noun
Personified, often honorific reference to the sun as a divine being or natural force that sees all. Used in expressions like お天道様が見ている (the sun/heaven is watching).
お天道様が見ているから、悪いことはできない。
I can't do bad things because the sun (heaven) is watching.
農家にとって、お天道様は一番の味方だ。
For farmers, the sun is their greatest ally.
お日様 is a more common, affectionate personification of the sun, often used by children or in casual speech. 天道様 carries a more solemn, divine nuance.
天道 (てんとう, 'heavenly way' or 'the sun') + honorific 様 (さま). The reading てんとう for 天道 is a Sino-Japanese reading. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term reflects a traditional view of the sun as a divine, watchful presence.