Savitr

(“generator”) Epithet of Surya, the sun,
in his aspect as the progenitor and nourisher of all things. This particular name
appears in the Gayatri Mantra, a sacred
formula whose daily recitation is
required of all twice-born men.
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Savitr
Image of the sun god Savitr, more commonly
known as Surya, sculpted in Bengal during the
Pala dynasty.
According to the dharma literature, a
twice-born man was one born into the
brahmin, kshatriya, or vaishya communities, who was thus eligible for the
adolescent religious initiation known as
the “second birth.” See Surya.