Sukta 113

Mantra 1

इदं श्रेष्ठं ज्योतिषां ज्योतिरागाच्चित्रः प्रकेतो अजनिष्ट विभ्वा । यथा प्रसूता सवितुः सवायँ एवा रात्र्युषसे योनिमारैक् ॥

This supreme Light of lights has come; the wondrous One, the clear-discerning, is born in her vastness. As one brought forth for Savitṛ’s impulsion, so Night has yielded the womb to Dawn.

Mantra 2

रुशद्वत्सा रुशती श्वेत्यागादारैगु कृष्णा सदनान्यस्याः । समानबन्धू अमृते अनूची द्यावा वर्णं चरत आमिनाने ॥

Radiant with her shining calves, radiant herself, the white-bright one has come; and the black has departed from her seats. The two immortal sisters, of one bond, moving in succession, traverse their color without injury.

Mantra 3

समानो अध्वा स्वस्रोरनन्तस्तमन्यान्या चरतो देवशिष्टे । न मेथेते न तस्थतुः सुमेके नक्तोषासा समनसा विरूपे ॥

One is the endless path of the two Sisters; yet each in her own way moves upon that same track, guided by the divine ordinance. They do not clash, they do not halt in one place: Night and Dawn, of one intent, move on—different in form, but joined in a single will.

Mantra 4

भास्वती नेत्री सूनृतानामचेति चित्रा वि दुरो न आवः । प्रार्प्या जगद्व्यु नो रायो अख्यदुषा अजीगर्भुवनानि विश्वा ॥

Radiant, a leader of the soul’s right utterances, she becomes manifest; wondrous, she has opened wide the doors for us. Touching and setting the world in motion, she has made visible for us the plenitudes of being: Dawn has stirred all the worlds into awakening.

Mantra 5

जिह्मश्ये चरितवे मघोन्याभोगय इष्टये राय उ त्वम् । दभ्रं पश्यद्भ्य उर्विया विचक्ष उषा अजीगर्भुवनानि विश्वा ॥

For the crooked and the straight alike to move rightly, O bounteous one, you bring the enjoyments and the sought-for plenitudes. To those who see little you give a wide vision: Dawn has stirred all the worlds into awakening.

Mantra 7

एषा दिवो दुहिता प्रत्यदर्शि व्युच्छन्ती युवतिः शुक्रवासाः । विश्वस्येशाना पार्थिवस्य वस्व उषो अद्येह सुभगे व्युच्छ ॥

Here is the Daughter of Heaven, seen facing us—dawning, a young maiden robed in radiance. Mistress of all earthly treasures, O Dawn, auspicious one, dawn here today for us in fullness.

Mantra 8

परायतीनामन्वेति पाथ आयतीनां प्रथमा शश्वतीनाम् । व्युच्छन्ती जीवमुदीरयन्त्युषा मृतं कं चन बोधयन्ती ॥

She follows the track of those who depart and goes first before those who come—everlasting in her succession. Dawning, she raises up the living being; she does not awaken any deadness at all, but calls the life-force to rise.

Mantra 9

उषो यदग्निं समिधे चकर्थ वि यदावश्चक्षसा सूर्यस्य । यन्मानुषान्यक्ष्यमाणाँ अजीगस्तद्देवेषु चकृषे भद्रमप्नः ॥

O Dawn, when you have made the Fire to be kindled, when you have opened out the seeing of the Sun, when you have stirred human beings who are preparing the offering—then you accomplish among the gods a happy work, a beneficent realization.

Mantra 10

कियात्या यत्समया भवाति या व्यूषुर्याश्च नूनं व्युच्छान् । अनु पूर्वाः कृपते वावशाना प्रदीध्याना जोषमन्याभिरेति ॥

How long is the measure of her season—of those that have dawned and of those that now are dawning? She yearns and moves in sympathy with the earlier ones; shining forth, she goes onward with the others, seeking the glad consent of the powers.

Mantra 11

ईयुष्टे ये पूर्वतरामपश्यन्व्युच्छन्तीमुषसं मर्त्यासः । अस्माभिरू नु प्रतिचक्ष्याभूदो ते यन्ति ये अपरीषु पश्यान् ॥

They have gone—those mortals who saw the earlier Dawn as she dawned forth. Now she has become visible to us in return; but those pass on who, even while seeing, remain in the farther distances.

Mantra 12

यावयद्द्वेषा ऋतपा ऋतेजाः सुम्नावरी सूनृता ईरयन्ती । सुमङ्गलीर्बिभ्रती देववीतिमिहाद्योषः श्रेष्ठतमा व्युच्छ ॥

Driving away hatred, a guardian of ṛta and born of ṛta, bringing the coverings of grace, she sets the true speech in motion. Bearing auspicious harmonies and the way of the gods, O Dawn most excellent, dawn here today.

Mantra 13

शश्वत्पुरोषा व्युवास देव्यथो अद्येदं व्यावो मघोनी । अथो व्युच्छादुत्तराँ अनु द्यूनजरामृता चरति स्वधाभिः ॥

From of old, Dawn the goddess has shone out; and today too, O bounteous one, you have unveiled this world. And when she has dawned, she moves on to the later days—unaging, deathless—by her own inherent power.

Mantra 14

व्यञ्जिभिर्दिव आतास्वद्यौदप कृष्णां निर्णिजं देव्यावः । प्रबोधयन्त्यरुणेभिरश्वैरोषा याति सुयुजा रथेन ॥

With her radiant adornments she shines forth from the dwelling-places of Heaven; the goddess has cast away the black covering. Awakening all with her ruddy horses, Uṣas comes, well-yoked, upon her chariot.

Mantra 15

आवहन्ती पोष्या वार्याणि चित्रं केतुं कृणुते चेकिताना । ईयुषीणामुपमा शश्वतीनां विभातीनां प्रथमोषा व्यश्वैत् ॥

Bringing the fosterings and the desirable plenitudes, she makes a wondrous banner of light, conscious and discerning. The first Uṣas has shone out, a constant exemplar for all the dawns that have come and will come, for all the shining ones.

Mantra 16

उदीर्ध्वं जीवो असुर्न आगादप प्रागात्तम आ ज्योतिरेति । आरैक्पन्थां यातवे सूर्यायागन्म यत्र प्रतिरन्त आयुः ॥

Upright has come our living breath; forward has gone away the darkness, and the Light comes. A path has been opened for the Sun to travel; we have reached the place where life is sustained and extended.

Mantra 17

स्यूमना वाच उदियर्ति वह्निः स्तवानो रेभ उषसो विभातीः । अद्या तदुच्छ गृणते मघोन्यस्मे आयुर्नि दिदीहि प्रजावत् ॥

With a fullness of inspired speech the flame of will rises upward, praising the shining Dawns with the chant. Today too, O bounteous one, shine forth for the singer; set firm in us a life that is rich with progeny of the soul.

Mantra 18

या गोमतीरुषसः सर्ववीरा व्युच्छन्ति दाशुषे मर्त्याय । वायोरिव सूनृतानामुदर्के ता अश्वदा अश्नवत्सोमसुत्वा ॥

Those Dawns that shine out, rich in rays and full of soul-forces, for the mortal who gives, like the wide utterances of Vāyu in their uplifted surge—may he, by the Soma-pressing, attain them, those that grant the energies of swift power.

Mantra 19

माता देवानामदितेरनीकं यज्ञस्य केतुर्बृहती वि भाहि । प्रशस्तिकृद्ब्रह्मणे नो व्युच्छा नो जने जनय विश्ववारे ॥

Mother of the gods, the face of Aditi, the banner of the sacrifice—O Vast One, shine out. Maker of the right praise for our sacred word, dawn forth for us; bring to birth in our people the plenitudes of all that is desirable.

Mantra 20

यच्चित्रमप्न उषसो वहन्तीजानाय शशमानाय भद्रम् । तन्नो मित्रो वरुणो मामहन्तामदितिः सिन्धुः पृथिवी उत द्यौः ॥

Whatever wondrous fulfilment the Dawns bring as a good for the worshipper who strives—may that Mitra and Varuṇa magnify for us; and Aditi, and the River of flowing being, and Earth, and Heaven.