In Hindu religion, Lord Surya is called the king of Navaratnas. He has a chariot that has only one wheel but is pulled by 7 horses. Arundev drives the chariot of Lord Surya. Even though he drives a chariot, his face is always turned towards Lord Surya. There are only seven horses in the chariot of the Sun God because these seven horses not only help the Sun God in balancing the universe, but the name of these seven also explains cooperation because they have special qualities and powers. All these horses are of different colors which symbolize different things. These horses carry the work of taking the Sun God from East to West in this chariot.
Names of these 7 horses, their powers, and meanings
- The name of the first horse is Gayatri, which is a symbol of discipline and strictness.
- The second horse is Illusion, which represents speed and power.
- The third horse is Usnik, which is considered a symbol of strength and courage.
- The fourth horse is Jagati, which is a symbol of might and bravery.
- The fifth horse is Tristap, which is a symbol of knowledge and learning.
- The sixth horse is ‘Anustap’, which is a symbol of wisdom and understanding.
- The seventh and last horse is Row, which represents leadership in heaven.
What do these seven horses symbolize?
According to Kurma Purana, these seven horses harnessed to the chariot of the Sun God provide energy to different planets. According to Vayu Purana, these seven horses of Sun God symbolize different rays and these seven horses or rays nourish the planets and gems. The names of these seven rays are- Sushumna, Harikesh, Vishwakarma, Vishwasrava, Sanyadvasu, Arvagvasu, and Svarat. The first of these is the ray called Sushumna, from which the Sun God himself receives energy and remains an unbroken source of energy.
Colours of this horses
The horses of Suryadev are of seven different colors which represent the seven colors of the rainbow. Many times the idol of Sun God is made by making seven heads on only one horse along with the chariot which means that seven different horses originate from only one body.
Seven days of week
According to some mythological beliefs, these seven horse also symbolize the seven days of the week. If we talk about the chariot of the Sun God, then the chariot has only one wheel which has 12 spokes. There is a reason why there is only one wheel in the chariot and that is that this wheel represents time. A wheel represents a year and its 12 spokes describe the 12 months of a year.
Beutifully depicted with deap meanings
The description of these horses has been given in a very beautiful form in the scriptures, according to which, the 7 horse of the Sun God are huge and strong. The reins of these horse are in the hands of Arun Dev and he drives the chariot of Surya Dev. If we talk about the chariot of Sun God, there is only one wheel in his chariot which represents a year and the 12 spokes in the wheel represent the 12 months of a year. The 7 horses of Sun God teach seven lessons of life. Apart from this, in Vastu, they are considered indicators of progress. It is believed that by putting a picture of Sun God with seven horses in the house, the pending work gets completed.