Rig Veda Sukta 155
Mandala 1Sukta 1556 Mantras

Sukta 155

Sukta 1.155

Rishi

Dīrghatamas Aucathya (traditional for RV 1.155)

Devata

Viṣṇu

Chandas

Triṣṭubh

এই সূক্তত বিষ্ণুক বিশাল, অজেয় ৰক্ষক হিচাপে প্ৰশংসা কৰা হৈছে—যি প্ৰেৰিত চিন্তাক জাগ্ৰত কৰে আৰু পৰ্বতৰ শিখৰত দৃঢ়ভাৱে থিয় হৈ থাকে। তেওঁৰ বিশ্বব্যাপী “বিস্তৃত পদক্ষেপ” যিয়ে লোকসমূহক মাপে আৰু ধৰি ৰাখে—সেই মহিমাক যজ্ঞৰ ঋত-শৃঙ্খলা আৰু প্ৰতিযোগিতাত বিজয়ৰ সৈতে সংযোগ কৰি উদ্‌যাপন কৰা হৈছে। কবিয়ে বিষ্ণুক একে সময়তে বিশ্ব-মাপক আৰু সদা-যুৱ শক্তি হিচাপে চিত্ৰিত কৰিছে, যি উপাসকসকলক সহায় কৰিবলৈ আগবাঢ়ি আহে।

Recitation with translationRig Veda 1.155

Mantras

Mantra 1

प्र वः पान्तमन्धसो धियायते महे शूराय विष्णवे चार्चत । या सानुनि पर्वतानामदाभ्या महस्तस्थतुरर्वतेव साधुना ॥

হে জনসকল, আপোনালোকৰ স্তোত্ৰ আগবঢ়াওক—মহান বীৰ বিষ্ণুৰ বাবে—যি শুদ্ধ সোম-আনন্দত মত্ত আৰু ধী (চিন্তা) জাগ্ৰত কৰে। যি পৰ্বতৰ শিখৰত অজেয় ৰূপে স্থিত, মহত্ত্বে বিস্তৃত, আৰু সৎ অশ্বৰ দৰে দৃঢ়-সোজা।

Mantra 2

त्वेषमित्था समरणं शिमीवतोरिन्द्राविष्णू सुतपा वामुरुष्यति । या मर्त्याय प्रतिधीयमानमित्कृशानोरस्तुरसनामुरुष्यथः ॥

ইন্দ্ৰ-ৱিষ্ণু, তোমালোক দুজন তীব্ৰ বেগৱান শক্তিৰ যুদ্ধ সত্যই ভয়ংকৰ; সোমপায়ী (সুতপা) তোমালোকৰ বাবে নিৰাপদ পথ বহল কৰি দিয়ে। আৰু যেতিয়া মৰ্ত্যৰ বিপক্ষে বৈৰী বল স্থাপন হয়, তেতিয়া অগ্নিৰ দাহ আৰু আক্ৰমণৰ তীব্ৰ ধাৱনাৰ পৰা তোমালোক দুয়ো ৰক্ষা কৰি পাৰাপাৰৰ পথ বহল কৰাঁ।

Mantra 3

ता ईं वर्धन्ति मह्यस्य पौंस्यं नि मातरा नयति रेतसे भुजे । दधाति पुत्रोऽवरं परं पितुर्नाम तृतीयमधि रोचने दिवः ॥

এই দুয়োই তেওঁৰ মহৎ পুৰুষত্ব বৃদ্ধি কৰে; বীজ আৰু ভোগৰ বাবে দুয়ো মাতৃক তললৈ নিোৱা হয়। পুত্ৰে পিতাৰ নিম্ন আৰু উচ্চ নাম স্থাপন কৰে, আৰু তৃতীয় নাম স্বৰ্গৰ দীপ্ত ৰোচনাত স্থাপন কৰে।

Mantra 4

तत्तदिदस्य पौंस्यं गृणीमसीनस्य त्रातुरवृकस्य मीळ्हुषः । यः पार्थिवानि त्रिभिरिद्विगामभिरुरु क्रमिष्टोरुगायाय जीवसे ॥

সেই—সেই তেওঁৰ বীৰ্য-মহিমা আমি গাইছোঁ: বলৱান ৰক্ষক, ‘অৱৃক’ (ন-নাশক/ন-শ্বাপদ-গ্ৰস্ত), দানশীল। যিজনে তিন পদক্ষেপে পাৰ্থিৱ লোকসমূহ বিস্তৃতভাৱে মাপিলে—বিস্তৃত-গমনীয় জীৱনৰ বাবে, আৰু মহৎ স্তোত্ৰৰ বাবে।

Mantra 5

द्वे इदस्य क्रमणे स्वर्दृशोऽभिख्याय मर्त्यो भुरण्यति । तृतीयमस्य नकिरा दधर्षति वयश्चन पतयन्तः पतत्रिणः ॥

তেওঁৰ দুটা পদক্ষেপ মর্ত্যই চাব পাৰে—উজ্জ্বল স্বৰ্গৰ দৰ্শনৰ দিশে চাই; কিন্তু তেওঁৰ তৃতীয় পদক্ষেপ কাকেও নাপায়—উৰি যোৱা পাখীধাৰী পক্ষীসকলেও উৰণত নহয়।

Mantra 6

चतुर्भिः साकं नवतिं च नामभिश्चक्रं न वृत्तं व्यतीँरवीविपत् । बृहच्छरीरो विमिमान ऋक्वभिर्युवाकुमारः प्रत्येत्याहवम् ॥

চাৰি আৰু নব্বই নাম একেলগে লৈ তেওঁ বহু-স্পোকযুক্ত চক্ৰখন ঘূৰণীয়া বৃত্তৰ দৰে চলাই দিলে, তাৰ পথসমূহত আগবঢ়াই পঠিয়ালে। বৃহৎ-শৰীৰ, ঋষিসকলৰ ঋক্‌-স্তোত্ৰে মাপি, সদা-যুৱ, কেতিয়াও শিশু নহয়—যুদ্ধলৈ আগবাঢ়ি আহে।

Inside Sukta 155

How it unfolds

  1. Where it opens

    A call to bring forward praise for Viṣṇu—the heroic power ‘drunk with clarified delight’ who awakens thought and stands firm upon the mountain summits.

  2. Development

    Viṣṇu is unfolded as protector and benefactor, whose vastness is not merely physical but cosmic—his presence establishes secure spaces and supports life and worship.

  3. Climax

    The proclamation of his signature act: with three strides he measures the earthly worlds, revealing the principle of ‘wideness’ (uru) as divine order and life-support.

  4. Where it settles

    The hymn closes by portraying Viṣṇu as ever-young and vast-bodied, setting the cosmic wheel in motion and advancing to the battle—assuring the worshipper of dynamic protection and victorious order.

The deity: Viṣṇu

  • In the VedaIn the Ṛgveda, Viṣṇu is the wide-striding, luminous power who establishes the spaces of the worlds, moves with sovereign ease, and is praised as a steadfast protector and benefactor. He is invoked as mighty, “vast in being,” and intimately connected with the sacrifice’s expansive order.
  • Cosmic functionMeasurer and stabilizer of cosmic regions through the ‘three strides’; upholder of ṛta (cosmic order) and giver of secure space for life, worship, and victory.
  • Inner significanceThe awakening and expansion of consciousness—taking ‘wide strides’ beyond limitation—so the mind finds firm footing, clarity, and protective order amid conflict and change.

The seer

  • Dīrghatamas AucathyaAucathya (descendant of Ucathya; often associated with the Aṅgirasa-Bṛhaspatya seer milieu in later tradition) · A profound, riddle-speaking seer famed for symbolic and cosmological hymns, especially the enigmatic teachings on unity behind many forms (notably RV 1.164).

Famous verses

प्र वः पान्तमन्धसो धियायते महे शूराय विष्णवे चार्चत । या सानुनि पर्वतानामदाभ्या महस्तस्थतुरर्वतेव साधुना ॥
Verse 1.155.1Sets the hymn’s tone: Viṣṇu as heroic, Soma-delighted, thought-awakening, and immovably vast on the mountain heights—an image of stable transcendence.Read verse 1.155.1 →
tribhir id vigāmabhir uru kramiṣṭa
Verse 1.155.4States the central Viṣṇu doctrine in the Ṛgveda: the ‘three strides’ that widely measure the worlds, tying divine action to spacious life and the hymn’s own vast praise.Read verse 1.155.4 →
bṛhaccharīro yuvākumāraḥ
Verse 1.155.6A striking cosmic image: the many-named, ever-youthful Viṣṇu sets the wheel in motion and advances to contest—linking cosmic order, mantra-measure, and victory.Read verse 1.155.6 →

Attributes of the deity

  • Urukrama (wide-striding)
  • World-measurer (three strides)
  • Protector and benefactor
  • Unconquerable, steadfast on the heights
  • Vast-bodied, all-pervading presence
  • Ever-youthful power advancing to aid in struggle

Also by this seer

  • RV 1.140–1.164 (traditional attributions include several hymns in this range, with RV 1.164 most celebrated)
  • Riddle-style cosmological verses and imagery later echoed in Brāhmaṇa and Upaniṣadic interpretation

The rite, step by step

  • Prepare the altar/fire and seat the reciter; establish śānti and intention for protection and expansion of well-being.
  • Offer preliminary oblations (ghee) and, where applicable, Soma-related libations while beginning praise of Viṣṇu’s greatness.
  • Recite the hymn in Triṣṭubh cadence with emphasis on ‘uru/urukrama’ motifs, aligning the rite with cosmic measure and order.
  • Conclude with a closing oblation and a brief prayer for steadfastness, victory, and spacious life (uru jīvanam).

Offerings

  • Ghee (ājya)
  • Soma (where Soma-rite is performed)
  • Grain-cakes or simple food offerings (context-dependent)
  • Water libations (ācamana/pariṣecana in later practice)

Frequently Asked Questions

It praises Viṣṇu’s vast power—especially his famous ‘three strides’ by which he measures and secures the worlds—while asking for protection, stability, and a spacious life.

The mountain-summit imagery presents Viṣṇu as firm, unconquerable, and elevated above obstacles—symbolizing a stable cosmic support that the worshipper can rely on.

It is a Vedic way of saying Viṣṇu establishes the great spaces of existence—measuring out the world-regions so life, order, and the sacrifice can unfold securely.

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