The Sun and Sunrays

   The Sun is a star composed of Hydrogen that is constantly under fission and fusion giving rise to Helium He4. This gives out radiation of energy in the form of electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic waves that traverses in all directions produce heat, light, and many other subtler matter. There are millions of stars in the galaxy that are made of not just Hydrogen but many known and unknown elements. It is now known that gold, silver, platinum dusts are splashed into atmosphere when the binaries explode! This entire astronomical phenomena makes us wonder how mysterious is our universe! 

    The Vedic texts, in contrast to the scientific explanation above, give us the details howSun is born! The Sun is called Vivasvan'. urya (Sun) is the manifest form of Vishnu. Sri Hari Narayana is the only God. It is He who appears as everything! He has the innate capacity to appear in various forms and this include the surya (Sun), soma (Moon), and anala (Fire).However, the Vedic surya, soma and anala are not the material (solid or gross) forms of the supreme Lord as we see! They are the inherent nature, svabhava, that manifest! Thus, one has to see the subtler aspects of creation behind all that appears as the waves, vibration, sound, color, alphabets and the gaseous,liquid, and gross forms! The entire phenomenal objective world appears as if coming out of absolute silence! This is the magical aspect, 'maya'! Sage Vashishtha goes on to explain the 'maya' aspect of creation with a number of examples such as the sun and the sunrays, the ocean and its waves, the fire and its heat. 

   The sun is radiating the sunrays. The sunrays are not the sun. However, there is no separate existence for the sunrays apart from the sun. So also the waves are formed out of the ocean due to the winds. No wind, no waves! The waves have no separate existence and depends on the ocean. The ocean is not the waves! The waves are hollow and appears in various forms and disappear! The fire gives heat. Heat is the inherent quality of fire. Hence, a jnyani realizes the intricate relationship that exists between the creation and the 'brahmn'. Here, 'brahmn' is the absolute abstract, nothingness, absolute silence, mahattanta shanta, that manifest as the diverse manifold universe. The Stars, the galaxies, the planets like the earth and its varied life-forms are the manifest forms, like the sun and its sunrays, ocean and its waves, fire and its heat. Just as the sunrays appear and disappear into sun at every sunrise and sunset everyday, the universe disappears into 'brahmn'. The magic of sunrise and sunset is also  revealed here. There is neither a sunrise or sunset everyday! The sun remains wherever it is. It is the at the center of the solar system and governs the movements of all the Planets and their Satellites! At best, it wobbles in its own place. It is the earth rotating on its axis from West to East at a mean velocity of 1040 KM per Hr. that gives the illusion how sun rises in the east and sets in the West every 24 Hrs. So, everything including our births and deaths, people, obejcts, etc that we see, touch, feel with our senses is an illusion here!  
    Adi Shankara explained the Vedic concept of 'maya' in simple terms of 'neti,neti'. The discourse on the illusory nature of the universe-  jagat mithya and brahmn satya goes on!
   A Magician shows his magical skill when things are made to look as if disappear. The buildings, train vanishes and the head comes apart and appears separated! These are stunts and the secret does not remain. But, the secret of creation remains! Bhagavan says that He is a magician (mayavin). make the universe appear and disappear waving His magical wand!