Rig Veda Sukta 67
Mandala 6Sukta 6711 Mantras

Sukta 67

Sukta 6.67

Rishi

Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya (traditional for 6.67 Mitra-Varuṇa hymn)

Devata

Mitra-Varuṇa

Chandas

Triṣṭubh (standard for many 6th maṇḍala hymns; probable here)

يمدح هذا النشيد مِترا وفَرونا بوصفهما أسمى من يقيم ṛta (الحق/النظام الكوني)، إذ يجمعان الناس معًا «كالعِنان» ويصونان السيادة والزمان وثبات السماء والأرض. ويلتمس حمايتهما التي لا تخيب، وحكمًا منظمًا، وتقدّمًا ظافرًا للقوى المضيئة في صراع الحياة. وهو في مجمله صلاةٌ من أجل التماسك الاجتماعي، والحكم القويم، والاتساق الباطني مع الحق.

Recitation with translationRig Veda 6.67

Mantras

Mantra 1

विश्वेषां वः सतां ज्येष्ठतमा गीर्भिर्मित्रावरुणा वावृधध्यै । सं या रश्मेव यमतुर्यमिष्ठा द्वा जनाँ असमा बाहुभिः स्वैः ॥

يا مِترا وفارونا، يا أقدمَ من بين جميع أهلِ الصدق، بكلماتِنا المُلهَمة نبتغي أن نزيدكما نماءً ومجداً. أنتما الاثنان، لا نظيرَ لكما، تجمعان الشعوبَ وتضبطانها كأنما بلجامٍ، بذراعَيكما القويتين.

Mantra 2

इयं मद्वां प्र स्तृणीते मनीषोप प्रिया नमसा बर्हिरच्छ । यन्तं नो मित्रावरुणावधृष्टं छर्दिर्यद्वां वरूथ्यं सुदानू ॥

هذه بصيرتُنا المُلهَمة تبسطُ—بخشوعٍ—فِراشَ القُربانِ المحبوبَ لتدنوا. يا مِترا وفارونا، أقبِلا إلينا غيرَ مُعتدًى علينا؛ وليكن سترُكما الحامي، أيها السخِيّان، غطاءَنا وسلامَنا.

Mantra 3

आ यातं मित्रावरुणा सुशस्त्युप प्रिया नमसा हूयमाना । सं यावप्नःस्थो अपसेव जनाञ्छ्रुधीयतश्चिद्यतथो महित्वा ॥

أقبِلا، يا مِترا وفارونا، إلى الثناء الحسن، مُستدعَيَين بخشوعٍ إلى ما هو محبوب. أنتما القائمان في إتمام الأعمال؛ فاجمعا الشعوب كأنّما بفعلٍ نافذ، وتُصغيان حتى لمن يدعو من أسفل، بعظمتكما.

Mantra 4

अश्वा न या वाजिना पूतबन्धू ऋता यद्गर्भमदितिर्भरध्यै । प्र या महि महान्ता जायमाना घोरा मर्ताय रिपवे नि दीधः ॥

كفرسين سريعين أنتما—طاهرين في رباطكما—حين تحمل أديتي جنينَ ṛta لتُخرجه إلى الوجود. عظيمان واسعان في مولدكما؛ تصيران مُرعِبَين للميتِ العدوّ، وتُذِلّانه وتضغطانه إلى أسفل.

Mantra 5

विश्वे यद्वां मंहना मन्दमानाः क्षत्रं देवासो अदधुः सजोषाः । परि यद्भूथो रोदसी चिदुर्वी सन्ति स्पशो अदब्धासो अमूराः ॥

حينما أقام جميعُ الآلهة، وهم يطربون لعظمتكما، سلطانَكما معًا، فحينئذٍ—وإن كنتما تُحيطان بالعالَمَين الواسعَين—فإنّ لكم رُصّادًا لا يُخدَعون ولا يَميلون، يحرسون النظام.

Mantra 6

ता हि क्षत्रं धारयेथे अनु द्यून्दृंहेथे सानुमुपमादिव द्योः । दृळ्हो नक्षत्र उत विश्वदेवो भूमिमातान्द्यां धासिनायोः ॥

أنتما تُقيمَان السلطانَ الملوكيَّ وتُشدِّدان الأيّام؛ وتُثبِّتان القِمّةَ كأنّها مِقياسُ السماء. والنجمُ الراسخُ و«فِشْفَدِيفا» (جميعُ الآلهة) يُقيمون الأرضَ والسماءَ بقوّةِ تثبيتِكما.

Mantra 7

ता विग्रं धैथे जठरं पृणध्या आ यत्सद्म सभृतयः पृणन्ति । न मृष्यन्ते युवतयोऽवाता वि यत्पयो विश्वजिन्वा भरन्ते ॥

أنتما تملآن الجوفَ الواسعَ امتلاءً، حين يملأ المجتمعونَ الدار. والفتياتُ الفتيّاتُ، غيرُ مجروحاتٍ بالريح، لا يَخِبنَ حين يأتينَ باللَّبنِ الذي يُغذّي الجميعَ ويُوزِّعنَه.

Mantra 8

ता जिह्वया सदमेदं सुमेधा आ यद्वां सत्यो अरतिॠते भूत् । तद्वां महित्वं घृतान्नावस्तु युवं दाशुषे वि चयिष्टमंहः ॥

بلسانِ القولِ الصادق، أيّها الحكيمان، نُقَدِّمُ هذا إليكما على الدوام—حين ينهضُ الاضطرابُ الكاذبُ منفصلاً عن ṛta. فلتكن عظمتُكما لنا غذاءً مُصفّى (ghṛta)؛ وأنتما، للواهِب، تُميِّزان وتُزيلان الضيقَ والكرب.

Mantra 9

प्र यद्वां मित्रावरुणा स्पूर्धन्प्रिया धाम युवधिता मिनन्ति । न ये देवास ओहसा न मर्ता अयज्ञसाचो अप्यो न पुत्राः ॥

حين تُحرَّك—يا مِترا وفارونا—مقاماتُ وعيِكما المحبوبةُ بسعيٍ نبيل، فلا أحد—لا الآلهةُ بقوّتها ولا البشرُ الفانون—يستطيع أن يُنقِصَها؛ لأن السائرين بلا يَجْنْيَا (القربان المقدّس) لا يبلغونكما، كأبناءٍ لا سبيلَ لهم إلى البيتِ الخفيّ.

Mantra 10

वि यद्वाचं कीस्तासो भरन्ते शंसन्ति के चिन्निविदो मनानाः । आद्वां ब्रवाम सत्यान्युक्था नकिर्देवेभिर्यतथो महित्वा ॥

حين يبسط المُنشدون الكلمة، ويُعلن بعضُهم—وهم واعون—صيغَ النِّفِد (nivid) الاستدعائية، عندئذٍ نخاطبكما بالأقوال الصادقة؛ فلا أحدَ من الآلهةِ يبلغ عظمتكما.

Mantra 11

अवोरित्था वां छर्दिषो अभिष्टौ युवोर्मित्रावरुणावस्कृधोयु । अनु यद्गावः स्फुरानृजिप्यं धृष्णुं यद्रणे वृषणं युनजन् ॥

هكذا ندعو إلى حمايتكما وملجئكما، يا مِترا وفارونا، يا من لا يَفتر عونُكما؛ حين تتبع أشعّةُ النور وتُسخِّر القوّةَ المستقيمةَ المسير، الجسورةَ الغالبة—في ميدانِ صراعِ الكينونة.

Inside Sukta 67

How it unfolds

  1. Where it opens

    The hymn opens by lauding Mitra and Varuṇa as the most eminent among the truthful and asks that praise increase their power, emphasizing their role in holding peoples together like a guiding rein.

  2. Development

    It expands their sovereignty: they uphold kṣatra, strengthen the days, and establish the firm measures of heaven, stabilizing earth and sky through their ordering power.

  3. Climax

    A vivid assertion of cosmic steadiness and divine support—star-like firmness and universal sustaining—presents them as the unshakable regulators of the world-order.

  4. Where it settles

    It concludes with a direct plea for shelter and unfailing protection, linking divine guidance with the forward yoking of luminous forces toward victory in life’s struggle.

The deity: Mitra-Varuṇa

  • In the VedaPaired Ādityas who rule by ṛta: Mitra embodies concord, contract, and harmonizing friendship, while Varuṇa embodies vastness, moral vigilance, and binding law. Together they are praised as “eldest among the truthful,” strong-armed rulers who gather peoples and steady the worlds.
  • Cosmic functionThey maintain cosmic and social order: safeguarding oaths, right relationships, kingship (kṣatra), the regularity of days, and the stability of heaven and earth.
  • Inner significanceMitra-Varuṇa represent the inner discipline of truthfulness and ethical clarity: Mitra as the power of harmonious relation and trustworthy speech; Varuṇa as conscience, self-restraint, and the binding force that corrects deviation from ṛta.

The seer

  • Bharadvāja BārhaspatyaBharadvāja (Āṅgirasa) gotra; Bārhaspatya branch (connected with Bṛhaspati) · One of the principal family-seers of the Rig Veda’s 6th Maṇḍala, celebrated for hymns that join precise ritual praise with a strong vision of ṛta, protection, and sovereign order.

Famous verses

saṃ yā raśmeva yamatūḥ ("who hold together like a rein")
Verse 6.67.1Programmatic statement of the hymn: Mitra–Varuṇa as foremost among the truthful, unexcelled rulers who bind communities together “as with a rein,” expressing their social and cosmic governance.Read verse 6.67.1 →
ता हि क्षत्रं धारयेथे अनु द्यून्दृंहेथे सानुमुपमादिव द्योः । दृळ्हो नक्षत्र उत विश्वदेवो भूमिमातान्द्यां धासिनायोः ॥
Verse 6.67.6Central cosmological claim: they uphold kṣatra and the regularity of days, and establish the firm structure of heaven and earth—an explicit articulation of their sustaining power.Read verse 6.67.6 →
chardiṣo abhiṣṭau ("for protection and shelter")
Verse 6.67.11Concluding prayer for protection and unfailing help, with an inner-psychological image of the rays of light yoking victorious force in the ‘battle’ of existence—linking ritual petition to lived struggle.Read verse 6.67.11 →

Attributes of the deity

  • Upholders of ṛta (cosmic/moral order)
  • Guardians of oaths, truth, and social cohesion
  • Sovereign protectors (kṣatra) and stabilizers of time (days)
  • All-seeing, vigilant, and unfailing in help
  • Bind and guide beings “like a rein” toward right action

Also by this seer

  • A large portion of Mandala 6 is attributed to the Bharadvāja family (Bharadvāja-gṛha).
  • Hymns to major deities such as Agni, Indra, the Aśvins, Pūṣan, and the Ādityas occur under this family’s attribution in Mandala 6.
  • Later Vedic and epic tradition associates Bharadvāja with Brahmanical learning and transmission of sacred lore (smṛti/itihāsa tradition), though this goes beyond the Rigvedic layer.

The rite, step by step

  • Ācamana and saṅkalpa (statement of intent): seeking alignment with ṛta and protection.
  • Agni kindling (agnipratiṣṭhā): establish the fire as witness to truth and vow.
  • Recitation/chanting of the sukta with attention to paired invocations (Mitra–Varuṇa).
  • Offerings into the fire during key praise-lines (e.g., on themes of kṣatra, ṛta, protection).
  • Silent contemplation: reaffirm truthful speech, right conduct, and harmony in relationships.
  • Concluding śānti/prārthanā: request shelter (chardiṣ) and unfailing aid.

Offerings

  • Ghee (ājya) into Agni
  • Soma libation where applicable (in soma context)
  • Simple oblations such as milk/curds or barley preparations (regional śrauta/smārta adaptations)

Frequently Asked Questions

They are paired Āditya deities who protect truth (ṛta). Mitra supports harmony and agreements, while Varuṇa safeguards moral law and restraint; together they govern and protect.

It means they guide and hold society together the way a rein controls and directs a horse—keeping people aligned with order, cooperation, and right conduct.

Protection and stable order: the hymn asks Mitra-Varuṇa to uphold right rule, keep life’s rhythms steady, and give shelter and unfailing help amid struggles.

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