Sukta 17

Mantra 1

कृषिः। ३ पथ्यापङ्क्तिः, ७ विराट् पुर उष्णिक्, ८ निचृत्। सीरा॑ युञ्जन्ति क॒वयो॑ यु॒गा वि त॑न्वते॒ पृथ॑क्। धीरा॑ दे॒वेषु॑ सुम्न॒यौ

The skilful yoke the ploughs; the yokes they stretch forth, each apart. The steadfast, seeking favor, set their work in the gods.

Mantra 2

यु॒नक्त॒ सीरा॒ वि यु॒गा त॑नोत कृ॒ते योनौ॑ वपते॒ह बीज॑म्। वि॒राजः॒ श्नुष्टिः॒ सभ॑रा असन्नो॒ नेदी॑य॒ इत् सृ॒ण्यः प॒क्वमा य॑वन्

Let him yoke the ploughs; let him stretch the yokes abroad; in the prepared womb let him sow the seed here. Let Virāj’s increase, well-bearing, be ours; and may the sickles indeed come nearer with the ripened grain.

Mantra 3

लाङ्ग॑लं पवी॒रव॑त् सु॒शीमं॑ सोम॒सत्स॑रु । उदिद् व॑पतु॒ गामविं॑ प्र॒स्थाव॑द् रथ॒वाह॑नं॒ पीब॑रीं च प्रफ॒र्व्यऽम्

The plough, iron-pointed, well-compacted, Soma-speeded—let it indeed cast up, cow-winning; well-based, chariot-drawing; and make the soil swelling-rich and well-furrowed.

Mantra 4

इन्द्रः॒ सीतां॒ नि गृ॑ह्णातु॒ तां पू॒षाभि र॑क्षतु । सा नः॒ पय॑स्वती दुहा॒मुत्त॑रामुत्तरां॒ समा॑म्

Let Indra take firm hold of the Furrow; let Pūṣan guard her round about. May she, rich in milk-like sap, milk forth for us, year after year, an ever ampler yield.

Mantra 5

शु॒नं सु॑फा॒ला वि तु॑दन्तु॒ भूमिं॑ शु॒नं की॒नाशा॒ अनु॑ यन्तु वा॒हान्। शुना॑सीरा ह॒विषा॒ तोश॑माना सुपिप्प॒ला ओष॑धीः कर्तम॒स्मै

Auspiciously let the good ploughshares cleave and pierce the earth; auspiciously let the ploughmen follow on behind the teams. O Śunāsīrau, rejoicing in the oblation, make for this man plants richly fruited.

Mantra 6

शु॒नं वा॒हाः शु॒नं नरः॑ शु॒नं कृ॑षतु॒ लाङ्ग॑लम्। शु॒नं व॑र॒त्रा ब॑ध्य॒न्तां शु॒नमष्ट्रा॒मुदि॑ङ्गय

Auspicious be the teams, auspicious the men; auspiciously let the plough do its ploughing. Auspiciously let the traces be fastened; auspiciously ply thou the goad.

Mantra 7

शुना॑सीरे॒ह स्म॑ मे जुषेथाम्। यद् दि॒वि च॒क्रथुः॒ पय॒स्तेने॒मामुप॑ सिञ्चतम्

O Śunāsīrau, take pleasure here in mine offering. With the milk-like nourishment which ye fashioned in heaven, with that sprinkle ye this (field) upon us.

Mantra 8

सीते॒ वन्दा॑महे त्वा॒र्वाची॑ सुभगे भव । यथा॑ नः सु॒मना॒ असो॒ यथा॑ नः सुफ॒ला भुवः॑

O Sītā, we reverence thee: turn hitherward; be thou of happy portion. So mayest thou be kindly-minded toward us; so mayest thou become for us of goodly fruit.

Mantra 9

घृ॒तेन॒ सीता॒ मधु॑ना॒ सम॑क्ता॒ विश्वै॑र्दे॒वैरनु॑मता म॒रुद्भिः॑ । सा नः॑ सीते॒ पय॑सा॒भ्याव॑वृ॒त्स्वोर्ज॑स्वती घृ॒तव॒त् पिन्व॑माना

With ghee, O Sītā, with honey art thou anointed, approved by all the Gods, by the Maruts sanctioned. Turn thou to us, O Sītā, with milk encompass us—rich in sustaining strength, ghee-laden, swelling us with increase.