The Hymn Suryaa's Bridal from The Riga Vega
The Sun’s Daughter Dawn Weds Soma, the Moon Demi-God
The Riga Veda contains over 1,000 hymns. The collection embodies lyrical poetry, ritual practice, ancient theology and clues to a life style that has not yet been completely deciphered. Suryaa’s Bridal is the 85th Hymn taken from the Book 10 of the Riga Veda.
Suryaa’s Bridal Hymn
Suryaa is the daughter of Surya, the sun demi-God. She is Dawn. The early morning reddish sky when there is a full moon is a time of divine beauty and it is this time that has been described metaphorically as the wedding of Suryaa and Soma. The first half of the hymn is descriptive in nature and the second half contains the mantras that have significance in Hindu weddings.
Soma is the moon demi-God and is also the elixir that he brews for the other demi-Gods. It is this elixir that gives them their power. Soma also refers to an intoxicating liquor drunk by mortals on earth. In the first view verses of the hymn the clear distinction is made between the liquor and the elixir and the esteem with which Soma is held in the pantheon is also announced.
The best verses of the hymn are those describing Suryaa’s journey to her husband’s place for the wedding. Verse 10 is as follows: "Her spirit was the bridal car; the covering thereof was heaven / Bright were both Steers that drew it when Suryaa approached her husband’s home."
The Steers refer to the Arietis star, which in Hindu mythology is personified as the twin sons of the Sun or Aswini Kumar, who are usually depicted as horsemen. Aswini Kumar and Dawn occur together in many descriptions and the Aswini Kumar play important roles in Hindu mythology.
In Hindu marriages, it is customary for the father of the bride to send the proposal to the groom through an intermediary. Surya sent the proposal for his daughter to Soma through the Aswini Kumar. This is described in Verse 9 of the hymn.
Marriage Rituals and Riga Veda Hymns
Several times during the Hindu wedding ceremony verses from Surya’s Bridal are chanted by the priest. One important ritual is Paanigrahan, which literally translates as taking the hand. The groom takes the bride’s hand and accepts her as his wife. Verse 36 from Surya’s Bridal is recited at this juncture: "I take thy hand in mine for happy fortune that thou mayst reach old age with me thy husband. / Gods, Aryaman, Bhaga, Savitar, Purandhi, have given thee to be my household’s mistress."
Aryaman, Bhaga, Savitar and Purandhi are various deities. Savitar is another epithet of the Sun.
Another mantra from Surya’s Bridal is a blessing to the bride. Verse 44 says that may the bride not create discord in her husband’s family, may she not become a widow, may the cows give birth to many calves, may she be radiant and gentle-hearted, may she worship the Gods, may she give birth to heroic sons and may she nurture the quadrupeds and bipeds of the family. It can be seen from this verse the importance attached to the domesticated animals of the households in Vedic times; something that is still prevalent in rural India.
Verses from other hymns of the Riga Veda are also recited during a Hindu wedding. In a Hindu marriage Agni, or the sacrificial fire, is the primary witness to the wedding. Hence the following mantra is recited invoking Agni when the sacrificial fire is lit. This is Verse 3 from Hymn 28 from Book 5: "Show thyself strong for mighty bliss, O Agni, most excellent be thine effulgent splendors. / Make easy to maintain our household lordship, and overcome the might of those who hate us."
The hymns of the Riga Veda date back to antiquity. They were compiled sometime around 3,000 BCE, though there is much variance among scholars on this. The first translations into European languages were made in the mid nineteenth century. But they were made without a complete understanding of the underlying culture or philosophy. Hence the translations appear at best pagan poetry and at worst archaic mantras.
The Riga Veda is undergoing a re-evaluation by contemporary scholars in light of fresh evidence about the Indus Valley Civilization where the Vedic culture had its roots.
Sources:
Riga Veda; Hinduism; Accessed from Sacred-Texts.com.
Aswini; Accessed from AstroSalon.com.
Suryaa & Soma
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