Rathasaptami day

Significance of Ratha Sapthami:

- It is said to be the day when Surya
ratha(his chariot drawn by 7 white horses) changes direction of travel. It is also considered as Surya 's birthday.

- Ratha Sapthami is the seventh thithi after the Amavasya (new moon) thithi in the month of the Thai (mid January - mid February).

Scientific Reasoning:

-worship procedure is the Ratha Sapthami ritual bath. The leaves of the erukku shrub (Calotropis gigantea, remember the "erukka maalai" we adorn Ganesha with on Ganesh Chathurthi? Its the leaf of that plant) shrub form an important part of the Ratha Sapthami ritual bath.

- Sri Agasthiar says that these leaves have an innate spiritual force that's similar to the one derived from the sihka knot and thus they can be used to achieve spiritual effects similar to those gotten from the sikha.

- The Ratha Sapthami worship procedure is designed to imbue us with gnaana (knowledge of the Divine) and launch us towards the Divine. Sri Agasthiar informs us that the practice of wearing one's hair in the sikha(kudumi) form is very conducive to the blossoming of gnaana. When sunlight falls on that head where the hair is tied in the sikha knot, it sets spiritual wheels in motion that start the process of gnaana acquisition

- But this is not practiced in modern times. So sage Agasthiya has mentioned an alternative.

How to worship Surya on Ratha Sapthami:
- On Ratha Sapthami day, wake up before sunrise, place a block of wood in the bathroom and seat yourself facing east.

- Place the following on your head (erukka leaves, some akshadai(turmeric mixed with rice, manjal) and take a head bath

- After the ritual bath, wear dry clothing and perform Soorya Namaskar and recite Sri Agasthiar's Aditya Hrudayam hymn.
In case you are not able to follow all of these, please do the following minimum things:

- Think of Lord Surya and pray to him sincerely on this day. He is the Lord who bestows good health and prosperity, hence pray to him for good health.

- In case you cannot chant Aditya Hrudayam or dont have the time, you can chant "Om Sooryaya namaha" 108 times and offer your prayers.

 

hi tnkesavan,

very nice and important details u have given,thank u very much.

 

thank you for giving this.
priya.

 

Thank you very much for providing the details. I was about to enquire today the details of Rathasapthami. But as I opened this forum, I got the details. Thanks once again.

 

thanks for the information.

 

very informative.........thank you very much

 

Hi Tn Kesavan...
Very educative information you have given...Thank you very much..

 

very informatic,thanks for sharing!

 

I somewhere found last year that there are particular number of times, Adithya Hridayam to be chanted on Rathasapthami day. Can anyone please provide me.