ODE TO THE SUN
By H.H. Sri Swami Rama
Oh brilliant orb within the sky,
My soul and breath to thee do fly.
Thou art the refuge of my speech,
Attainable, within my reach.
Thou art the slayer of my foes,
The vanquisher of all my woes,
Thy light illumines all my sin,
A fortress do I find within.
All illness and disease do fly,
When upon thee I rely.
All weakness and fatigue are gone,
When I discern the brilliant sun.
You nourish me and give me rest,
Thy beauty and thy grace attest.
In thy presence I do feel
All my wounds and sorrow heal.
Thou art the source from which I come
And return when I succumb.
My fears and worries fly away
When I am brought beneath thy sway.
Eternally thy name is Om,
Where the Vedas find their home.
A thousand rays from thee proceed
To satisfy my every need.
Thou dost my life and breath sustain,
Nourishment from thee I gain.
Thou art the refuge of the wise,
Fearlessly, thy love does guise.
Salutations do I bring
To that from which my life does spring.
Salutations do I give
To that which makes my soul to live.
Salutations do I leave
To that which stops my soul to breathe,
And salutations to that flame,
Where death no longer can one claim.
May auspiciousness attend
The one who knows thee as thy friend.
Eternally, thy light does shine,
Thy nature is to all divine.
Just before the battle, Rama prays for victory, praying to the Sun.
The fight between between Darkness and Light, between Evil and Good, and on the personal level, the fight in our hearts between the "Path of the Pleasant" and the "Path of the Good" continues. May you find strength and inspiration in these noble words and thoughts of Swami Rama.
