‘Surya’ as Supreme Brahman in the Mahabharata

‘Sauram’ in the Mahabharata

In the Mahabharata there is the episode of Yudhishthira obtaining the ‘akshaya paatram’ after worshiping Surya Bhagavan. This stuti of Yudhishthira contains the idea of JagatkaaraNatvam of Surya:

https://sa.wikisource.org/s/1u8

त्वामिन्द्रमाहुस्त्वं रुद्रस्त्वं विष्णुस्त्वं प्रजापतिः।
त्वमग्निस्त्वं मनः सूक्ष्मं प्रभुस्त्वं ब्रह्मशाश्वतं ।। 3-3-41a
3-3-41b

[You are Indra, Rudra, Vishnu, Prajapati (Brahmaa)]

In the same chapter, after the above stuti, there is the collection of 108 names of Surya which also has the Trimurti aikya idea, portraying Surya as the Turiya Brahman:

ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रश्च स्कन्दो वैश्रवणो यमः ।।

[Surya is Brahmaa, Vishnu, Rudra, Skanda….]

See here for the 108 names: https://indiaplus.co.in/surya-ashtottara-shatanama-stotram/

We have another Surya stuti, by VasishTha, in the Mahabharata which also brings out the JagatkaaraNatvam of Surya: https://sa.wikisource.org/s/1p9

नमः सवित्रे जगदेकचक्षुषे
जगत्प्रसूतिस्थितिनाशहेतवे।
त्रयीमयाय त्रिगुणात्मधारिणे
विरिञ्चनारायणशङ्करात्मने।।

The above stuti is recited by Smarta-s of the Tamil sampradaya during their trikaala sandhyaa vandanam.

The Surya Upanishad, of the 108 Upanishads has this prayer:

https://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_upanishhat/suryopan.html…

त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्मासि । त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं विष्णुरसि । त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं रुद्रोऽसि ।

This idea is Vedanta-friendly and finds expression in Advaita Upasana.

Shankaracharya, in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad bhashya cited these scriptural passages to bring out the oneness of all devataa-forms:

‘इन्द्रं मित्रं वरुणमग्निमाहुः’ (ऋ. १ । १९४ । ४६) इति श्रुतेः ; ‘एष ब्रह्मैष इन्द्र एष प्रजापतिरेते सर्वे देवाः’ (ऐ. उ. ३ । १ । ३) इति च श्रुतेः ; स्मृतेश्च — ‘एतमेके वदन्त्यग्निं मनुमन्ये प्रजापतिम्’ (मनु. १२ । १२३) इति,…

Thus, we have the Saura theme in the MB. The Shaakta is found in Kurma Puranam.

Om Tat Sat