पद्मासनः पद्मकरो द्विबाहुः पद्मद्युतिः सप्ततुरंगवाहनः। दिवाकरो लोकगुरुः किरीटी मयि प्रसादं विदधातु देवः॥
padmāsanaḥ padmakaro dvibāhuḥ padmadyutiḥ saptaturaṁgavāhanaḥ | divākaro lokaguruḥ kirīṭī mayi prasādaṁ vidadhātu devaḥ ||
Meaning: Seated upon a lotus, holding two blooming lotuses in his hands, with the radiant luster of the lotus, borne upon a golden chariot drawn by seven horses, the maker of the day, teacher of the worlds, crowned with celestial glory—may that divine Lord Surya bestow his grace upon me.
Source: Surya Dhyana Shloka (Aditya Hridaya Stotram / Puranic Liturgy)In Sanatan astronomy, Surya is not merely a star; he is the sovereign master of Time (Kala-Chakra). The Hindu day (Vara) does not begin at midnight like the Western civil day, but at the exact moment of local sunrise (Suryodaya). Every Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga, and Karana computed in AnantaMarg's astronomical engine is governed by the continuous relational dance between the Sun and the Moon.
When Surya moves into the zodiac sign of Capricorn (Makara Rashi), it marks Makar Sankranti and the beginning of Uttarayana—the six-month northern trajectory of the sun. Hailed as the daytime of the gods, this transition brings longer days, harvest celebrations across every state of India, and holy dips in sacred rivers like the Ganga at Prayagraj.
Observed with extreme austerity across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal, Chhath is the only festival where arghya is offered first to the setting sun (Sandhya Arghya) before offering to the rising sun (Usha Arghya). Devotees stand in chest-deep water, offering sugarcane, thekua, and fruits to thank the Sun God for sustaining all agriculture and life without asking anything in return.