आदित्य हृदयम् is the celebrated hymn to the Sun taught by sage Agastya to Lord Rama in the Yuddha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana. It appears at a decisive moment: Rama is weary on the battlefield, Ravana stands before him, and the gods have gathered to witness the struggle.
The hymn is about Surya as visible light, cosmic order, life-giving energy, and the inner witness. It identifies the Sun with many deities - Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Skanda, Prajapati, Indra, Yama, Soma, Varuna, the Vasus, Maruts, and others - showing that the solar principle gathers many divine functions into one radiant focus.
ध्यानम्
नमस्सवित्रे जगदेक चक्षुसे
जगत्प्रसूति स्थिति नाशहेतवे
त्रयीमयाय त्रिगुणात्म धारिणे
विरिंचि नारायण शंकरात्मने
Translation (भावार्थ):
The dhyana salutes Savitri, the one eye of the universe and the cause of creation, preservation, and dissolution, as the essence of the three Vedas and the forms of Brahma, Narayana, and Shankara.
ततो युद्ध परिश्रांतं समरे चिंतयास्थितम् ।
रावणं चाग्रतो दृष्ट्वा युद्धाय समुपस्थितम् ॥ 1 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
After getting exhausted in the battle and on seeing Ravana, who was duly prepared and reached the battle ground, Rama stood in the war with a deep thought.
दैवतैश्च समागम्य द्रष्टुमभ्यागतो रणम् ।
उपागम्याब्रवीद्रामं अगस्त्यो भगवान् ऋषिः ॥ 2 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
(Seeing this) Bhagavan Sage Agastya, who came along with the Gods to see the battle, approached Rama and spoke to him.
राम राम महाबाहो शृणु गुह्यं सनातनम् ।
येन सर्वानरीन् वत्स समरे विजयिष्यसि ॥ 3 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
Rama, O Rama, the elegant one with great shoulders, listen to this eternal secret, by which, you, my child, can be victorious on all your enemies in the war.
आदित्यहृदयं पुण्यं सर्वशत्रु-विनाशनम् ।
जयावहं जपेन्नित्यं अक्षय्यं परमं शिवम् ॥ 4 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
This holy Aditya hrudayam can destroy all the enemies. By chanting this stotram daily can bring victory to you all the time without much effort and gives you unending felicity.
सर्वमंगल-मांगल्यं सर्वपाप-प्रणाशनम् ।
चिंताशोक-प्रशमनं आयुर्वर्धनमुत्तमम् ॥ 5 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
This holy hymn is always auspicious, brings prosperity, destroys all the sins, which can alleviate worry and sorrows, bestows wellbeing and longevity, a superior one (among the stotras).
रश्मिमंतं समुद्यंतं देवासुर नमस्कृतम् ।
पूजयस्व विवस्वंतं भास्करं भुवनेश्वरम् ॥ 6 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
This hymn is on the one, who raises up with glorious rays, who is bowed both by the Gods and demons. You worship him, the one who can cover the tejas of other, The Lord Bhaskara, The giver of the light to the Lokas.
सर्वदेवात्मको ह्येष तेजस्वी रश्मिभावनः ।
एष देवासुर-गणान् लोकान् पाति गभस्तिभिः ॥ 7 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
The one who is the embodied form of all the Devas, the self-luminous, who energizes all the beings with his rays, who can protects the Deva and Asura ganas of all the Lokas with his rays.
एष ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च शिवः स्कंदः प्रजापतिः ।
महेंद्रो धनदः कालो यमः सोमो ह्यपां पतिः ॥ 8 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
The one who himself is the essence of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Skanda(Kumara- son of God Shiva), Prajapathi (Lord of born beings), Mahendra (King of the Devas), Kubera (Dhanadaha, In charge of the wealth), Kala (eternal time), Yama (the Lord of death), Chandra (Soma, the moon God), The in charge of the waters (Varuna or Hyapampathi).
पितरो वसवः साध्या ह्यश्विनौ मरुतो मनुः ।
वायुर्वह्निः प्रजाप्राणः ऋतुकर्ता प्रभाकरः ॥ 9 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
The one who is indeed the Pitaro (Ancestral manes), eight Vasava's (givers of treasures), Sandhyas (semidivine yoginis), Ashwini devas (the physicians of celestials), Marutas (deities of storm), Manu (progenitor of human race), Vayu (God of wind), Agni (God of fire), Prajaprana (maker of the vital air of sustenance in living beings), Ruthukartha (maker of seasons), Prabhakara (the giver of the light).
आदित्यः सविता सूर्यः खगः पूषा गभस्तिमान् ।
सुवर्णसदृशो भानुः हिरण्यरेता दिवाकरः ॥ 10 ॥ [स्वरणरेता दिवाकरः]
Translation (भावार्थ):
He is Aditya, son of Aditi; Savita, the impeller; Surya, the radiant one; Khaga, the mover through the sky; Pusha, the nourisher; and Gabhastiman, rich in rays. He shines with a golden likeness as Bhanu, bears golden creative energy as HiraNyarEta, and makes the day as Divakara; the bracketed variant reading is preserved with the same sense of radiant generative power.
हरिदश्वः सहस्रार्चिः सप्तसप्ति-र्मरीचिमान् ।
तिमिरोन्मथनः शंभुः त्वष्टा मार्तांडकोंऽशुमान् ॥ 11 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
With the horses that are in greenish colour, the one radiating with thousand rays, who has seven horses and with great rays, the remover of darkness, bestower of auspiciousness, mitigator of sufferings, who is Marthanda, the reinfuser of creation, the omnipresent as his rays that penetrate everywhere.
हिरण्यगर्भः शिशिरः तपनो भास्करो रविः ।
अग्निगर्भोऽदितेः पुत्रः शंखः शिशिरनाशनः ॥ 12 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
The primordial one who became the Trinity, the remover of tapa or affliction, who brings warmth, the maker of the day and the one praised by all. O the one who have fire in his womb, the son of Aditi, the calming one and the remover of snow.
व्योमनाथ-स्तमोभेदी ऋग्यजुःसाम-पारगः ।
घनावृष्टिरपां मित्रः विंध्यवीथी प्लवंगमः ॥ 13 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
O The Lord of aether, dispeller of Rahu or darkness, the one with par excellence in Vedas, by whom the great rains dispense, a friend to the waters (as the rays bring life and purifies waters), The one who moves fast in the sky.
आतपी मंडली मृत्युः पिंगलः सर्वतापनः ।
कविर्विश्वो महातेजा रक्तः सर्वभवोद्भवः ॥ 14 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
Who is with his forms that are intensely absorbed, inflictor of death to the wicked, who is red in colour, desired by all the beings, the one who is a great scholar, runs the worlds with great radiance, who affectionate all and acts as the starting place to the next generation or action.
नक्षत्र ग्रह ताराणां अधिपो विश्वभावनः ।
तेजसामपि तेजस्वी द्वादशात्म-न्नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ 15 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
He is the Lord of Stars, planets and constellations, who simulates everything in universe, He who is resplendently illuminous with the illuminati of all, the one with twelve forms, I bow to you.
नमः पूर्वाय गिरये पश्चिमायाद्रये नमः ।
ज्योतिर्गणानां पतये दिनाधिपतये नमः ॥ 16 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
Salutations to the deity of the eastern mountain (indicating the Sun rising), and of the western mountain (where the Sun sets). O the Lord of stellar bodies, Lord of the day, I bow to you.
जयाय जयभद्राय हर्यश्वाय नमो नमः ।
नमो नमः सहस्रांशो आदित्याय नमो नमः ॥ 17 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
O the one who gives victory, the bestower of victory along with protection, the one with green coloured horses, my salutations to you. My salutations to the one with thousand rays, O God Adithya I bow to you.
नम उग्राय वीराय सारंगाय नमो नमः ।
नमः पद्मप्रबोधाय मार्तांडाय नमो नमः ॥ 18 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
Salutations to you, who is terrible to wicked, who ably powers in achieving things, the one who travels fast, I bow to you. My salutations to the one who makes the lotuses blossom, who is the Mardanda surya, I bow to you.
ब्रह्मेशानाच्युतेशाय सूर्यायादित्य-वर्चसे ।
भास्वते सर्वभक्षाय रौद्राय वपुषे नमः ॥ 19 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
The one with the form of Brahma , Eeshana (Shiva) and Atchyutha (Vishnu), O the Surya, the one radiating in the Aditya rupa. O the illuminating one, devourer of all, the one with the body like that of Rudra, I bow to you.
तमोघ्नाय हिमघ्नाय शत्रुघ्नाया मितात्मने ।
कृतघ्नघ्नाय देवाय ज्योतिषां पतये नमः ॥ 20 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
He who dispels the darkness, destroyer of snow, remover of the enemies, whose extent is immeasurable. The Lord of all, who is the annihilator of the ungreatful ones, the in charge of the stellar bodies, I bow to you.
तप्त चामीकराभाय वह्नये विश्वकर्मणे ।
नमस्तमोऽभि निघ्नाय रवये लोकसाक्षिणे ॥ 21 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
The one who has radiance like that of a melted gold, the transcendental fire of divine knowledge, the maker of the universe. I prostrate to you, the remover of darkness, the illuminating one, the witness of all the happenings in the lokas.
नाशयत्येष वै भूतं तदेव सृजति प्रभुः ।
पायत्येष तपत्येष वर्षत्येष गभस्तिभिः ॥ 22 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
He is the one who destroys the universe at the end and he is the one who reinitiates the creation of the same. The one who with his rays dry's the water bodies, consumes the water, and brings them back as rains.
एष सुप्तेषु जागर्ति भूतेषु परिनिष्ठितः ।
एष एवाग्निहोत्रं च फलं चैवाग्नि होत्रिणाम् ॥ 23 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
O the one who lives in all the beings keeping them awake even when they are asleep, who is Agnihotram himself and also the fruit thereof achieved by the worshippers of the Agnihotram.
वेदाश्च क्रतवश्चैव क्रतूनां फलमेव च ।
यानि कृत्यानि लोकेषु सर्व एष रविः प्रभुः ॥ 24 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
He is indeed the Lord in all actions, who is the essence underlying a krathu and the fruit achieved thereof, O the one who is the supreme, who is indeed a fulfiller of all the works in all the worlds, the supreme Lord Ravi (I bow to you).
फलश्रुतिः
Translation (भावार्थ):
Benefits of chanting this stotram:
एन मापत्सु कृच्छ्रेषु कांतारेषु भयेषु च ।
कीर्तयन् पुरुषः कश्चिन्नावशीदति राघव ॥ 25 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
O Rama the one who recites this hymn will be protected during their difficult situations and times, at the forts, and during the times of fear - such ones who praise the glory of the Sun God will never be defeated.
पूजयस्वैन मेकाग्रः देवदेवं जगत्पतिम् ।
एतत् त्रिगुणितं जप्त्वा युद्धेषु विजयिष्यसि ॥ 26 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
Devoting with utmost concentration on almighty of the universe, the Lord of all the Lords. And reciting this divine hymn three times a day one will come out victorious in the battle.
अस्मिन् क्षणे महाबाहो रावणं त्वं वधिष्यसि ।
एवमुक्त्वा तदागस्त्यो जगाम च यथागतम् ॥ 27 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
Within this second, O' Rama, Mahabaahu (one with great shoulders) you will destroy Ravana. Thus spoke sage Agastya and then leaves his way.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा महातेजाः नष्टशोकोऽभवत्तदा ।
धारयामास सुप्रीतः राघवः प्रयतात्मवान् ॥ 28 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
Listening to this hymn, Lord Rama with great radiance comes out of the deep sorrow. And then he invokes this mantra with great courage.
आदित्यं प्रेक्ष्य जप्त्वा तु परं हर्षमवाप्तवान् ।
त्रिराचम्य शुचिर्भूत्वा धनुरादाय वीर्यवान् ॥ 29 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
Lord Rama, on seeing Aditya Bhagavan and obtaining his blessing feels very happy. Later on doing the Achamanam three times thus becomes pure and then picks his mighty bow.
रावणं प्रेक्ष्य हृष्टात्मा युद्धाय समुपागमत् ।
सर्वयत्नेन महता वधे तस्य धृतोऽभवत् ॥ 30 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
On seeing Ravana coming to fight, Rama then feels calm and smiles peacefully. With all his efforts Rama finally determines to kill him (Ravana).
अध रविरवदन्निरीक्ष्य रामं मुदितमनाः परमं प्रहृष्यमाणः ।
निशिचरपति संक्षयं विदित्वा सुरगण मध्यगतो वचस्त्वरेति ॥ 31 ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
After that (on seeing the determination of Rama), Lord Ravi (Surya) with a delighted heart became highly astonished. Further on understanding that the Ravanas future is coming to an end, Lord Surya stood in the middle of the Deva ganas and insisted Rama to be quick.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मिकीये आदिकाव्ये युद्धकांडे पंचाधिक शततमः सर्गः ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
Thus ends the Aditya hrudayam, which is part of the Yuddha Kanda from the Valmiki Ramayanam.
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