आदित्य भो लोककृताकृतज्ञ लोकस्य सत्यानृतकर्मसाक्षिन्।
मम प्रिया सा क्व गता हृता वा शंसस्व मे शोकवशस्य नित्यम्॥
āditya bho loka-kṛtākṛtajña
lokasya satyānṛta-karma-sākṣin
mama priyā sā kva gatā hṛtā vā
śaṁsasva me śoka-vaśasya nityam
āditya = Sūrya; bho = O; loka-kṛta-akṛtajña = you know what the world does and what it doesn’t do; lokasya = of the world; satya-anṛta-karma-sākṣin = you witness the truthful and untruthful activities; mama = My; priyā = beloved; sā = she; kva = where; gatā = did go; hṛtā = was abducted by someone; vā = or; śaṁsasva = tell; me = Me; śoka-vaśasya = [for] I am overwhelmed by sorrow; nityam = [now] always.
O Sūrya, you know what the world does and what it doesn’t do. You witness the truthful and untruthful activities of the world. Where did My beloved go? Or was she abducted by someone? Tell Me, [for] I am [now] always overwhelmed by sorrow.
1 Truthfulness is the basis of all pious activities, and untruthfulness is the basis of all impious activities. See Rāmayaṇa 2.109.11.
2 Śrī Madhvācārya has often explained in his writings that worship of the various demigods in the scriptures is actually meant to be worship of Lord Viṣṇu in the hearts of those demigods for He is the one who fulfills the desires of the worshippers of those demigods.
“Truthful and untruthful activities” refers to pious and sinful activities respectively because it is stated that [the sun] causes the universe to see and witnesses their activities (karma-sākṣī jagac-cakṣuḥ).1
GLOSS. Loka-kṛtākṛtajña indicates that [Lord Viṣṇu in the heart of Sūrya] is aware of [people’s] activities and lack of activities because He provides illumination externally. Lokasya satyānṛta-karma-sākṣin indicates that He internally witnesses the people’s activities of truth and untruth because He is the Original Person. It is thus implied that [Lord Rāma’s] statement to Sūrya is appropriate.2
NOTE. We come across Bharata Mahārāja worshipping the sun in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.7.13-14):
itthaṁ dhṛta-bhagavad-vrata aiṇeyājina-vāsasānusavanābhiṣekārdra-kapiśa-kuṭila-jaṭā-kalāpena ca virocamānaḥ sūryarcā bhagavantaṁ hiraṇmayaṁ puruṣam ujjihāne sūrya-maṇḍale ’bhyupatiṣṭhann etad u hovāca.
Mahārāja Bharata appeared very beautiful. He had a wealth of curly hair on his head, which was wet from bathing three times daily. He dressed in a deerskin. He worshiped Lord Nārāyaṇa, whose body was composed of golden effulgence and who resided within the sun. Mahārāja Bharata worshiped Lord Nārāyaṇa by chanting the hymns given in the Ṛg Veda, and he recited the following verse as the sun rose.
paro-rajaḥ savitur jāta-vedo
devasya bhargo manasedaṁ jajāna
suretasādaḥ punar āviśya caṣṭe
haṁsaṁ gṛdhrāṇaṁ nṛṣad-riṅgirām imaḥ
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated in pure goodness. He illuminates the entire universe and bestows all benedictions upon His devotees. The Lord has created this universe from His own spiritual potency. According to His desire, the Lord entered this universe as the Supersoul, and by virtue of His different potencies He is maintaining all living entities desiring material enjoyment. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Lord, who is the giver of intelligence.
From these two verses of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is clear that the ultimate presiding deity of the sun is Lord Nārāyaṇa, the Supersoul of Sūrya.