Shri Surya Ashtottara Shatanamavali (108 names)

When it is sung or recited

When it is chanted: traditionally on Sundays, the day of Surya, at or after sunrise, often along with offering water (arghya) to the rising Sun. Many families also chant it on Ratha Saptami, around Makar Sankranti and during Chhath.

How to chant

How to chant: say Om, then the name, then Namah, for example Om Arunaya Namah. Use a mala of 108 beads and say one name for each bead, facing east if you can. Some families offer a red flower or a little red sandalwood paste with each name. Names 99, 100 and 101 begin with a seed syllable (Shrim, Hrim, Aim); say it just before the name, as printed. Ask a priest or elder to guide your pronunciation. The name Achyuta appears twice in this list; say it each time, so the count reaches 108.

Please note

Names are written in the dative form ('to the Sun god ...') used with Om ... Namah. This is the 108-name list that begins Aruna, Sharanya, Karunarasasindhu. The author is not reliably known, so it is treated as a traditional text. Sanskrit Documents, Stotra Nidhi and Vignanam print it alike except for the last name and small spelling differences. Drik Panchang leaves out the seed syllables and prints names 102 and 105 to 108 differently (its name 102 is Suprasanna, which repeats name 20). We used the form most sources print: names 99 to 101 with their seed syllables, name 102 Anuprasanna, name 105 Bhaktakotisaukhyaprada and the last name Shri Suryanarayana (Stotra Nidhi and Vignanam; Sanskrit Documents ends with Surya). Achyuta appears twice (names 9 and 80) in every copy we checked. Other 108-name lists of Surya are also in use; if your family follows a different list, use that one.

Text compared with: sanskritdocuments.org, stotranidhi.com, vignanam.org, drikpanchang.com, bhaktibharat.com. A comparison with printed editions is still in progress. Wording differs between sources, so follow your priest’s version.