by Promod Puri
Surya Devta or Sun god enjoys a unique status in Hindu iconography as the visible divine personality emerging from the horizon every day.
But when it is not seen because of rain or cloudy sky, a devotee can learn from the devoutness of sunflower towards the Sun.
Sunflower is a true devotee of Sun God. Rain or shine sunflower always follows its God in the direction it moves in the celestial circle.
Sun’s celestial arrival frees a devotee from ritualistic customs or caste-based barricades and taboos to have an independent face to face obeisance and worship. The sun god is approachable without any medium.
The Sun’s universal distribution of light and energy has been recognized since Vedic time as the ultimate source of life, the cause of our existence and the environment it nourishes.
From a metaphysical viewpoint, light and energy occupy fundamental ranking in Hindu faith. And the Sun is the spirited and analogous force in this numinous discernment. Light and energy are the divine elements to lead us to the path of knowledge, reality, and truth. The Gayatri mantra predicates the divinity of light and energy.
The life and soul of the universe are the Sun.
(Photo credit: Ashok Bhargava, Vancouver, Canada)
Progressive Hindu Dialogue 
Thanks for writing about Surya and sunflower Sir. My mom always a sunflower to her Surya Devta and now, I understand the connection. 🙂
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Indeed! That is an excellent comparison. The keys to wisdom are not somewhere else. They are right in-front of us 🙂 !!
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