Remedies for Sun (Surya)
Traditional remedies (upaya) for Sun (Surya): its mantras, day, deity, charity, fasting, colour and devotional texts, with their sources.
Traditional devotional practice
These are traditional devotional practices (upaya) described in Jyotish and Dharmashastra texts. They are offered for faith and reflection, with no promise of any result, and they never replace medical, psychological, legal or financial advice. Chant and give within your means: no remedy needs anything to be bought.
Mantras
Nama-mantra Later / popular
ॐ सूर्याय नमः
Om Sūryāya Namaḥ
The graha's name with Om and namah; it needs no initiation. Commonly chanted 108 times (one mala) on the graha's day.
Beej mantra Later / popular
ॐ ह्रां ह्रीं ह्रौं सः सूर्याय नमः
Om Hrāṃ Hrīṃ Hrauṃ Saḥ Sūryāya Namaḥ
The seed-syllable form of later mantra manuals. Many teachers advise learning its pronunciation from a guru.
Chant “Om Suryaya Namah” (ॐ सूर्याय नमः) 108 times at sunrise, or recite the Aditya Hridayam.
Nama-mantra ("Om … namah" with the graha’s name in the dative): the simplest form of graha japa, needing no initiation, as commonly taught
Beej mantras of the Navagrahas: later Tantric and popular mantra manuals; not given in BPHS
Beej mantra of Sun (Surya)
ॐoṃ ह्रांhrāṃ ह्रींhrīṃ ह्रौंhrauṃ सःsaḥ सूsūर्याryāयya नnaमःmaḥ
10 syllables, 18 matras · Underlined syllables are guru (long or heavy) and are held about twice as long as laghu (short) ones.
The voice is your device's synthetic speech. It is only approximate and may mispronounce Sanskrit (vowel length, visarga, conjuncts). Learn from a teacher or an authentic recording.
Day, worship, charity and fasting
- Day Classical
- Sunday (Ravivar)
- Deity of the graha (adhidevata) Classical
- Agni
Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra ch. 3: the deities of the seven grahas from the Sun (Agni, the waters, Skanda, Vishnu, Indra, Shachi, Brahma)
- Deity worshipped Later / popular
- Surya Narayana
Offer water (arghya) to the rising Sun, especially on Sundays.Deity commonly worshipped for each graha: popular practice; traditions vary by region and family
- Charity (dana) Classical
- On Sundays, give wheat, jaggery or copper to those in need.
Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, the remedial (shanti) chapters on the dashas: propitiation by worship, japa and charity (dana); Yajnavalkya Smriti, Acharadhyaya, Graha-shanti prakarana (graha worship, samidh and dakshina)
- Fasting (vrat) Later / popular
- Ravivar (Sunday) vrat: one meal before sunset, often without salt.
Fast only if your health allows it; during pregnancy, illness or on medication, ask your doctor first.Weekday vratas: popular vrata-katha tradition, not a BPHS prescription
- Colour Classical
- copper red / saffron
Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra ch. 3: colours of the grahas
- Conduct Later / popular
- Respect your father and elders, keep a regular sunrise routine and take responsibility without ego.
Texts to read or chant
- Aditya Hridayam Stotra
- Surya Ashtakam Ashtakam
- Surya Beej Mantra Beej mantra
- A Krishnena Rajasa (Vedic mantra for Surya) Vedic mantra
- Shri Surya Chalisa Chalisa
- Ehi Surya Sahasramsho (arghya verse) Prayer
- Navagraha Stotram Stotra
Navagraha Stotra attributed to Vyasa; Aditya Hridayam (Valmiki Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda); other texts as listed in the Bhakti library with their own sources
Gemstone
The traditional gem of Sun (Surya) is Ruby (Manikya). Read the cautions before considering one: a gem is never a substitute for the remedies above.