Ratha Sapthami is the seventh thithi after the Amavasya (new moon) thithi in the month of the Thai (mid January - mid February). In the current year, Ratha Sapthami falls on Jan/28th/2004.
The Siddhas say the word ratha is symbolic of the mind. The mind is the chariot. Many are the thoughts that arise in the human mind. These thoughts are like many different horses which pull the mind in many different directions. But for the mind to make systematic progress towards the Divine, the right set of horses should pull it in the right direction. This, indeed, is the Siddha insight on the deeper meaning of Ratha Sapthami. Reining in the mind and putting it on the path to God is the philosophy behind Ratha Sapthami.
The centerpiece of this worship procedure is the Ratha Sapthami ritual bath. The leaves of the erukku shrub shrub form an important part of the Ratha Sapthami ritual bath. Sri Agasthiar says that these leaves have an innate spiritual force that's similar to the one derived from the sihka knot and thus they can be used to achieve spiritual effects similar to those gotten from the sikha.
The erukku leaves have to be arranged one on top
of the other in seven layers as shown in the adjoining figure.
- One erukku leaf with its tip pointing north. On this leaf, place three rice whole akshadai rice grains, i.e., rice grains colored with turmeric.
- On top of the above, place another erukku leaf with its tip pointing north. On this leaf, place four akshadai rice grains.
- On top of the above, place another erukku leaf with its tip pointing north. On this leaf, one's mother should place two akshadai rice grains after Gomatha (cow) worship. She should circumambulate Gomatha, feed her and then only is she ready for placing these two akshadai rice grains. If one's mother has passed on, one's wife or father or daughter in law can do the needful for this step of the procedure.
- On top of the above, place three erukku leaves with their tips pointing east. On top of these, place another erukku leaf with its tip pointing west. On this leaf, place one parboiled rice grain, one white rice grain and one kaar rice grain (a rice variety that's reddish in color).
- On top of the above, place another erukku leaf with its tip pointing north. On this leaf, place three rice grains; each of these three should only be three quarters of a whole grain. These should be selected after due meditation on Lord Sri Trivikrama Vishnu (see picture below).
- On top of the above, place another erukku leaf with its tip pointing south. On this leaf, place three rice grains that you have dehusked. In other words, these should not be processed by machine.
- On top of the above, place another erukku leaf with its tip pointing in that direction where North and Northeast meet. On this leaf, place a fragrant flower, place a piece of banana, mango or jack fruit and either thulasi or vilvam leaves or both.
On Ratha Sapthami day, wake up before sunrise, place a block of wood in the bathroom and seat yourself facing east. Place the seven layer erukku leaf arrangement on your head and have your ritual bath with your mind fixed on God.
After the ritual bath, wear dry clothing and perform Soorya Namaskar and recite Sri Agasthiar's Aditya Hrudayam hymn. If you do not know this, just say "Om Salutations to Sri Soorya" 108 or 1008 times. At sunrise, offer neivedyam to Sri Soorya.