The Surya Ashtakam is an ashtakam, a prayer of eight verses, addressed to Surya, the Sun. The first verse opens with a direct greeting and asks the Sun to be gracious. Verses 2 to 8 each describe him and close with the same refrain: ’that god Surya I bow to’. A ninth verse then states what the text says its recitation gives.
The verses picture the Sun riding a chariot of seven horses, holding a white lotus, red as the bandhuka flower, wearing a garland and earrings and carrying a single wheel. They also identify him with Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshvara, and with the lord of the universe.
Below you will find each verse in Devanagari with a simple transliteration and a plain-English meaning, then notes on recitation and pronunciation. For longer or shorter Sun prayers, see the Aditya Hridayam and the Surya mantra.
The text, transliteration and meaning
Eight verses of praise come first. The ninth verse is the phalashruti, the stanza that states the benefit of recitation.
Verse 1
आदिदेव नमस्तुभ्यं प्रसीद मम भास्कर ।
दिवाकर नमस्तुभ्यं प्रभाकर नमोऽस्तुते ॥
Adideva namastubhyam prasida mama bhaskara
Divakara namastubhyam prabhakara namo'stute
MeaningPrimal god, salutation to you. Be gracious to me, Bhaskara. Salutation, Divakara. Salutation, Prabhakara.
Verse 2
सप्ताश्वरथमारूढं प्रचण्डं कश्यपात्मजम् ।
श्वेतपद्मधरं देवं तं सूर्यं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥
Saptashvarathamarudham prachandam kashyapatmajam
Shvetapadmadharam devam tam suryam pranamamyaham
MeaningRiding the chariot of seven horses, fierce, the son of Kashyapa, holding a white lotus: that god Surya I bow to.
Verse 3
लोहितं रथमारूढं सर्वलोकपितामहम् ।
महापापहरं देवं तं सूर्यं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥
Lohitam rathamarudham sarvalokapitamaham
Mahapapaharam devam tam suryam pranamamyaham
MeaningRiding a red chariot, the grandsire of all the worlds, remover of great faults: that god Surya I bow to.
Verse 4
त्रैगुण्यं च महाशूरं ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वरम् ।
महापापहरं देवं तं सूर्यं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥
Traigunyam cha mahashuram brahmavishnumaheshvaram
Mahapapaharam devam tam suryam pranamamyaham
MeaningOf the three gunas and very heroic, he is Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshvara. That god Surya, remover of great faults, I bow to.
Verse 5
बृंहितं तेजसां पुञ्जं वायुराकाशमेव च ।
प्रभुस्त्वं सर्वलोकानां तं सूर्यं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥
Brimhitam tejasam punjam vayurakashameva cha
Prabhustvam sarvalokanam tam suryam pranamamyaham
MeaningA swelling mass of radiance, and also wind and space, you are the lord of all the worlds. That Surya I bow to.
Verse 6
बन्धूकपुष्पसङ्काशं हारकुण्डलभूषितम् ।
एकचक्रधरं देवं तं सूर्यं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥
Bandhukapushpasankasham harakundalabhushitam
Ekachakradharam devam tam suryam pranamamyaham
MeaningRed like the bandhuka flower, adorned with a garland and earrings, bearing a single wheel: that god Surya I bow to.
Verse 7
विश्वेशं विश्वकर्तारं महातेज: प्रदीपनम् ।
महापापहरं देवं तं सूर्यं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥
Vishvesham vishvakartaram mahateja: pradipanam
Mahapapaharam devam tam suryam pranamamyaham
MeaningLord of the universe, maker of the universe, kindler of great radiance, remover of great faults: that god Surya I bow to.
Verse 8
श्रीविष्णुं जगतां नाथं ज्ञानविज्ञानमोक्षदम् ।
महापापहरं देवं तं सूर्यं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥
Shrivishnum jagatam natham jnanavijnanamokshadam
Mahapapaharam devam tam suryam pranamamyaham
MeaningHe is Shri Vishnu, lord of the worlds, the giver of knowledge, wisdom and liberation. That god Surya, remover of great faults, I bow to.
Phalashruti (benefit)
सूर्याष्टकं पठन्नित्यं ग्रहपीडाप्रणाशनम् ।
अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रं दरिद्रो धनवान् भवेत् ॥
Suryashtakam pathannityam grahapidapranashanam
Aputro labhate putram daridro dhanavan bhavet
MeaningThe benefit verse states that whoever recites the Surya Ashtakam daily destroys the troubles of the planets, that a childless person gains a son and a poor person becomes wealthy. This is the text's own claim.
Text: Sanskrit Wikisource, page “श्रीसूर्याष्टकम्”. Transliteration is simplified; meanings are our own. Verse numbers appear as labels above each verse. The source's closing line names Shiva as the speaker of this prayer.
When and how it is traditionally recited
The Sun is traditionally honoured at dawn, and many devotees recite the Surya Ashtakam after a morning bath, facing the rising Sun, perhaps while offering water. Sunday is the weekday associated with the Sun, and some families keep it as a day for Sun prayers. These are customs, not requirements, and they differ by region and household.
The eight verses take only a few minutes. Some people recite them once, others repeat them on a mala. Because each verse ends with the same refrain, it is easy for beginners to learn the structure quickly and add the full verses over time.
What the tradition says it is for
The prayer belongs to the large family of stotras in which the Sun is greeted with his names and forms. Here he is seen as a radiant traveller, yet also as one with the divine trio of creation, preservation and dissolution. Tradition values such prayers as a way to bring gratitude and attention to the daily return of light.
The final verse speaks of ending the troubles caused by planets, and of a son for the childless and wealth for the poor. These are the text’s own statements about its recitation, and this page reports them as such. They are not promises, and the prayer is not a substitute for medical, legal or financial help.
In astrology the Sun is one of the nine planets. To read about its role in a chart, see the Sun Mahadasha guide, and for stotras to all nine, the Navagraha mantras.
Pronunciation notes
Long vowels, marked with a macron in scholarly romanisation, last about twice as long as short ones: say Bhaskara as ‘bhaa-ska-ra’ and Divakara as ‘di-vaa-ka-ra’. The bh is a breathy ‘b’ with a small puff of air, and the sh in Shri is like the ‘sh’ of ‘shine’.
The refrain tam suryam pranamamy aham has a nasal anusvara in tam and a final soft m in aham. In namo ‘stute, the apostrophe marks a dropped a, so say it ’namo-stu-te’. Read slowly, a line at a time, and match your pace to a recording you trust.
Related mantras and pages
- Aditya Hridayam: the longer hymn to the Sun from the Ramayana
- Surya Mantra: a short Rigveda verse to the Sun
- Gayatri Mantra: the Sun as Savitr, inspirer of thought
- Navagraha Mantras: stotras to all nine planets
- Sun Mahadasha: how the Sun is read in a Vedic chart
- All mantras, stotras, chalisas and aartis
Frequently asked questions
↳ What is the Surya Ashtakam?
It is a Sanskrit prayer to the Sun in eight verses, with a ninth verse that states its benefit. Verses 2 to 8 close with a refrain of bowing to that god Surya.
↳ What does ashtakam mean?
Ashtakam means a set of eight, from ashta, eight. It is the name given to many Sanskrit prayers made of eight verses.
↳ When is the Surya Ashtakam recited?
Many people recite it at sunrise, and Sunday is a favoured day for Sun prayers. Customs vary, so follow your family or teacher.
↳ Who composed the Surya Ashtakam?
The source we follow names no human author. Its closing line says the prayer was spoken by Shiva, which is how the tradition presents it.
↳ Does the Surya Ashtakam remove planetary problems?
The ninth verse says it destroys the troubles of the planets, and that is the text's own claim. Please treat it as devotion rather than a remedy, and seek proper advice for real health, money or legal concerns.