What is Aditya Hridayam?

Aditya Hridayam Hymn is praise to the Sun God is known as the Heart of Aditya. The word heart or hridayam refers to the One (ayam) who is shining or dwelling in the heart (hridi). Aditya is derived from “ad” meaning “to enjoy” or to perceive all sense objects like sound, touch, form, taste and smell, after entering the heart. So by the Heart of Aditya is meant the inner and unchanging witness of all thoughts, words and deeds, whose nature is the all-pervading Light of Consciousness. By the repetition of this holy hymn daily, one attains imperishableness, the highest good, all blissfulness, the end of all sins, troubles and sorrows, and a long life. Thus one should worship the rising Sun of divine rays who is hailed as the brilliant Lord of the universe by all devas and asuras, by all man and gods. The Sun God is Universal.

One can understand how important is Sun worship when remembering that the Lord Rama himself was taught the Aditya Hridaya Stotram by the great sage Agastya in a critical moment. After fighting with Ravana and being severely tried and tired, Sri Rama became anxious on the battlefield. It is then that Sage Agastya appeared to him and taught him the perennial secret through which all foes are conquered, not only the external foes but the internal as well. Our constant internal foes are passion, anger and greed caused by delusion and ignorance.