What is Sun Salutation?

 

Sun Salutation is a very noble asana described in scriptures. It is nothing but revering the "Sun God" who sustains life on the planet. We pray him to make our intellect right and truthful. People of the Brahmin community usually chant "Gayatri Mantra" (it is the one described in the Puranas) before doing this asana. The mantra is as follows:

                                                                               

Om Bhur Bhuva Swaha   Tat Savitur Varenyam    Bhar go Devasya Dheemahi     Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayat

A rough translation of this is as follows:

(We Pray to the glory of the creator, who has created the universe, who is worthy of worship, who is the embodiment of knowledge and light, who is the remover of all sins and ignorance. May he enlighten our intellect).

The word 'savitur' refers to sun who is the creator and sustainer of life in the universe. Hence it is evident that the sacred prayer is to the 'Sun God'. However we, the commoners are not strictly supposed to chant  the mantra, as we do consider the asana as a superb exercise.