[Advaita-l] na AdityaM IkShEta....

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Wed, 21 Sep 2011, Bhaskar YR wrote:

> Yes, it applies universally to brahmachArIs who have undergone
> the upanayana.
>
> praNAms
> Hare Krishna
>
> However, interestingly, during the upanayana saMskAra there is a vidhi
> called 'Aditya darshana' During this vidhi we chant maNtra-s like AdityO
> vA esha etanmandalaM tapati tatra tA etc. from taitireeya AraNyaka /
> mahAnArAyaNa sUryOpAsana maNtra-s.  And in saMkalpa we say 'Aditya maNdala
> brahmOpAsanaM karishye...

In the Shuklayajurveda this is in a part of shatapathabrAhmaNa called 
maNDalabrAhmana (hence the name of the upanishad most probably.)  I recite 
this daily after my madhyAhnasaMdhya.  And yes one is supposed to look at 
the sun.  Therefore I don't think there is a universal prohibition.  My 
understanding was that only the snAtaka is restricted this way as 
Sivasenaniji said.  Or perhaps it is only the specific moments of sunrise 
and sunset when there is a nishedha.  Though I personally do look.

(Btw, as for taking photographs, it is considered a very bad idea 
especially for young, growing eyes to look through a lens at the sun 
unless the camera, binoculars, telescope etc. has a UV filter.)

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>