Sukta 10

Mantra 1

आत्मा। यद् गा॑य॒त्रे अधि॑ गाय॒त्रमाहि॑तं॒ त्रैष्टु॑भं वा॒ त्रैष्टु॑भान्नि॒रत॑क्षत । यद् वा॒ जग॒ज्जग॒त्याहि॑तं प॒दं य इत् तद् वि॒दुस्ते अ॑मृत॒त्वमा॑नशुः

The Self: what, upon the Gāyatrī, they have set as Gāyatra; or what Trāiṣṭubha they have hewn forth from Trāiṣṭubha; or what step, set in the Jagatī, (is) Jagat—those who indeed know that, they have attained immortality.

Mantra 2

गा॒य॒त्रेण॒ प्रति॑ मिमीते अ॒र्कम॒र्केण॒ साम॒ त्रैष्टु॑भेन वा॒कम्। वा॒केन॑ वा॒कं द्वि॒पदा॒ चतु॑ष्पदा॒क्षरे॑ण मिमते स॒प्त वाणीः॑

With Gāyatrī he measures out the hymn; with hymn, the Sāman; with Trāiṣṭubha, speech. With speech (he measures) speech: by the syllable they measure the seven voices, two-footed and four-footed.

Mantra 3

जग॑ता॒ सिन्धुं॑ दि॒व्यऽस्कभायद् रथंत॒रे सूर्यं॒ पर्य॑पश्यत्। गा॒य॒त्रस्य॑ स॒मिध॑स्ति॒स्र आ॑हु॒स्ततो॑ म॒ह्ना प्र रि॑रिचे महि॒त्वा

With Jagatī he propped the flood in heaven; in Rathantara he beheld the Sun all round. Three kindlings, they say, belong to the Gāyatra: thence, by greatness, it overflowed in majesty.

Mantra 4

उप॑ ह्वये सु॒दुघां॑ धे॒नुमे॒तां सु॒हस्तो॑ गो॒धुगु॒त दो॑हदेनाम्। श्रेष्ठं॑ स॒वं स॑वि॒ता सा॑विषन्नो॒ऽभीऽद्धो घ॒र्मस्तदु॒ षु प्र वो॑चत्

Hither I call this well-yielding milch-cow: let the deft-handed cow-milker draw her out. Savitṛ hath impelled for us the best impulsion; kindled up, the Gharma—this indeed hath he auspiciously proclaimed.

Mantra 5

हि॒ङ्कृ॒ण्व॒ती व॑सु॒पत्नी॒ वसू॑नां व॒त्समि॒च्छन्ती॒ मन॑सा॒भ्यागा॑त्। दु॒हाम॒श्विभ्यां॒ पयो॑ अ॒घ्न्येयं सा व॑र्धतां मह॒ते सौभ॑गाय

Lowing ‘hiṅ,’ the mistress of riches, seeking her calf with mind, hath come hither. Let this inviolable cow milk out milk for the Aśvins; let her increase unto great good fortune.

Mantra 6

गौर॑मीमेद॒भि व॒त्सं मि॒षन्तं॑ मू॒र्धानं॒ हिङ्ङ॑कृणो॒न्मात॒वा उ॑ । सृक्वा॑णं घ॒र्मम॒भि वा॑वशा॒ना मिमा॑ति मा॒युं पय॑ते॒ पयो॑भिः

The Cow lowed over the calf that stirred; with the hiṅ-cry she made (as it were) a motherly head. Licking him, yearning toward the warmth, she metes out the cry, and with her milks she gives him to drink.

Mantra 7

अ॒यं स शि॑ङ्क्ते॒ येन॒ गौर॒भिवृ॑ता॒ मिमा॑ति मा॒युं ध्व॒सना॒वधि॑ श्रि॒ता। सा चि॒त्तिभि॒र्नि हि च॒कार॒ मर्त्या॑न् वि॒द्युद् भव॑न्ती॒ प्रति॑ व॒व्रिमौ॑हत

This is that wherewith she sprinkles: the Cow, encompassing, dispenses her cry, settled upon the stall. She, with her devices, verily brought mortals under (her power); becoming lightning, she smote back the enclosing cover.

Mantra 8

अ॒नच्छ॑ये तु॒रगा॑तु जी॒वमेज॑द् ध्रु॒वं मध्य॒ आ प॒स्त्याऽनाम्। जी॒वो मृ॒तस्य॑ चरति स्व॒धाभि॒रम॑र्त्यो॒ मर्त्ये॑ना॒ सयो॑निः

In the undecaying (realm) the swift-going living (power) moves, firm, in the midst of the homesteads. The living one walks amid the dead by its own ordinances—immortal, yet of one origin with the mortal.

Mantra 9

वि॒धुं द॑द्रा॒णं स॑लि॒लस्य॑ पृ॒ष्ठे युवा॑नं॒ सन्तं॑ पलि॒तो ज॑गार । दे॒वस्य॑ पश्य॒ काव्यं॑ महि॒त्वाद्य म॒मार॒ स ह्यः समा॑न

The Vidhú, running on the back of the waters—young though being— the gray-haired one hath roused. Behold the god’s poetic craft by his greatness: today he hath died, who yesterday was the same.

Mantra 10

य ईं॑ च॒कार॒ न सो अ॒स्य वे॑द॒ य ईं॑ द॒दर्श॒ हिरु॒गिन्नु तस्मा॑त्। स मा॒तुर्योना॒ परि॑वीतो अ॒न्तर्ब॑हुप्र॒जा निरृ॑ति॒रा वि॑वेश

He who made it knoweth not of it; he who beheld it—lo, from him it slipped away. Enwrapped within the mother’s womb, that many-progenied (power)—Nirṛti hath entered into it.

Mantra 11

अप॑श्यं गो॒पाम॑नि॒पद्य॑मान॒मा च॒ परा॑ च प॒थिभि॒श्चर॑न्तम्। सस॒ध्रीचीः॒ स विषू॑ची॒र्वसा॑न॒ आ व॑रीवर्ति॒ भुव॑नेष्व॒न्तः

I beheld the Herdsman, never sinking down, who goeth on the paths both hitherward and far away. Wearing his straight-going and his cross-going courses, within the worlds he rolleth ever to and fro.

Mantra 12

द्यौर्नः॑ पि॒ता ज॑नि॒ता नाभि॒रत्र॒ बन्धु॑र्नो मा॒ता पृ॑थि॒वी म॒हीयम्। उ॒त्ता॒नयो॑श्च॒म्वो॒३र्योनि॑र॒न्तरत्रा॑ पि॒ता दु॑हि॒तुर्गर्भ॒माधा॑त्

Heaven is our Father, begetter, and here our navel; our kinsman: Earth, the mighty, is our Mother. Between the two outstretched bowls is the womb; there the Father hath deposited the embryo of the Daughter.

Mantra 13

पृ॒च्छामि॑ त्वा॒ पर॒मन्तं॑ पृथि॒व्याः पृ॒च्छामि॒ वृष्णो॒ अश्व॑स्य॒ रेतः॑ । पृ॒च्छामि॒ विश्व॑स्य॒ भुव॑नस्य॒ नाभिं॑ पृ॒च्छामि॑ वा॒चः प॑र॒मं व्योऽम

I ask thee of the uttermost end of Earth; I ask of the seed of the virile Horse. I ask of the navel of all this world of being; I ask of Speech’s highest firmament.

Mantra 14

इ॒यं वेदिः॒ परो॒ अन्तः॑ पृथि॒व्या अ॒यं सोमो॒ वृष्णो॒ अश्व॑स्य॒ रेतः॑ । अ॒यं य॒ज्ञो विश्व॑स्य॒ भुव॑नस्य॒ नाभि॑र्ब्र॒ह्मायं वा॒चः प॑र॒मं व्योऽम

This altar is the uttermost end of Earth; this Soma is the seed of the virile Horse. This sacrifice is the navel of all the world of being; this is the Brahman, Speech’s highest firmament.

Mantra 15

न वि जा॑नामि॒ यदि॑वे॒दमस्मि॑ नि॒ण्यः संन॑द्धो॒ मन॑सा चरामि । य॒दा माग॑न् प्रथम॒जा ऋ॒तस्यादिद् वा॒चो अ॑श्नुवे भा॒गम॒स्याः

I know not clearly whether I be even this: hidden, close-bound, I wander with the mind. When to me came the first-born of ṛta, then verily I attained a portion of this Speech.

Mantra 16

अपा॒ङ् प्राङे॑ति स्व॒धया॑ गृभी॒तोऽम॑र्त्यो॒ मर्त्ये॑ना॒ सयो॑निः । ता शश्व॑न्ता विषू॒चीना॑ वि॒यन्ता॒ न्य॑१न्यं चि॒क्युर्न नि चि॑क्युर॒न्यम्

Backward and forward he moveth, seized by Svadhā: the Immortal, by the mortal, of one common womb. Those twain, enduring ever, diverging and parting, have known the one the other; yet the other they have not known.

Mantra 17

स॒प्तार्ध॑ग॒र्भा भुव॑नस्य॒ रेतो॒ विष्णो॑स्तिष्ठन्ति प्र॒दिशा॒ विध॑र्मणि । ते धी॒तिभि॒र्मन॑सा॒ ते वि॑प॒श्चितः॑ परि॒भुवः॑ परि॑ भवन्ति वि॒श्वतः॑

Seven, half-embryoned, the seed of all existence, in Viṣṇu’s ordinance stand fast in the quarters. They, by insight and by mind, they the discerning, become encompassers, prevailing on every side.

Mantra 18

ऋ॒चो अ॒क्षरे॑ पर॒मे व्योऽम॒न् यस्मि॑न् दे॒वा अधि॒ विश्वे॑ निषे॒दुः । यस्तन्न वेद॒ किमृ॒चा क॑रिष्यति॒ य इत् तद् वि॒दुस्ते अ॒मी समा॑सते

The Ṛc-verses in the Imperishable, in the highest firmament, wherein all the Gods have taken seat. He who knoweth not That—what shall he accomplish with a verse? But they who verily know That, these are they who sit in concord.

Mantra 19

ऋ॒चः प॒दं मात्र॑या क॒ल्पय॑न्तोऽर्ध॒र्चेन॑ चाक्लृपु॒र्विश्व॒मेज॑त्। त्रि॒पाद् ब्रह्म॑ पुरु॒रूपं॒ वि त॑ष्ठे॒ तेन॑ जीवन्ति प्र॒दिश॒श्चत॑स्रः

The Ṛc-verses, shaping the word-step by measured rule, with half a stanza have ordered all that moveth. Three-footed Brahman, multiform, hath spread abroad: thereby the four quarters live.

Mantra 20

सू॒य॒व॒साद् भग॑वती॒ हि भू॒या अधा॑ व॒यं भग॑वन्तः स्याम । अ॒द्धि तृण॑मघ्न्ये विश्व॒दानीं॒ पिब॑ शु॒द्धमु॑द॒कमा॒चर॑न्ती

From goodly pasture, O Blessed One, do thou indeed increase; then may we be blessed with thee. Eat thou the grass, O Cow whom none may slay, all-giving; drink pure water as thou roamest.

Mantra 21

गौरिन्मि॑माय सलि॒लानि॒ तक्ष॒त्येक॑पदी द्वि॒पदी॒ सा चतु॑ष्पदी । अ॒ष्टाप॑दी॒ नव॑पदी बभू॒वुषी॑ स॒हस्रा॑क्षरा॒ भुव॑नस्य प॒ङ्क्तिस्तस्याः॑ समु॒द्रा अधि॒ वि क्ष॑रन्ति

The Bright One hath measured out the waters; she, the Artificer, doth fashion them: one-footed, two-footed, she—four-footed; eight-footed, nine-footed hath she become, a thousand-syllabled Paṅkti of the world. Upon her the oceans, spreading, pour themselves abroad.

Mantra 22

कृ॒ष्णं नि॒यानं॒ हर॑यः सुप॒र्णा अ॒पो वसा॑ना॒ दिव॒मुत्प॑तन्ति । तं आव॑वृत्र॒न्त्सद॑नादृ॒तस्यादिद् घृ॒तेन॑ पृथि॒वीं व्यूऽदुः

The tawny, fair-winged powers, robed in waters, spring aloft to heaven. That black restraint they overcame from the seat of Order; then verily with ghee they opened and anointed the Earth.

Mantra 23

अ॒पादे॑ति प्रथ॒मा प॒द्वती॑नां॒ कस्तद् वां॑ मित्रावरु॒णा चि॑केत । गर्भो॑ भा॒रं भ॑र॒त्या चि॑दस्या ऋ॒तं पिप॒र्त्यनृ॑तं नि पा॑ति

Forth comes the first among the footed forms: who, Mitra-Varuṇa, of you twain hath known that? The embryo bears the burden even of her; it maketh ṛta full, and it keepeth down unṛta.

Mantra 24

वि॒राड् वाग् विरा॑ट् पृ॑थि॒वी वि॒राड॒न्तरि॑क्षं वि॒राट् प्र॒जाप॑तिः । वि॒राण्मृ॒त्युः सा॒ध्याना॑मधिरा॒जो ब॑भूव॒ तस्य॑ भू॒तं भव्यं॒ वशे॒ स मे॑ भू॒तं भव्यं॒ वशे॑ कृणोतु

Virāj is Speech; Virāj is Earth; Virāj is Mid-air; Virāj is Prajāpati. From Virāj Death became the over-king of the Sādhyas: the Past and the Future are in his dominion—may he set for me the Past and the Future in dominion.

Mantra 25

श॒क॒मयं॑ धू॒ममा॒राद॑पश्यं विषू॒वता॑ प॒र ए॒नाव॑रेण । उ॒क्षाणं॒ पृश्नि॑मपचन्त वी॒रास्तानि॒ धर्मा॑णि प्रथ॒मान्या॑सन्

A smoke of dung-fuel from far away I beheld, at the turning-time, with the farther and the nearer side. A speckled bull the heroes cooked: those were the first-established ordinances.

Mantra 26

त्रयः॑ के॒शिन॑ ऋतु॒था वि च॑क्षते संवत्स॒रे व॑पत॒ एक॑ एषाम्। विश्व॑म॒न्यो अ॑भि॒चष्टे॒ शची॑भि॒र्ध्राजि॒रेक॑स्य ददृशे॒ न रू॒पम्

Three are the long-haired Powers who, season by season, are seen apart; within the year one of them sheareth (his hair). Another, with efficacious might, looketh forth upon the All; the flashing splendour of one is seen—yet not his form.

Mantra 27

च॒त्वारि॒ वाक् परि॑मिता प॒दानि॒ तानि॑ विदुर्ब्राह्म॒णा ये म॑नी॒षिणः॑ । गुहा॒ त्रीणि॒ निहि॑ता॒ नेङ्ग॑यन्ति तु॒रीयं॑ वा॒चो म॑नु॒ष्याऽवदन्ति

Four are the measured stations of Speech: these the Brahmans know, the wise in thought. Three, laid away in secrecy, stir not; the fourth of Speech is that which men do utter.

Mantra 28

इन्द्रं॑ मि॒त्रं वरु॑णम॒ग्निमा॑हु॒रथो॑ दि॒व्यः स सु॑प॒र्णो ग॒रुत्मा॑न्। ए॒कं सद् विप्रा॑ बहु॒धा व॑दन्त्य॒ग्निं य॒मं मा॑त॒रिश्वा॑नमाहुः

They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuṇa, Agni; and he is the heavenly fair-winged Garuṭmān. The Real is One: sages speak of it in many a fashion; they call it Agni, Yama, Mātariśvan.