ṛig-Veda, is rendered more clearly by Aditeḥ putrah (Aditi’s son) in A.V. XIII, 2, 9.

Sâyaṇa, following Yâska, derives this sevenfold character of the sun from his seven rays, but why solar rays were taken to be seven still remain unexplained, unless we hold that the Vedic bards had anticipated the discovery of seven prismatic rays or colors, which were unknown even to Yâska or Sâyaṇa. Again though the existence of seven suns may be explained on this hypothesis, yet it fails to account for the death of the eighth sun, for the legend of Aditi (Ṛig. X, 72, 8-9) tells us, “Of the eight sons of Aditi, who were born from her body, she approached the gods with seven and cast out Mârtâṇḍa. With seven sons Aditi approached (the gods) in the former age (pûrvyam yugam); she brought thither Mârtâṇḍa again for birth and death.”* The story is discussed in various places in the Vedic literature and many other attempts, unfortunately all unsatisfactory, have been made to explain it in a rational and intelligent way.

Thus in the Taittirîya Saṁhitâ, VI, 5, 61 ƒ. the story of Aditi cooking a Brahmaudana oblation for the gods, the Sâdhyas, is narrated. The remnant of the oblation was given to her by the gods, and four Âdityas were born to her from it. She then cooked a second oblation and ate it herself first; but the Âditya born from it was an imperfect egg. She cooked a third time and the Âditya Vivasvat, the progenitor of man, was born. But the Saṁhitâ does not give the number and names of the eight Âdityas and this omission is supplied, by the Taittirîya Brâhmaṇa (I, I, 9, I ƒ). The Brâhmaṇa tells us that Aditi cooked the oblation four times and each time the gods gave her the remnant of the oblation. Four pairs of sons were thus born to her; the first pair was Dhâtṛi and Aryaman, the second Mitra and Varuṇa, the third Aṁsha and Bhag and the fourth Indra and Vivasvat. But the Brâhmaṇa does not explain why the eighth son was called Mârtâṇḍa and cast away.

The Taittirîya Araṇyaka, I, 13, 2-3, (cited by Sâyaṇa in his gloss on Ṛig. II, 27, 1, and X, 72, 8) first quotes the two verses from the Ṛig-Veda (X, 72, 8 and 9 which give the legend of Aditi but with a slightly different reading for the second line of the second verse. Thus instead, of tvat punaḥ Mârtâṇḍam â abharat (she brought again Mârtâṇḍa thither for birth and death), the Araṇyaka reads tat parâ Mârtâṇḍam â abharat (she set aside Mârtâṇḍa for birth and death). The Araṇyaka then proceeds to give the names of the eight sons, as Mitra, Varuṇa, Dhâtṛi, Aryaman, Aṁsha, Bhaga, Indra and Vivasvat. But no further explanation is added, nor are we told which of these eight sons represented Mârtâṇḍa. There is, however, another passage in the Âraṇaka (I, 7, 1-6) which throws some light on the nature of these Âdityas.* The names of the suns here given are different. They are: — Aroga, Bhrâja, Patara, Patanga, Svarṇara, Jyotiṣhîmat, Vibhâsa and Kashyapa; the last of which is said to remain, constantly at the great mount Meru, permanently illumining that region. ...

I have not been able to find the Mantra in the existing Saṁhitâs, nor does Sâyaṇa give us any clue to it, butt simply observes “the different features of different seasons cannot be accounted for, except by supposing them to have been caused by different suns; therefore, different suns must exist in different regions.”* But this explanation is open to the objection (actually raised by Vaishampâyana), that we shall have, on this theory, to assume the existence of thousands of suns as the characteristics of the seasons are so numerous. The Âraṇyaka admits, to a certain extent the force of this objection, but says — aṣhṭau to vyavasitâḥ, meaning that the number eight is settled by the text of the scripture, and there is no further arguing about it.

The Shatapatha Brâhmaṇa, III, 1, 3, 3, explains the legend of Aditi somewhat on the same lines. It says that seven alone of Aditi’s sons are styled Devâḥ Âdityâḥ (the gods Âdityas) by men, and that the eighth Mârtâṇḍa was born undeveloped, whereupon the Âditya gods created man and other animals out of him. In two other passages of the Shatapath Brâhmaṇa, VI, 1, 2, 8, and XI, 6, 3, 8, the number of dityas Âis, however, given as twelve. In the first (VI, 1, 2, 8) they are said to have sprung from twelve drops generated by Prâjapati and then placed in different regions (dikṣhu); while in second (XI, 6, 3, 8)* these twelve Âdityas are identified with the twelve months of the year. The number of Âdityas is also given as twelve in the Upanishads: while in the post-Vedic literature they are everywhere said to be twelve, answering to the twelve months of the year."
Quoted from "Arctic Home in Vedas" by Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Chapter VII.