Ra was the ancient Egyptian deity of the sun, creator of the universe, and king of the gods. Worshipped primarily in Heliopolis, he traveled across the sky by day in a solar boat and descended into the underworld by night to fight chaos. Pharoahs viewed themselves as his earthly representatives.
I have to confess that I primarily listen to podcasts and just recently learned about the ancient Egyptian address of the sun as Ra. As a student of ancient Vedic or Indian culture I received initiation into the almost silent chanting and meditation on the sun through the Gayatri Mantra also called Veda Mata, (the mother of the Vedas), 50 years ago.
Now residing in Hawai’i, in our culture, Lā (the sun) represents life, growth, and divine energy. Kūpuna (ancestors) closely observed sunlight and the sun’s rays (kukuna o ka lā) to honor light’s role in sustaining the land (āina). The sun is deeply tied to creation chants, daily protocol, and ancient legends.
Here is the word-by-word breakdown of the Gayatri Mantra from the original Sanskrit text which is my method of Sun worship:
The Mantra Text
ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः
तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात
Transliteration:
Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi
Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat
Word-by-Word Translation
The Invocation (Vyahritis)
- ॐ (Om): The primordial cosmic sound. It represents the Supreme Reality or God.
- भूः (Bhuh): The physical plane of existence. Earth. Material reality.
- भुवः (Bhuvah): The mental plane. The atmosphere or ether. Life-force.
- स्वः (Svah): The spiritual plane. Heaven. The realm of pure consciousness.
The Core Verse
- तत् (Tat): That. Referring to the ultimate, undefinable Divine Reality.
- सवितुः (Savitur): Of the Sun God (Savitr). The ultimate source of all creation and light.
- वरेण्यम् (Varenyam): Most adorable. Worthy of worship, praise, and selection.
- भर्गः (Bhargah): Divine spiritual splendor. The light that destroys ignorance and sin.
- देवस्य (Devasya): Of the Divine Ruler. Of the shining, illuminating Being.
- धीमहि (Dhimahi): May we meditate. We focus our intellect upon.
- धियः (Dhiyah): Intellects. Understandings and thoughts.
- यः (Yah): Who. The one who (referring back to the Divine Light).
- नः (Nah): Our. For all of us (a collective prayer).
- प्रचोदयात् (Prachodayat): May inspire. Illumine, guide, or stimulate forward.
Summary Translation
“We meditate on the most adorable spiritual splendor of that Divine Creator, the Source of everything, who exists in the physical, mental, and spiritual realms. May That Divine Light inspire and illuminate our collective intellect.”