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The Pristine Glory of the Sun God

- Dr.Shirish Bhate

( Part 2 )

As you might expect, hospital patients find it easier to cope with depression if they are exposed to 30 minutes of sunlight before sunset. Although Australian hospitals looking after elderly patients have recently adopted this practice, acharyas have always recommend religious rituals that require sun worship three times a day, at sunrise, at midday and at sunset. This ritual is called Tri-sandhya, which means three ritual worships each day. Sungazing is
automatically included as part of this ritual.


This science is termed Yagyopathy. Within the sun's atmosphere, a yagya or eternal fire (fusion of hydrogen and oxygen) occurs which produces enormous amounts of solar energy. Yagyopathy (the application of Yagna for healing) has been found very effective in the cure of both physical ailments and psychosomatic disorders (such as anxiety, depression, guilt, insomnia, etc.). Yagna (agnihotra) renews the brain cells, revitalizes the skin, purifies the blood and prevents the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Mental peace, emotional
stability and creative development of the mind are added psychological benefits.

Ref: http://www.awgp.org/gamma/YogaAndAlternateHealing

Yagna is basically a healing process, as is apparent from this example of diabetic treatment: The urine sugar levels of some acute diabetic patients were found to be totally absent with the level of blood sugar reduced to normal just after two to three weeks of daily agnihotra ("The Integrated Science of Yagna" Dr. RR. Joshi. Publisher: Yug Nirman Yojana, Mathura. 1999).

In addition to the skin, the eyes are also important entry points for
the sun's energy. J. N. Ott
(http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/full_spectrum_sunlight.html)
demonstrated with his research how important it is for us to get the full spectrum of sunlight into the eyes, which does not happen if we wear glasses or sit behind windows. These artificial screens filter out the essential frequencies of the ultra-violet range of the spectrum. He demonstrated that the primary effect of light entering the eyes is on the endocrine glands in the brain.

Another contemporary Indian sun worshipper is Hira Ratan Manek, who demonstrates that energy need not be taken in through food alone, but can also be absorbed through the eyes. (sungazing.com) He shows that one can live on sunlight alone! Many of our mental tensions such as irritability, anger, fear, grief, and general personal frustrations, may then disappear altogether. This is just the beginning, but what a beautiful beginning it is. Life could become easier, more comfortable and more enjoyable as we get closer and closer to finding out who we really are. A blissful, euphoric sensation may envelope us. Our energy levels may increase and the benefits of having a routine in conjunction with the earth's rhythms will begin to have a peaceful
affect on our perception of the world. This practice of sun gazing may be learnt on: http://www.sungazing.com  If one removes the need for food, one would certainly save oneself from any diseases which might enter the body through that food. Here indeed is a simple way for anyone to liberate themselves from materialism once and for all!

Those who may not be after spiritual progress or interested in absorbing energy through sun gazing, can at least take advantage of some degree of sun exposure because it is the most important available source of vitamin D. It is this exposure to sunlight which provides humans with almost all their total daily vitamin D requirement. UV rays from the sun trigger vitamin D synthesis in the skin. However sometimes due to other variables such as season, geographic latitude, time of day, cloud cover, smog or any type of sunscreen which affects this, additional vitamin intake may be necessary. An initial 10 -15 minutes exposure to sunlight is adequate time for Vitamin D synthesis to occur.

Ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure at least twice a week to the face, arms, hands or back, without sunscreen, is usually sufficient to provide an adequate amount of Vitamin D. Light to moderate sun exposure is beneficial. Except in winter do not sunbathe during the hours around midday. Preferably expose your whole body as often as possible for a few minutes to early morning or late afternoon sun. This may be in the garden, on the veranda or even inside a room with an open window. In addition, it is beneficial to sit lightly clothed in the half-shade such as under a tree for instance. We absorb the energies from sunlight through our clothing too. If you visit Konkan region in the western coastline of India (which includes Goa), most elderly people will be found wearing just a dhoti, exposing most of the upper torso. Remarkably, the leanest of the population is concentrated on the coastline, with obesity being a rare occurrence. Should we not be investigating this connection between sun exposure and lack of obesity?

While short exposures to the sun are invigorating, long sunbathing can be enervating. In addition to this, sunbathing for long periods ages the skin and may cause skin cancer, especially at the beach and in parts of the globe where the radiation from sun appears to have more strength for whatever reason. More details in regard to the dangers of sun radiation strength, in various parts of the globe, but in Australia in particular, with an emphasis on keeping to the protocols outlined above, may be found at: