Who is Suvarchala? Is she wife or daughter of Sun God?

Question

There are several stories of Hanuman being married or a bachelor. A question was already asked before on this site. Some say that Hanuman promised Sun that he will marry his daughter Suvarchala when he becomes Brahma. Some say that Hanuman was married to Suvarchala the daughter of Sun God in order to teach him nava vyakaranas. Even though He is married, Hanuman continued to be a celibate.

Is she the daughter of Surya or wife? In Valmiki Ramayana Sundara Kanda Chapter 24 verse 9 to 12, Sita cites the examples of great wives to the ogres who threatens Sita with their harsh words and compares herself with those great wives as follows:

Although wretched or without kingdom, whoever is my husband, He alone is my master. Like Suvarchala with the Sun God, I am fond of Him always. Like the highly fortunate Sachi who waits upon Indra, like Arundhati on Vasishta, like Rohini on the Moon God, like Lopamudra on Agastya, like Sukanya on Chyavana, like Savitri on Satyavanta, like Srimati on Kapila, like Madayanti on Saudasa, like Kesini on Sagara, like Damayanti the daughter of Bhima, devoted to husband Nala, in the same way I am devoted to my husband Rama, the best in Ikshvaku dynasty.

Here this is what I don't understand. All the examples Maa Sita took are of great husband and wives. If we consider like that, Suvarchala should be considered as wife of Surya. But in this answer, it is said that Surya has only two wives and there was no mention of Suvarchala. Is Suvarchala consort of Sun God?

Questions

• Is Suvarchala daughter or wife of Surya?

• Is Suvarchala a part of power of Sun god?

• If she is married to Hanuman, How did Hanuman react when Sita said "Suvarchala is wife of Surya" who was right at the top of the Shimshupa tree?

Answer 1

That Suvarchala is the wife of Surya is mentioned in many Puranas.

For example,from Markandeya Purana:

Brahma gave him the name of Rudra and asked the child not to cry further; but the boy cried seven times more and hence Brahma gave him further seven names viz. along with the names of his wives and places of stay as follows:Bhava, Sharva, Ishaana, Pashupati, Bhima, Ugra and Maha Deva. The names of Rudra’s wives are Suvarchala, Uma, Vikeshi, Swadha, Swaha, Dik, Diksha, and Rohini.

The ‘sthaanas’ or Places of Stay of Rudra are Surya, Jal, Prithvi, Agni, Vayu, Akash, Dikshit, Brahmana and Soma. Besides, Rudra’s another name sake Surya has eight sons viz.Shaneswar, Shukra, Lohitanga, Manojava, Shanda, Sarga, Santan and Bhudha.

So,basically this account says Surya is one of the forms of Rudra and his wife is Suvarchala.

From the Linga Purana(Ashta Rupas of Lord Shiva):

Ashta Rupas of Shiva: Nandi Deva continued to describe the Eight Forms of Maha Deva to Sanat Kumara: Sharva is one Form of Shiva spread all over the Universe whose wife is stated as Vikeshi and their son is Mangala. Veda Vaadis or Experts in Vedas named him as Bhava, with Uma as his wife and Shukra as their son. Agni Swarupa Shiva is called Pashupati, whose wife is known as Swaha and their son is Shanmukha. Pavana (Vayu) Swarupa Mahadeva is called Ishana whose wife is known as Shiva and their son is Manojava or Hanuman. Rudra is the name of Shiva whose Swarupa is of Surya Deva and Suvarchala is the name of his wife and Shanaischara is their son. Soma Swarupa Bhagavan is called Maha Deva, with Rohini as his wife and Budha as their son. Yajamana Swarupa of Shiva is Ugra Deva and his wife is called Diksha and their son is Santana. Bhagavan Shiva’s eighth Form is known as Parthiva, signifying the hardened and cruel feature of Shiva as his wife is Prithvi and their progeny is of humanity.

However ,there is a stotram called "Hanumath Mangalashtakam" which mentions Suvarchala as Surya Deva's daughter and Hanuman's wife.

Following is verse 3 from the stotram:

Suvarchala Kalathraya, Chathurbhuja dharaya cha, Ushtra roodaya veeraya, Mangalam Sri Hanumathe.,

Mangalam to Sri Hanuman, Who is the consort of Suvarchala, Who had four arms, And who is the hero who rides, On a beam of light.

The footnote provides the following explanation:

Suvarchala is the daughter of Surya Dev...and Surya Dev asked Hanuman to marry her as his Guru Dakshina. However, he gave Hanuman a boon that he would continue to be a bachelor and maintain his celebacy after this marriage.

However ,i can't say for sure if this stotram is contained in some Puranas.

Answer 2

Viṣṇu Purāṇa (1.8) also says Suvarcalā (सुवर्चला) is the wife of Sūrya.

एवमुक्तः पुनः सोऽथ सप्तकृत्वो रुरोद वै।
ततोऽन्यानि ददौ तस्मै सप्त नामानि वै प्रभुः।
स्थानानि चैषामष्टानां पत्नीः पुत्रांश्च वै प्रभुः।। ५ ।।
भवं सर्व महेशानं तथा पशुपति द्विज।
भीममुग्रं महादेवं उवाच स पितामहः।। ६ ।।
चक्रे नामान्यथैतानि स्थानान्येषां चकार सः।
सूर्यों जल मही वहिर्वायुराकाशमेव च।
दीक्षितो ब्राह्मणः सोम इत्येतास्तनवः क्रमात्॥७॥

But, thus addressed, the boy [Rudra] still wept seven-times, and Brahma therefore gave to him seven other denominations; and to these eight persons, regions and wives and posterity belong. The eight manifestations, then, are named Rudra, Bhava, Sarva, Isana, Pasupati, Bhima, Ugra and Mahādeva, which were given to them by their great progenitor. He also assigned to them their respective stations, the Sun, water, ether, air, fire, earth, the ministrant Brahman, and the moon; for these are their several forms."

सुवर्चला तथैवोमा सुकेशी चापरा शिवा।
स्वाहा दिशस्तथा दीक्षा रोहणी च यथाक्रमम् ॥८॥
सूर्यादीनां नरश्रेष्ठ रुद्राधैर्नामभिः सह।
पत्न्यः स्मृता महाभाग तदपत्यानि मे शृणु।
येषां सूतिप्रसूतैर्वा इदमापूरितं जगत् ॥ ९ ।।
शनैश्चरस्तथा शुक्रो लोहिताङ्गो मनोजवः।
स्कन्दः खर्गोऽथ सन्तानो बुधश्चानुक्रमात् सुताः॥ १०॥

The wives of the Sun and the other manifestations, termed Rudra and the rest were respectively, Suvercalā, Uma, Vikesi, Sivā, Svāhā, Dišā, Diksā and Rohiņī. Now hear an account of their progeny, by whose successive generations this world has been peopled. Their sons, then, were severally, Sanaiśocara (Saturn), Sukra (Venus), the fiery bodied Mars, Manojava (Hanumān), Skanda, Swarga, Santana, and Budha (Mercury).

Answer 3

Sri Desiraju Hanumanta Rao translates the name Suvarchala (or, सुवर्चला, ‘Suvarcalā’) as “wife of the sun” in verse 2.30.30 of the Ramayana. Translation link here.

धर्मः तु गज नास ऊरु सद्भिर् आचरितः पुरा |
तम् च अहम् अनुवर्ते अद्य यथा सूर्यम् सुवर्चला || २-३०-३०

Oh Seetha, with thighs like the posteriors of an elephant! Earlier, righeousness (like fulfilling the father's command) was practised by good men. Now, I shall follow that righteousness, like Suvarchala(wife of the sun) following the Sun.