Sukta 47

Mantra 1

रात्रिः। आ रात्रि पार्थिवं रजः पितुरप्रायि धामभिः । दिवः सदांसि बृहती वि तिष्ठस आ त्वेषं वर्तते तमः

Night—come hither, O Night: over the earthly region thou hast advanced with thy stations. Great one, thou standest wide over the seats of heaven; unto thee the darkness turns on with impetuous speed.

Mantra 2

न यस्याः पारं ददृशे न योयुवद् विश्वमस्यां नि विशते यदेजति । अरिष्टासस्त उर्वि तमस्वति रात्रि पारमशीमहि भद्रे पारमशीमहि

Of her no man hath seen the farther shore; nor doth she hold back: into her entereth all that stirreth. Through thee, O Wide One, O Night of darkness, may we attain the farther side; O gracious One, may we attain the farther side.

Mantra 3

ये ते रात्रि नृचक्षसो द्रष्टारो नवतीर्नव । अशीतिः सन्त्यष्टा उतो ते सप्त सप्ततिः

They who are thine, O Night, the man-beholding watchers—nine-and-ninety; and there are eight-and-eighty; and thine, moreover, are seven-and-seventy.

Mantra 4

षष्टिश्च षट् च रेवति पञ्चाशत् पञ्च सुम्नयि । चत्वारश्चत्वारिंशच्च त्रयस्त्रिंशच्च वाजिनि

And sixty and six, O opulent One; fifty and five, O gracious One; and forty and four; and thirty and three, O prize-bestowing One.

Mantra 5

द्वौ च ते विंशतिश्च ते रात्र्येकादशावमाः । तेभिर्नो अद्य पायुभिर्नु पाहि दुहितर्दिवः

And two are thine, and twenty are thine, O Night; the last are eleven. With those protectors, even now, protect us to-day, O Daughter of Heaven.

Mantra 6

रक्षा माकिर्नो अधशंस ईशत मा नो दुःशंस ईशत । मा नो अद्य गवां स्तेनो मावीनां वृक ईशत

Protect: let no evil-speaker have mastery over us; let no ill-speaker have mastery over us. Let not to-day the thief have mastery over our cows, nor the wolf over our sheep.

Mantra 7

माश्वानां भद्रे तस्करो मा नृणां यातुधान्यः । परमेभिः पथिभिः स्तेनो धावतु तस्करः । परेण दत्वती रज्जुः परेणाघायुरर्षतु

Let not, O gracious Night, the thief come near our horses; let not the yātudhāna come near our men. By the farthest paths let the robber, the thief, run forth. Beyond, let the biting rope be; beyond, let the evil-liver pass away.

Mantra 8

अध रात्रि तृष्टधूममशीर्षाणमहिं कृणु । हनू वृकस्य जम्भयास्तेन तं द्रुपदे जहि

Then, O Night, make him a smoke-dark, headless serpent. With the wolf’s jaws, with the crushing bite—O thief—smite that man in the stocks.

Mantra 9

त्वयि रात्रि वसामसि स्वपिष्यामसि जागृहि। गोभ्यो नः शर्म यच्छाश्वेभ्यः पुरुषेभ्यः

In thee, O Night, we take our dwelling; we shall lie down to sleep—do thou keep watch. Grant us shelter for our cows, for our horses, for our men.