Surya (redirected from Vivasvat)

Surya

Surya, stone image from Deo-Barunarak, Bihar, India, 9th century AD.

(credit: Pramod Chandra)

In Hinduism, the sun and the sun god. Though once ranking with the major Hindu deities, he is now primarily worshiped only as one of the five important deities of the Smarta sect and as the supreme deity by the small Savra sect. Nevertheless, he is still invoked by all orthodox Hindus in daily prayer, and his temples are found throughout India. He is the father of Manu, Yama, and several other gods. The Puranas record that the weapons of the gods were forged from pieces trimmed from Surya.