This paper attempts to trace the similarities in the concepts of Sun worship and the cult of Nataraja, and the underlying unity of the two.

The Brahmins of India offer prayers called Sandhya-vandanam, daily three times. According tothe ancient code, this Sandhya should be offered daily.

This sandhya prayeris addressed to Savita - the Sun. The Brahmin who adores the Sun Aditya as Brahman, when it rises in the morning and sets in the evening, obtains all auspicious happenings, says Taittirya Brahmanam.

A person is considered impure and unfit to do ritual acts, if he does not perform Sandhya.That indicates the importance of Sandhya in Indian life. The Sandhya worshipspeaks about the greatness of and adoration of Sun from the beginning to the end.

The first and most important hymn used repeatedly during this Sandhya worship is the Gayatrihymn, which is a prayer to Savita, the Sun, for the conferment of knowledge

It prays that thesun should inspire knowledge in men. The rising sun dispels darkness and makes men rise from their slumber and realize the happenings around them; they were ignorant of what was happening during their sleep at night that is dark. Ignorance is compared always to darkness and dawn of knowledge to brightness. The Sandhya hymn is for dispelling Darkness, a function attributed to Sun.

The same function is also attributed to Nataraja, dancing on the back of the Dwarfish demon. The dwarf represents ignorance that is removed when the Lord manifests. It is interesting that the term used to denote the dwarf is Apa-smara i.e. to forget.(smarati to remember. Apa smara  the knowledge that escapes) The faculty of knowledge exists in man even in sleep. But the happenings around escape his faculty of knowledge. So his mind is veiled in darkness. This is the tirodhana i.e concealment of man's faculty of erception. The Dancing God also removes the veil as he emerges dancing on the dwarf This culminates in  anugraha, conferring grace.

In terms of Vedantic doctrine, this Sun who appears in the ambaram, the visible sky is the Supreme Brahman. The following recitation is included in the Sandhya vandanam

Asau Aadityo brahma. This Sun is Brahman. Brahma eva aham asmi. I am that Brahman. (The consciousness in me is that Supreme Brahman.). The cult of Nataraja is invariably claimed as Vedic and the essence of the Vedantic doctrine. The worship of Nataraja at Chidamabram is according to Vedic tradition, hold the dikshitas - the worshipping priests of Chidamabaram.

The Gayatri prayer is also recited daily on all the three times of the day. This prayer has two spheres, the external sky where Aditya appears and the inner consciousness, where knowledge appears, which is also called Brahman. This concept is also reflected in the Dance of Siva. The temple of Chidambaram has two parts. One is the external Ambaram, the Great hall where the devotees stand and see the Lord and the other inner Ambalam, the inner hall, where the dancing god is placed. The former is Per-ambalam, the Great hall, identical with the external space where Aditya appears and the other is Chid-ambalam, the  hall of inner Conciousness. The Aditya  who is Param Jyoti, the Supreme luminary, is Nataraja. This prayer,"This Aditya is Brahman", and "I am that Brahman" (asau Aadityo Brahma, Brahma eva aham asmi) is also repeated three times daily by the Vedic Brahmins, It leads on to the metaphysics of Nataraja.

The Gayatri hymn isrepeated as a japa (repeated recitation) for 32 times in the morning, 16 times in noon and 32 times in the evening.

A major prayer follows this on all the three sandhis (three times of the day). The Vedic hymn beginning with Mitrasya carshini drutah is the one recited in the morning. According to it, Surya leads  men knowing all their actions.(Mitro janaan yaatayati prajaanan). He is also the supporter of earth and heaven. ( Mitro dhaatara prithvim uta dhyaam). This Mitrais Aditya Sun (payasavan yas ta Aadityah sikshati vratena). This main prayer in the morning is thus addressed to Aditya -Surya.

The prayer in the noon begins “Aasatyena rajasaa”. Surya is called in this hymn Uttamam Jyotis the Supreme Luminary that dawns, swallowing the darkness. Those adoring him will attain supreme self-light. This famous divine Jatavedas (Jaatavedas deva) is carried high and high by the rays-horses for better visibility. He rises above the Darkness  as a supreme light (udvayam tamasah paripasyanto jyotir uttamam). Surya is like eyes to Mitra, Varuna and Agni (cakshuh Mitrasya Varunasya Agneh). This most beautiful God ascends to great heights. He is the soul of inert and moving objects. He remains encompassing earth, heaven and intermediate space (Apra-dyaava-prthvi antarilksham). The Sun is the Soul of the Universe (Surya aatma jagatah). We shall see this Surya for one hundred winters. (pasyema saradas satam). We shall delight one hundred winters. We shall hear about him for one hundred winters. We shall live victorious for one hundred winters. We shall be delighted to see him for one hundred winters. This Surya who is Lohitaaksha (whose eyes are red), who is the embodiment of knowledge (Vipascit) who is Vrishabha, rises from the great ocean (mahatah arnavaat)  from the middle of the waters salilasya madhyaat, shining (vibhrajamana) should purify us"

This Vedic hymn is of very great significance, in the concept of Nataraja. Siva is called Lohitaaksha whose eye is red. Siva's third eye in the forehead is Agni and hence he is red eyed Lohitaakshah.

Surya is called Vrshabha the Supreme Bull. Siva is also called Nandi in the Vedas and Tevaram hymns.

Surya encompasses earth, heaven and the intermediate space. Nataraja dances with his leg planted on earth, and his head touching the top of the circular halo, symbolic of heaven and earth while himself encompasses the intermediate space spreading his matted locks of hair flying in all directions and his hands moving indirections. His jatas are said to represent all the intermediate directions. Aapra-Dyaavi-prthvi-antariksham. it is a graphic portrayal of the concept of Nataraja in Vedic hymn.

Nataraja dances on the dwarf, the demon of darkness. Surya rises above the darkness (Tamasahupari udvayam)

Surya is the soul of all living beings. Surya atma jagata tastuhshasca

Nataraja is the soul of all living beings. He is also called the Lord of all Pasupati.

Surya rises from the midst of the great oceanic waters.

In the figure of Nataraja the circular halo issues from the mouth of the makara-crocodile representing this great oceanic waters. The presense of two makaras, shown at the beginning of the halo, is totally identical with the concept that Nataraja-Surya emanating from the Waters. 

Surya is called the Supreme luminousity Jyotih uttamam. Nataraja is called the Supreme Jyoti - alahil jyotiyan. Nataraja is shown surrounded by a halo of flames to indicate that he is the Supreme jyoti among the stars and planets. In some Nataraja images 27 flames are represented on the halo to indicate the 27 stars as he is the Lord of all the luminaries.

He is the dancer in the ambara, the space.

The evening prayer of the Sandhya hymn is addressed to Varuna to be meditated in the Surya-mandala, the orbit of the sun. We have seen that Sun is addressed as the eye of Varuna. The evening prayer worshipping Varuna according to all authorities is a prayer to Surya.

The morning and the noon sandhyas, among the  three sandhyas, are addressed facing east, while the evening one is recited facing the west. The direction of facing follows rising mid day and setting Sun.

Following the prayer there are other hymns and stotras addressed facing south to Yama.

Among the attributes of Yama mentioned in this verse are Mrityu (death), Kaala (Time), Parameshtin (the Supreme to be adored) and Antaka (One who causes the end), and Dharmaraaja (Giver of righteous knowledge) deserve special attention. Mrityu as mentioned is also the significant name of Siva as Rudra. He is called Kurruvan in Tamil. Similarly Kala, Antaka, and Parameshtin are also found commonly employed for Rudra and Surya.(See my article on Aaditya-hrdayam). Yama is the Lord of the South and  the Lord of Dharma (Dharmaraja).

Siva as Dakshinamurti is the Lord of South and is the preacher of Dharma, the Siva-dharma. The dharma taught by Siva is body of literature known as Agamas. The essence of the agamas and dharma is Lord Nataraja, who is portrayed above the image of Dakshinamurti. Nataraja is also the Lord of South, and faces South.

It is interesting to mention that Siva's form of Rudra as Kaala is assigned to the Southern direction. The image of Nataraja both in sculpture and in bronze is invariably placed in the southern direction facing South. It may also be mentioned that there exists close relationship between Kala-mukha and Nataraja, both oriented south (See my article on Blanket worship, Nataraja and Kaalamukhas)

The next verse of Sandhya, is a Vedic hymn addressed, facing north.

This Vedic passage is of utmost importance to Hindu Iconography. It speaks of Supreme existence who is called Purusha (Param Brahma Purusham).  This Supreme Brahman is of dual nature, black (Krishna) and red(Pingala). Evidently it refers to Sun whose brightness and darkness are spoken as black and red (Krishna and Pingala). This dual form is known later as Harihara. Also please note the use of the names Urdhvaretas, Virupaksha, and Visvarupa all addressed to Siva Nataraja and Surya.

Further light is thrown on this subject by the Nrsimha tapani Upanishad, one of the 108 Upanishads. It identifies this Krishna form as Nrkesari, the Narasimha form of Vishnu. It is Sun who is Narayana - Narasimha. This Krishna is also Pingala, the form of Siva. The Upanishad makes himidentical with Siva in Harihara form by calling him Umapati and Pasupati.

This hymn identifying Krishna-Pingala with Nrkesari and Pasupati is a citation from Yajur-veda, according to the above Upanishad. This passage clearly establishes that Narasimha form of Vushnu is derived from Sun and that Sun is Krishna and also Pingala, Pasupati and that he is identical with Umapati,  Sankara who is also known by other names like Nila-lohita, Pasupati, Pinakin and Amitadyuti.

The final prayer addressed facing east (or west in the evening) during Sandhya vandana is a stotra. It is important as it gives the main import of the Sandhya worship. It reads

"i.e. Salutations to Savita, the sole eye of the universe, the Cause of World's creation, sustenance and dissolution, the essence of the Vedas, of the nature, of three gunas (Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas) and who is of the form of Brahma, Narayana, and Sankara."

This final salutation is again to Savita, the Sun. He is called the Only eye of the world (Jagad eka-cakshuh). He is the cause of creation, sustenance, and dissolution of the world (jagat prasuti sthti nasa hetu). He is the nature of Vedas (Trayi-maya). He is of the nature of three gunas (Tri-gunatma-dharin). He is indeed Brahma, Vishnu and Siva (Virinci-Narayana-Sankara-atman). Finally he resides in the orbit of Savita (Savitru-mandala Madhya varti).

The functions of creation, sustenance and dissolution are the acts of Nataraja who dances in the Jyotir-mandala. Nataraja combines in himself the functions of the Trinities, Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. Thus Sun is adored under the same concepts in the Sandhya-vandana that constitute the meta physics of Nataraja.

According Bodhayana, the ancient sutra-kara, who has given a code of conduct for daily life, Sandhya represents the Trimurtis, is pure, beyond Maya and that which creates this Universe.

The emanation is from Murti-traya, the Trimurtis Brahma, Vishnu and Siva.

Though the Sacred personality Siva of matted locks, whose body is red in colour, and the Great Lord Trivikrama, who measured the three worlds, move in two different spheres, each in effect is a part of the other body." Says one of the early Vsishnavite Saints, Poykai Alvar.  

Another famous Vaishnavite Saint Nammalavar, echoes the concept

In mundane level the One who appears as Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Space and spreads into various religious formulas, appears as divine in three forms among the Celestials. When one reflects on these forms, one form is golden in colour (Brahma), one is Glowing fire in colour (Siva) and the other is like that of the blue deep ocean (Vishnu). Finally it is the One Same lord in the form of Supreme effulgent Sun!

I have shown earlier that the nature of the Dance of Siva as the dance of Surya, the samasta samhaara, by entering the Solar orbit, Surya mandala is pointedly mentioned in the Kurma purana. Also the story of Mankanaka told in Kurma purana shows that, while Siva is the Primordial entity, his inherent power is Yoga-maaya, variously called Para-sakti and Vidya deha. The end one attains is Supreme Knowledge, Jnaana identical with Bliss, Aananda.   The conclusion is inevitable that it is the adoration of Sun in all his Vedantic form that flowers into the Dance of Siva.