•ukla-pak•a 178ÿukla-pak•a (‘bright part’)
The fortnight of a lunar month begin-
ning with the new moon (ämavasya). Its
opposite is KØÆŒA-PAKÆA.Ÿukra (1)
The son of Bhøgu and a priest of BALI
and the DAITYAS, author of the Ÿukra-
nïti, a law code. (See also BHÄRGAVAS.)Ÿukra (2)
The planet Venus. Ÿukravar, Friday, is
named after it.sük•ma ÿarïra (‘subtle body’)
The body formed of subtle matter that
does not disintegrate at the time of
death and that as the carrier of KARMA
is responsible for rebirth. (See also
BODY.)sükta
A Vedic HYMN.Sumiträ
The wife of Daÿaratha and mother of
Ÿatrughna and LAKÆMAŒA.sun
The sun plays a major part in Hindu
mythology. It was worshipped in the
form of Sürya and glorified as one of
three chief Vedic deities in the Saura
Puräæas (sun worship was supposed to
bring relief from leprosy). Vi•æu has
also been connected with the sun, and
his three strides have been associated
with the journey of the sun from morn-
ing through midday to evening. One of
the most celebrated temples of India is
the sun temple at Konärak in Orissa,
built in 1287.Sundaramurti, Sundarar
(ninth century)
One of the 63 NÄYAŒMÄRS, author ofTiruttondattogai (part of the Tiru-
mulai), famous for his many miracles
and his practice of worshipping the
deity as a friend (sakhi).superimposition
See ADHYÄSA.supreme reality
See BRAHMAN.sura (‘god’)
The opposite of ASURA(demon).Sürdäs (1479–1584)
Born blind, he achieved great fame as a
singer and composer of songs glorifying
Kø•æa, collected in the Sürsägar, ‘The
Ocean of Sürdäs’. He was a follower of
VALLABHÄCÄRYA and celebrated the
Rädhä Kø•æa LÏLÄ. Emperor Akbar is
said to have visited him incognito to lis-
ten to his songs.Sureÿvara (ninth century)
A direct disciple of ŸA¢KARA(2) and
author of such influential works of
ADVAITAVEDÄNTAas Nai•karmyasiddhi,
Bøhadäraæyakabhä•yavärttika and
Taittirïyabhä•yavärttika. One of the
points where he disagrees with other
Advaitins is his positing of the locus of
avidyä (ignorance) in brahman(the uni-
versal), not in the jïvätmas(individual
consciousness).Ÿurpa-nakhä
(‘one with nails like winnowing fans’)
A sister of RÄVAŒA. She fell in love
with Räma and offered to marry him.
He referred her to Lak•maæa, who cut
off her nose and ears, thus provoking
the enmity of Rävaæa, who subse-
quently abducted Sïtä. (See also
RÄMÄYAŒA.)Encyclo - Letter S 10/2/03 9:59 am Page 178