Aruna (Hinduism)

Aruna (Sanskrit: अरुण; IAST: Aruṇa) literally means "red, ruddy, tawny") is the charioteer of Surya (Sun god) in Hinduism.[1] He is the personification of the reddish glow of the rising Sun.[2]

"Aruṇa" redirects here. For other uses, see Aruna (disambiguation).

Aruna
The divine charioteer of Surya
Aruna runs the chariot of Surya
PlanetUranus
Personal information
ParentsKashyapa and Vinata
SiblingsGaruda
SpouseShyeni[1]
ChildrenSampati and Jatayu

Aruna is also found in Buddhism and Jainism literature and arts.[3][4] He is the older brother of Garuda. Aruna and Garuda are the sons of Vedic sage Kashyapa and his wife Vinata.[1] Wat Arun in Thailand derives its name from Aruna.[5][6] His children was Sampati and Jatayu.

Mythology

Birth

Aruna is found in different, inconsistent Indian legends. In the epic Mahabharata,[7] he was born prematurely and partially developed from an egg. According to this version, Kashyapa Prajapati's two wives Vinata and Kadru wanted to have children. Kashyapa granted them a boon.[8] Kadru asked for one thousand Nāga (serpent) sons, while Vinata wanted two. Kashyapa blessed them, and then went away to a forest. Later, Kadru gave birth to one thousand eggs, while Vinata gave birth to two eggs. These incubated for five hundred years, upon which Kadru broke the eggs open and out came her 1,000 sons. Vinata eager for her sons, broke one of the eggs from which emerged the partially formed Aruna.[8] From the broken egg a flash of light, Aruna, sprang forth. He was as radiant and reddish as the morning sun. But, due to the premature breaking of the egg, Aruna was not as bright as the noon sun as he was promised to be.[9] Since Aruna was born prematurely, his body was partially developed. Enraged by the haste of his mother, he cursed her that she will become the slave of Kadru for 500 years, when the second egg will break and his son will redeem her. Having cursed his mother, Aruna flew in the sky.[7] Accordingly, Vinata waited, and later the fully developed brother of Aruna named Garuda (vehicle of Vishnu) was born.[8]

The epic narrates that in another tale that Surya began burning intensely angered by the attacks of Rahu (Rahu swallowing Surya is described to cause solar eclipses in Hindu mythology). The heat was so intense that it started destroying all living beings. The god Brahma asked Aruna to become the charioteer of Surya, to shelter beings from Surya's burning heat.[7]

In the epics
Aruna on Aruna Stambha, that once adorned the Surya temple at Konark

According to the Ramayana, Aruna was married to Shyeni with whom he had two sons – Jatayu and Sampati.[10] Both of his sons played important role in the epic.

There is a legend about Mahabharata that Surya offered Aruna and his divine chariot to his son Karna which he denied as he didn't want to rely on others to win the war like Arjuna who always depended upon Krishna.[11]

Another legend, generally told in Indian folk tales linked to the Ramayana, states that Aruna, once became a woman named Aruni and entered an assembly of celestial nymphs, where no man except the king of Heaven - Indra was allowed. Indra fell in love with Aruni and fathered a son named Vali from her. The next day, at Surya's request, Aruna again assumed female form, and Surya fathered a son, Sugriva. Both children were given to Ahalya for rearing, but her husband sage Gautama cursed them, causing them to turn into monkeys, as he did not like them.[7][12][1]

In Upanishads

In the Upanishadic literature such as the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, a different sage is named Aruna whose son is also a Vedic sage named Uddalaka.[13] The term is also used for those rishis in Hindu tradition who achieve liberation through self-study.[1]

Wat Arun
Wat Arun – a Buddhist temple in Thailand derives its name from the god Aruna

Wat Arun ("Temple of Dawn") is a Wat (Buddhist temple) in Yai district of Bangkok, Thailand, on the Thonburi west bank of the Chao Phraya River. The temple derives its name from the Hindu god Aruna and is among the best known of Thailand's landmarks. The first light of the morning reflects off the surface of the temple with pearly iridescence.

Etymology

Derived words:

  • Thai: อรุณสวัสดิ์ (pronunciation: "Arun Swat") – meaning: Good Morning
  • Khmer: អរុណសួស្តី (pronunciation: "Arun Suorsdey") – meaning: Good Morning

See also

Citations
  1. Roshen Dalal (2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books. pp. 39–40. ISBN 978-0-14-341421-6.
  2. अरुण aruṇa: reddish-brown, tawny, red, ruddy (the colour of the morning as opposed to the darkness of night). Sanskrit-English Dictionary by Monier-Williams, Monier Williams (1899)
  3. Helmuth von Glasenapp (1999). Jainism: An Indian Religion of Salvation. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 267. ISBN 978-81-208-1376-2.
  4. John C. Huntington; Dina Bangdel (2003). The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art. Serindia. p. 76. ISBN 978-1-932476-01-9.
  5. Norbert C. Brockman (2011). Encyclopedia of Sacred Places, 2nd Edition. ABC-CLIO. pp. 601–602. ISBN 978-1-59884-655-3.
  6. Nasing, Phra Somphop; Rodhetbhai, Chamnan; Keeratiburana, Ying (2014). "A Model for the Management of Cultural Tourism at Temples in Bangkok, Thailand". Asian Culture and History. Canadian Center of Science and Education. 6 (2). doi:10.5539/ach.v6n2p242.
  7. Mani p. 55
  8. George M. Williams (2008). Handbook of Hindu Mythology. Oxford University Press. pp. 62–63. ISBN 978-0-19-533261-2.
  9. Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 70.
  10. Dalal, Roshen (18 April 2014). The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-81-8475-396-7.
  11. Agarwal, Himanshu (20 August 2019). Mahabharata Retold Part-2. Notion Press. ISBN 978-1-64587-785-1.
  12. Freeman 2001, pp. 201–4.
  13. Paul Deussen (1980). Sixty Upaniṣads of the Veda. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 533–535. ISBN 978-81-208-1468-4.

General references


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