South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses c12.s2.8

c12.s2.8

Sūrya is also supposed to be the manifest form of the three Vēdas,⁴ the sole supporter of universal space, resplendent in his car, surrounded by his consorts, Planets and the celestial damsels. Twelve different forms of the Sun (and sometimes thirty-two) are described, one having red light, another white light and so on. Hēmādri says that on the right and left sides of the Sun respectively, are represented the attendant gods Danda-Pingala and Ati-Pingala worshipping him, with pen and paper in their hands. His sons Rēvanta,⁵ Yama and the two Manus and his four wives Rājni, Svarnā, Chhāyā and Suvarchasā also stand on either side of him. It may be noted that a mystic diagram called the Sūrya-yantra is intimately connected with his worship as in the case of the Sakti goddesses. It is stated to be a circle bounded one after another, by a triangle, a circle, a square and two circles of eight and sixteen radii respectively.