Surya Namaskar

Surya Namaskar

Aachaman:
Open the palm straight. Keep away the thumb and the ladyfinger. Close the remaining three fingers and raise them a bit. A scoop is formed on the palm at the end of the fingers. Take a spoonful of water in the scoop. Release the water, from the wrist end of the palm, in your mouth.

Significance:
Surya Namaskar generates heat and energy. Breathing becomes deep and hard. Aachaman prevents dry throat and keeps the throat and food pipe clean smooth and wet.

Pranayam:
Controlling the breathing is called Pranayam. All your activities, physical-mental, are based on breathing. Inhaling is absorbing Prana Tatwa / life force in the body. Air is the carrier of Prana Tatwa / Cosmic Energy. At this stage take a deep breath and gradually release it out. Take a longer time to exhale. This time sense can be easily attained if you concentrate on the abdomen to breathe out completely. Significance: This is just a start to control breathing and to tune it with the body movements to be performed ahead in the practice of Surya Namaskar.

Meaning:
The name of Lord Vishnu is repeated thrice Awahan, Stapana, Wandan (invitation, welcome, worship) Significance: This body of flesh is the legacy of Lord Vishnu, the Supreme self, the Paramatma. The meaning of the word Vishnu is omnipresent - one who is continuously and simultaneously present as a whole, at all time, everywhere. Our body is made of five elements the earth-fire-air-ether-water. The omnipresent entity was there before the creation of the five elements. Hence one who created the elements created our body. We are above the Elements we are the Supeme self, the Paramatma. In Bhagwad Gita Lord Vishnu Bhagwan says I am the (seed) source of birth and growth of all the beings. I am the birth place of all intellect and courage (Chapter 7 shloka 10) In this way our body in flesh and blood is the heritage of Him. This call for Lord Vishnu is just to remind us of this inheritance. Meaning: The outstanding quality of Surya Namaskar is that it is in practice since from time immemorial. On this auspicious day I perform Surya Namaskar in order to make my body healthy. I undergo this age old practice in the honour of Lord SuryaNarayana.

Significance:
This is Sankalpa, the resolution or decision that you are going to do certain thing. This is done to make your mind alert and to urge it to give all possible strength to all the parts of the body, involved in the action, to perform the activity. The Sankalpa makes your actions result oriented. It gives desired direction to your tongue, mind and body.

If you keep on walking, for example, without any goal you will reach nowhere. Hence Sankalpa is a must before every action. My parents and grand parents and ancestors have practised this art of Surya Namaskar. I also must have done it in the previous lives. Hence worshipping the Sun God is the part of my body, mind soul. It is the part of my personality. Whatever is done is done for Him. It is done in His honour. Nothing is mine. Everything belongs to him. The possessive sense of me-my-myself is to be put on regressive mode.

The starting shloka: (The prayer.) Dhynam ध्‍येय:

Dheyah sada savitru mandala madhyawarti
Narayanah sarasijasana sannivistaha
Keyurawan makara kundalawan kiriti
Hari hiranya-maya-vapur-dhruta shankha chakra

ध्‍येयः सदासवितृ मंडल मध्‍यवर्ती
नारायणः सरसिजासनसन्निविष्‍ट||
केयूरवान् मकर कुंडलवान् किरीटी
हारी हिरण्‍यमयवरपुर्धृत शंखचक्र||

Oh! Surya Narayana YOU are the crown glory, carrying shankha chakra in your hands.
YOU are the creator of joy and destroyer of sorrows.
YOU cover the entire universe with the golden twilight.
YOU are the Master, the Provider of the entire universe.
Oh! Sun God make all my efforts as bright and brilliant as the sun in the solar system.

The 12 mantras for surya namaskara:

1. ॐ मित्राय नमः aum mitrāya namah
2. ॐ रवये नमः aum ravayé namah
3. ॐ सूर्याय नमः aum sūryāya namah
   
   
   
   
4. ॐ भानवे नमः aum bhānavé namah
   
5. ॐ खगय नमः aum khagāya namah
6. ॐ पुष्णे नमः aum pushné namah
7. ॐ हिरण्यगर्भाय नमः aum hiranyagarbhāya namah
8. ॐ मारिचाये नमः aum mārichāyé namah
9. ॐ आदित्याय नमः aum ādityāya namah
10. ॐ सावित्रे नमः aum sāvitré namah
11. ॐ आर्काय नमः aum ārkāya namah
12. ॐ भास्कराय नमः aum bhāskarāya namah

The mantra frequently recited to praise the Surya comes from the Rig Veda, Book 1 Hymn 35:

आ कृष्णेन् रजसा वर्तमानो निवेशयन्न अमृतं मर्त्यं च ।

हिरण्ययेन सविता रथेना देवो याति भुवनानि पश्यन ॥

Throughout the dusky firmament advancing, laying to rest the immortal and the mortal,

Borne in his golden chariot he cometh, Savitar, God who looks on every creature

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aum surya sunder lok natham mrutha
vedant saram shivam
gayan bharma maye suresh mamlam
loke chite sawayam
indra aditya naradhipam
sur guru trilokya churamani
bhrama vishnu shiva swaroop hridyam
vande sada bhaskaram
vande sada bhaskaram
vande sada bhaskaram
aum suryaya namah
aum bhanavé namah
aum khagaya namah
aum pushné nama
aum hiranyagarbhaya namah
aum marichayé namah
aum adityaya namah
aum savitré namah
aum arkaya namah
aum ravayé namah
aum mitraya nama
aum bhaskaraya namah

thanks to santosh kumar he listened to the recitation and translated it for me..so i am sharing his translatin..this is for those who want to recite the surya mantra as the girl did in the video..also last two names were missing which added as the video got cut before she finished..total of 12 names

This article was taken from: suryanamaskar.info hssus.org en.wikipedia