āditya hṛdayam

Salutations to the Sun, the sole eye of the universe, the cause of creation, sustenance, and dissolution of the world, who is the embodiment of the three Vedas, the bearer of the three Gunas, and the manifestation of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Then, seeing Ravana standing before him, ready for battle, Rama stood exhausted and lost in deep contemplation on the battlefield.

The gods, having assembled to witness the battle, beheld the situation. Then, the divine sage Agastya approached Rama and spoke these words.

"O Rama, O mighty-armed one, listen to this eternal secret, my child, by which you shall surely conquer all your enemies in battle."

"This holy hymn, the Aditya Hridayam, is the destroyer of all enemies. It bestows victory, is eternal, and is supremely auspicious; one should recite it daily."

"It is the most auspicious of all that is auspicious, the destroyer of all sins, the quencher of anxiety and sorrow, and the supreme bestower of longevity."

"Worship the Sun, the radiant Lord of the universe, who is filled with rays, rising in glory, and revered by both gods and demons."

"He indeed is the embodiment of all gods, full of brilliance, and the source of all rays. With his beams, he protects all the worlds and the hosts of gods and demons."

"He is Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva; he is Skanda, Prajapati, Mahendra, Kubera, Kala, Yama, Soma, and the Lord of the waters (Varuna)."

"He is the Pitris, the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the Ashwini Kumaras, the Maruts, Manu, Vayu, Agni, the life-breath of all beings, the creator of the seasons, and the illuminator of the world."

"He is Aditya, Savita, Surya, the traveler of the sky, Pushan, the radiant one, the golden-hued, the light-giver, the source of life, and the maker of the day."

He who possesses golden energy and illuminates the day, whose chariot is drawn by green horses, who has a thousand rays, who is driven by seven horses, who is full of brilliance, the destroyer of darkness, the source of auspiciousness, the fashioner of the universe, the life-source of the world, and the radiant one—salutations to Him.

He who is the creator of the universe (Hiranyagarbha), the cool-rayed one, the heater of the world, the illuminator, the one who is praised by all, the one who contains fire within, the son of Aditi, the one who grants auspiciousness, and the destroyer of cold—salutations to Him.

He who is the lord of the sky, the dispeller of darkness, the master of the Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas, the cause of heavy rain, the friend of the waters, and the one who traverses the sky across the Vindhya range—salutations to Him.

He who generates heat, who is circular in form, who is the bringer of death, who is tawny-colored, who heats everything, who is omniscient, who is the universe itself, who possesses immense brilliance, who is red in hue, and who is the source of all existence—salutations to Him.

He who is the lord of the stars, planets, and constellations, who fosters the universe, and who is the most radiant of all the radiant—O Lord of the twelve forms, salutations to You.

Salutations to the Sun rising from the Eastern mountain and setting behind the Western mountain; salutations to the Lord of the celestial bodies and the Lord of the day.

Salutations to the granter of victory and the harbinger of auspicious success; salutations to the one who rides the green horses; salutations to the thousand-rayed one, the son of Aditi.

Salutations to the fierce and heroic one; salutations to the one who moves swiftly like a deer; salutations to the one who causes the lotus to bloom; salutations to the life-force of the universe.

Salutations to the Lord who embodies the trinity of Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu; salutations to the Sun God who possesses the brilliance of Aditya, who shines with divine light, who consumes everything, and who manifests in the fierce form of Rudra.

Salutations to the destroyer of darkness, the destroyer of cold, the destroyer of enemies, the one of immeasurable soul, the destroyer of the ungrateful, and the Lord of all lights.

Salutations to Him who possesses the radiance of refined gold, who is the fire of creation, the destroyer of darkness, the sun who illumines all, and the eternal witness of the worlds.

This Lord truly destroys all beings, creates them again, nourishes them, heats them, and causes them to rain through His rays.

He remains ever-awake even when all beings are asleep, dwelling within all as the indwelling spirit; He Himself is the sacrificial fire and the fruit attained by those who perform the fire rituals.

He is the Vedas, the sacrifices, and the fruit of those sacrifices; indeed, this Sun-god is the Lord of all actions that take place in the worlds.

O Raghava, any person who recites this hymn while in distress, in difficulties, in dense forests, or in times of fear, will never suffer defeat.

Worship this Lord of Lords, the Master of the universe, with a focused mind; if you chant this hymn three times, you will surely be victorious in battle.

In this very moment, O mighty-armed one, you will slay Ravana. Having said this, the sage Agastya departed in the same way he had arrived.

Upon hearing this, the effulgent Raghava felt his grief vanish; filled with joy and composed in spirit, he committed the prayer to his memory.

Gazing at the Sun and reciting the hymn, he felt supreme joy. He performed the triple sipping of water, attained purity, and took up his bow with great vigor.

Beholding Ravana, he became jubilant and advanced toward the battle, fully determined with all his might to bring about the destruction of his enemy.

Then, the Sun-god, observing Rama with a joyful mind and experiencing supreme exhilaration, and knowing that the destruction of the lord of the night-stalkers (Ravana) was imminent, spoke to him from amidst the assembly of the gods, saying, "Hasten!"