Rig Veda Sukta 28
Mandala 2Sukta 2811 Mantras

Sukta 28

Sukta 2.28

Rishi

Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)

Chandas

Triṣṭubh

RV 2.28 ist ein Triṣṭubh-Hymnus des Gṛtsamada an Varuṇa. Er preist ihn als den souveränen Āditya, der ṛta, die kosmische und sittliche Ordnung, aufrechterhält. Der Dichter erbittet Schutz, guten Ruf und Befreiung von Furcht und Verfehlung; Varuṇa möge Sünde und Leid lösen „wie ein Kalb vom Strick“ und den Verehrer auf dem gut geführten Pfad von Gedeihen und Wahrheit bewahren.

Recitation with translationRig Veda 2.28

In this hymn

Addressed to

  • VarunaVaruṇa (Āditya)

    Varuṇa is portrayed as the all-seeing king who encompasses the worlds, knows the paths of ṛta, and binds or releases beings through his noose (pāśa) according to truth and transgression.

  • AdityasMantra 3Ādityas (sons of Aditi)

Mantras

Mantra 1

इदं कवेरादित्यस्य स्वराजो विश्वानि सान्त्यभ्यस्तु मह्ना । अति यो मन्द्रो यजथाय देवः सुकीर्तिं भिक्षे वरुणस्य भूरेः ॥

Dies ist das Wort des Kavi des Āditya, des selbstherrschenden Königs: möge es durch seine Größe alle bestehenden Harmonien umfassen. Von Varuṇa, dem Überreichen, erbitte ich schönen Ruhm — rechte, innere Anerkennung —, damit der freudige Gott (alle Hindernisse) übersteige zum Opferwerk.

Mantra 2

तव व्रते सुभगासः स्याम स्वाध्यो वरुण तुष्टुवांसः । उपायन उषसां गोमतीनामग्नयो न जरमाणा अनु द्यून् ॥

In deinem Vrata, o Varuṇa, mögen wir begnadet sein, in eigener Svādhyā fest gegründet, dich preisend. Mögen wir den Uṣas, den strahlenreichen — den Kühen des Lichts — nahekommen; und wie unermüdliche Feuer mögen wir den Tagen folgen, ohne in der Seele zu altern.

Mantra 3

तव स्याम पुरुवीरस्य शर्मन्नुरुशंसस्य वरुण प्रणेतः । यूयं नः पुत्रा अदितेरदब्धा अभि क्षमध्वं युज्याय देवाः ॥

Mögen wir in deinem Schutz sein, o Varuṇa, Lenker des weithin Gepriesenen, des vielheldigen. Ihr untrüglichen Söhne der Aditi, ertragt uns und stützt uns zum rechten Joch, o Götter — damit die Kräfte im wahren Werk verbunden seien.

Mantra 4

प्र सीमादित्यो असृजद्विधर्ताँ ऋतं सिन्धवो वरुणस्य यन्ति । न श्राम्यन्ति न वि मुचन्त्येते वयो न पप्तू रघुया परिज्मन् ॥

Der Āditya, der Ordner, hat sie ausgesandt: die Ströme gehen in der Ṛta; sie wandeln auf Varuṇas Weg. Sie ermüden nicht, sie lassen ihren Lauf nicht locker; wie Vögel fliegen sie schnell in kreisender Bahn — dem Gesetz im eigenen Bewegen gehorsam.

Mantra 5

वि मच्छ्रथाय रशनामिवाग ऋध्याम ते वरुण खामृतस्य । मा तन्तुश्छेदि वयतो धियं मे मा मात्रा शार्यपसः पुर ऋतोः ॥

Löse von mir die Schuld wie einen Riemen; so mögen wir gedeihen in deinem weiten Raum der Wahrheit, o Varuṇa. Nicht werde der Faden meines webenden Denkens durchschnitten; nicht breche das Maß des Werkes, ehe die Ṛta erfüllt ist.

Mantra 6

अपो सु म्यक्ष वरुण भियसं मत्सम्राळृतावोऽनु मा गृभाय । दामेव वत्साद्वि मुमुग्ध्यंहो नहि त्वदारे निमिषश्चनेशे ॥

Vertreibe von mir die Furcht, o Varuṇa, du Herrscher; ergreife mich nicht auf der Spur der Ṛta. Wie man ein Kalb vom Strick löst, so löse von mir die Qual des Unrechts; denn ohne dich — auch nicht für einen Augenblick — hat der Leidende keine Macht über sich.

Mantra 7

मा नो वधैर्वरुण ये त इष्टावेनः कृण्वन्तमसुर भ्रीणन्ति । मा ज्योतिषः प्रवसथानि गन्म वि षू मृधः शिश्रथो जीवसे नः ॥

Schlage uns nicht mit tödlichen Strafen, o Varuṇa, wenn Menschen in deinem Dienst, o Asura, den Handelnden der Schuld bezichtigen. Laß uns nicht in ferne Wohnstätten gehen, fern vom Licht; löse gänzlich die feindlichen Mächte, damit wir leben.

Mantra 8

नमः पुरा ते वरुणोत नूनमुतापरं तुविजात ब्रवाम । त्वे हि कं पर्वते न श्रितान्यप्रच्युतानि दूळभ व्रतानि ॥

Ehrerbietung dir, o Varuṇa, von alters her und auch jetzt und wiederum künftig, o mächtig Geborener. Denn in dir, wie auf einem Berge, sind fest gegründet die unerschütterlichen, schwer zu verletzenden Satzungen (vratá), standhafte Fundamente.

Mantra 9

पर ऋणा सावीरध मत्कृतानि माहं राजन्नन्यकृतेन भोजम् । अव्युष्टा इन्नु भूयसीरुषास आ नो जीवान्वरुण तासु शाधि ॥

Wirf die Schuldenlast hinweg und dann die von mir begangenen Verfehlungen; o König, laß mich nicht für das leiden, was ein anderer getan hat. Laß die Morgenröten uns noch weniger vorenthalten sein; führe uns zum Leben, o Varuṇa — richte uns in jenen Erwachungen zu rechtem Vollzug.

Mantra 10

यो मे राजन्युज्यो वा सखा वा स्वप्ने भयं भीरवे मह्यमाह । स्तेनो वा यो दिप्सति नो वृको वा त्वं तस्माद्वरुण पाह्यस्मान् ॥

O König Varuṇa, sei es einer, der mir im Dienst verbunden ist, oder auch ein Freund, der im Traum meinem zagenden Wesen Furcht zuspricht; sei es ein Dieb, der nach unseren inneren Schätzen trachtet, oder eine wolfsartige Macht, die verschlingen will — davor, Varuṇa, behüte uns.

Mantra 11

माहं मघोनो वरुण प्रियस्य भूरिदाव्न आ विदं शूनमापेः । मा रायो राजन्त्सुयमादव स्थां बृहद्वदेम विदथे सुवीराः ॥

Möge ich, Varuṇa, nicht die liebe Nähe des freigebigen Spenders verlieren und in Leere und Mangel geraten. O König, lass mich nicht vom wohlgeleiteten Weg der Fülle abirren; mögen wir im Opferkreis das Große verkünden, reich an heldenhafter Kraft.

Inside Sukta 28

How it unfolds

  1. Where it opens

    The hymn opens with elevated praise: the seer’s word addresses the self-ruling Āditya, asking that the utterance encompass all harmonies and win “fair fame” through Varuṇa’s abundance (2.28.1).

  2. Development

    Petitions deepen into a personal, ethical register—Varuṇa is invoked as the sovereign of ṛta who must not seize the worshipper, but guide him; the poet acknowledges fear and the weight of wrong and asks for loosening and protection.

  3. Climax

    A vivid liberation image crystallizes the prayer: as a calf is released from its tether, so may Varuṇa release the worshipper from anguish and sin; without Varuṇa, even a moment offers no mastery over suffering (2.28.6).

  4. Where it settles

    The hymn resolves in a plea not to fall into want or lose Varuṇa’s dear, bounteous presence; it ends with aspiration to remain on the well-guided path of plenitude and to speak the Vast in the assembly with inner heroic strength (2.28.11).

The deity: Varuṇa

  • In the VedaHe is invoked as majestic, abundant, and capable of forgiving and loosening the bonds of sin when approached with sincerity.
  • Cosmic functionGuardian of ṛta: maintaining cosmic regularity, moral law, and the right course of waters, heavens, and human conduct; he judges disorder and restores harmony.
  • Inner significanceThe awakened conscience and inner sovereignty that perceives truth, inspires self-restraint, and grants liberation from fear, guilt, and compulsive error through alignment with ṛta.

The seer

  • Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)Bhṛgu/Bhārgava lineage (Gṛtsamada family) · A principal seer of Maṇḍala 2, renowned for hymns that combine lofty praise with intimate confession and prayer—especially to the Ādityas (Varuṇa, Mitra) and Agni—framing ṛta as both cosmic law and personal ethical discipline.

Famous verses

इदं कवेरादित्यस्य स्वराजो विश्वानि सान्त्यभ्यस्तु मह्ना । अति यो मन्द्रो यजथाय देवः सुकीर्तिं भिक्षे वरुणस्य भूरेः ॥
Verse 2.28.1Programmatic opening that frames the hymn as a seer’s utterance to the sovereign Āditya, seeking harmonizing power and “right renown” through Varuṇa’s greatness—setting the tone of praise plus moral aspiration.Read verse 2.28.1 →
dāmeva vatsād vi mumugdhy aṃhaḥ
Verse 2.28.6Central confessional-prayer verse: asks Varuṇa to drive away fear, not to seize the worshipper on the path of ṛta, and to loosen wrongdoing with the memorable calf-and-rope simile—an iconic Varuṇa motif of binding/release.Read verse 2.28.6 →
bṛhad vadema vidathe suvīrāḥ
Verse 2.28.11Concluding aspiration: a plea against emptiness and deviation from the well-guided path of prosperity, ending with the ideal of speaking the Vast (bṛhat) in the assembly with strength—linking ethics, prosperity, and inspired speech.Read verse 2.28.11 →

Attributes of the deity

  • Samrāṭ (sovereign king)
  • All-seeing, discerning truth and falsehood
  • Upholder of ṛta (cosmic/moral order)
  • Binder and releaser (pāśa/noose motif)
  • Protector who dispels fear
  • Bounteous giver of fame, prosperity, and right guidance

Also by this seer

  • Major authorship within Rigveda Maṇḍala 2 (many sūktas attributed to the Gṛtsamada Bhārgavas)
  • Hymns to Agni establishing the sacrificial fire as priest and messenger (Maṇḍala 2 Agni corpus)
  • Hymns to the Ādityas (Varuṇa/Mitra) emphasizing truth, restraint, and protection

The rite, step by step

  • Prepare the altar and kindle Agni; establish calm and truth-intent (satya-saṅkalpa).
  • Recite the sukta as an invocation to Varuṇa, beginning with praise of his sovereignty and greatness.
  • Offer oblations while voicing confession/prayer for release from fear and wrongdoing (anṛta/ā́gas).
  • Conclude with petitions for prosperity, right guidance, and strong speech in the assembly (vidatha).

Offerings

  • Ghee (ājya) into Agni
  • Soma libation (where applicable)
  • Water libation/ācamana symbolism (Varuṇa’s domain)
  • Sacrificial cakes/oblations as per rite (puroḍāśa in formal settings)

Frequently Asked Questions

It asks Varuṇa to protect the worshipper, remove fear, loosen the bonds of wrongdoing, and keep one aligned with ṛta—the right order and truth.

The image expresses Varuṇa’s power to “unbind”: just as a calf is released from its tether, the devotee asks to be released from anguish, guilt, and the consequences of error.

Both. It is used in worship, but its language is strongly ethical and inward—Varuṇa is invoked as the all-seeing guardian of truth who corrects, forgives, and restores inner and outer harmony.

Ask anything about Sukta 28 of the Rig Veda

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