The Rigveda || Mandal 1 || Sutra 35 || English Podcast

Main Themes:

• Savita as the life-giving sun: The hymns primarily praise Savita, the sun god, as the source of life, light, and warmth. He is invoked for physical well-being, protection, inspiration, and advancement.
• Cosmic power and order: Savita is described as governing the universe through his centripetal force of gravitation, sustaining all beings and driving away darkness and evil. He is depicted as travelling across the heavens in a golden chariot, illuminating and watching over the world.
• Spiritual enlightenment and guidance: The hymns seek Savita's guidance and protection on the paths of life, urging him to reveal the divine voice and ward off negative forces.

Most Important Ideas/Facts:

• Savita's multifaceted nature: Savita is identified with Agni (vital heat), Mitra-Varuna (pranic energies), and the night that brings rest. This highlights his multifaceted role in sustaining life.
• Quote: "I invoke Agni, vital heat, first basic sustainer of life, for physical well-being. I invoke Mitra-and-Varuna, pranic energies of the breath of life, for protection and immunity." (Hymn 1)
• Savita's cosmic journey: The hymns depict Savita's journey across the sky, dispelling darkness and driving away evil. His chariot is drawn by white and glossy horses, representing day and night, light and dark fortnights.
• Quote: "The lord of light, adorable and in company, goes on by lower and higher paths, descending and ascending, by beautiful horses, white and glossy (i.e., day and night, bright and dark fortnights). Savita, lord effulgent, goes on travelling hitherward and far off away dispelling the darkness and evil of the world." (Hymn 3)
• Three lights of the universe: The hymns mention three lights - sunlight, fire, and universal electric energy - with the first two being under Savita's domain and the third residing in the realm of Yama.
• Quote: "Three are the lights: sunlight, fire and universal electric energy. Two of these, sun-light and fire (which is of the earthly sphere) are in the sun’s field of power and gravitation." (Hymn 6)
• Seeking divine guidance: The hymns implore Savita to guide and protect humanity on the paths of life, using the ancient, eternal, and pure routes he has established.
• Quote: "Savita, self-refulgent lord creator and giver of light, by those paths of divinity set out by you which are ancient and eternal, free from dust and smoke, well laid out on high in heaven, by those very paths simple, straight and pleasant, come to-day, guide and protect us, and reveal into our soul the Voice Divine." (Hymn 11)

Overall Impression:

The hymns to Savita are a powerful testament to the reverence and awe that ancient Vedic people held for the sun. Savita is not merely a celestial object but a divine force, embodying the principles of life, order, and spiritual guidance. The hymns are imbued with a sense of wonder and gratitude for the blessings Savita bestows upon humanity and the universe.