History of Surya Namaskar – How Was It Developed For Yoga?
Surya Namaskar, or more commonly referred to in the West as Sun Salutations, is one of the most basic yoga exercises that you will learn. It is known for its ease of performance and the wonderful rich benefits it can deliver both for the mind and body. But before you go deep into that, it is important to first gain an understanding on how it evolved by looking back into history.
Introduction to Surya
Surya has a lot of significance in the Hindu religion, while the term literally translates to “the Supreme Light”. Hindus believe it is the chief of solar deity since the term generally refers to the Sun. The mythical image representation of Surya has golden arms and hair. He is known to ride his triumphal chariot that is attached to seven horses that takes him through to the heavens. Those seven horses represent the seven chakras found all throughout the body.
Religious and Literary Depictions of Surya
The religious texts in Hinduism also depict Surya quite extensively. It is treated as the visible presence of God that people experience every day. Other names that are used to refer to Surya in various Hindu cultures include Vivasvat, Aditya, Divakar, Arka, Bhanu, Grahapati, Ravi, Pusha, Savita, Mitra, and Bhaskar.
Aside from that of a mythical god, another common depiction for the Surya is that of two hands, each holding a lotus in them. In other cases, there are four hands with each holding a chakra, lotus, conch, and mace.
Other References on Surya
Surya's two sons, Shani and Yama, serve as judge that also produce an impact on the human experience. Shani is the one that is responsible for assessing human action and punishing or rewarding them based on the action done. On the other hand, Yama grants all the consequences to one's action soon after death.
About Surya Namaskar or “Sun Salutations”
The adaptation of Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation in yoga was firmly based on a form of Hindu worship, which is devoted for the Surya. This mode of worship is usually done during the rising of the Sun, thus the name Sun Salutation.
This is a series of pose that consist of 10 yoga postures done in a graceful and smooth sequence. Therefore, each pose serves as a bridge to the next for one complete flow. During the practice of Sun Salutation, there are 12 sacred mantras observed to fully emphasize the benefits of this practice.
12 Mantras of Surya Namaskara
Below are the twelve mantras, in specific order, that are observed during the practice of Sun Salutation poses:
- aum mitraya namah.
- aum ravaye namah.
- aum suryaya namah.
- aum bhanave namah.
- aum khagaya namah.
- aum pushne namah.
- aum hiranyagarbhaya namah.
- aum marichaye namah.
- aum adityaya namah.
- aum savitre namah.
- aum arkaya namah.
- aum bhaskaraya namah.
Each of these mantras represent key elements in the performance of surya namaskar that has delivered the benefits to performing Sun Salutations as yogis know today.

