Surya
Ravi — the shining one (Surya name 2 of 12)
ॐ रवये नमः
Oṁ Ravaye Namaḥ
Simple reading: Om ra-va-ye na-mah
About this mantra
Ravi — 'the shining, the praised' — the second name. Where Mitra greets the sun as friend, Ravi names what the eyes actually meet: radiance that has been hymned in every language the world has had. The week still begins with it — ravivār, Sunday, is this name.
Meaning
Om, salutations to Ravi — the radiant one whom all praise. The mantra bows to the plain fact of brightness: light that needs no other lamp to be seen by. Saying it, the reciter joins the oldest chorus there is — everything under the sun, praising the sun.
When to recite it
One of the twelve names of the Surya Namaskar cycle — recited one per posture at sunrise, or counted together as a Sunday (Ravivar) jaap. Turn to Ravi on mornings that need gratitude more than requests — and on Ravivar itself, the weekday that carries his name.
Word by word
- ॐoṁ
- the primordial sound
- रवयेravaye
- the shining, praised one
- नमःnamaḥ
- I bow, salutations
Source: Sūrya Namaskāra mantra sequence (traditional twelve names of Sūrya)