Sukta 123

Mantra 1

पृथू रथो दक्षिणाया अयोज्यैनं देवासो अमृतासो अस्थुः । कृष्णादुदस्थादर्या विहायाश्चिकित्सन्ती मानुषाय क्षयाय ॥

Wide is the chariot of the divine Dakṣiṇā; the immortal gods have mounted it. From the blackness she rises upward—the noble one of far space—consciously discerning for the human dwelling-place.

Mantra 2

पूर्वा विश्वस्माद्भुवनादबोधि जयन्ती वाजं बृहती सनुत्री । उच्चा व्यख्यद्युवतिः पुनर्भूरोषा अगन्प्रथमा पूर्वहूतौ ॥

First she has awakened from the whole world of being, winning the plenitude of force, vast and ever-leading. High she reveals herself—the young one, ever renewed. Uṣas has come, the first, to the earlier-invoked call.

Mantra 3

यदद्य भागं विभजासि नृभ्य उषो देवि मर्त्यत्रा सुजाते । देवो नो अत्र सविता दमूना अनागसो वोचति सूर्याय ॥

When today you apportion the share to men, O Dawn, goddess well-born, here in the mortal field—then Savitṛ, the divine builder in us, declares us faultless for the Sun: fit to receive the higher light.

Mantra 4

गृहंगृहमहना यात्यच्छा दिवेदिवे अधि नामा दधाना । सिषासन्ती द्योतना शश्वदागादग्रमग्रमिद्भजते वसूनाम् ॥

From house to house the Dawn moves, day by day coming straight towards us, taking her name upon herself anew. Seeking to awaken and to illumine, she arrives ever again; step by step she apportions the treasures—each advance opening a new share of the riches of being.

Mantra 5

भगस्य स्वसा वरुणस्य जामिरुषः सूनृते प्रथमा जरस्व । पश्चा स दघ्या यो अघस्य धाता जयेम तं दक्षिणया रथेन ॥

O Dawn, true-worded, sister of Bhaga and kin of Varuṇa, shine forth first in the forefront. Then may we set in place and win that power which upholds us against harm; may we conquer it by the right-giving force, by the chariot of ordered offering.

Mantra 6

उदीरतां सूनृता उत्पुरंधीरुदग्नयः शुशुचानासो अस्थुः । स्पार्हा वसूनि तमसापगूळ्हाविष्कृण्वन्त्युषसो विभातीः ॥

Let the true inspirations rise; let the plenitudes of understanding rise; let the flaming fires stand up in their brightness. The Dawn-illuminations make manifest the desirable treasures that were hidden by darkness.

Mantra 7

अपान्यदेत्यभ्यन्यदेति विषुरूपे अहनी सं चरेते । परिक्षितोस्तमो अन्या गुहाकरद्यौदुषाः शोशुचता रथेन ॥

One departs and another comes on; the two, unlike in form, move together in their interchange. One makes darkness a secret cave; Dawn has shone out with her blazing chariot—revealing the passage from concealment to manifestation.

Mantra 8

सदृशीरद्य सदृशीरिदु श्वो दीर्घं सचन्ते वरुणस्य धाम । अनवद्यास्त्रिंशतं योजनान्येकैका क्रतुं परि यन्ति सद्यः ॥

Alike today, alike again tomorrow, they pursue the far-reaching domain of Varuṇa. Faultless, each by herself, they traverse at once the thirty measures of the journey, circling the working of the will—so the days are fulfilled in the law of the Vast.

Mantra 9

जानत्यह्नः प्रथमस्य नाम शुक्रा कृष्णादजनिष्ट श्वितीची । ऋतस्य योषा न मिनाति धामाहरहर्निष्कृतमाचरन्ती ॥

Knowing the first name of the Day, the bright one is born out of the black and becomes white-shining. The maiden of Ṛta does not diminish her domain; day after day she moves according to the ordained release—faithfully repeating the act of emergence into truth.

Mantra 10

कन्येव तन्वा शाशदानाँ एषि देवि देवमियक्षमाणम् । संस्मयमाना युवतिः पुरस्तादाविर्वक्षांसि कृणुषे विभाती ॥

Like a maiden revealing her beauty in her body, O Goddess, you go towards the god who seeks the offering. Smiling, youthful, in the front of things, you make your bosoms manifest as you shine—unveiling the hidden splendours of the being to the seeing soul.

Mantra 11

सुसंकाशा मातृमृष्टेव योषाविस्तन्वं कृणुषे दृशे कम् । भद्रा त्वमुषो वितरं व्युच्छ न तत्ते अन्या उषसो नशन्त ॥

Fair in radiance, like a woman well-adorned by her mother, you make your form manifest for the seeing. Auspicious Dawn, shine out more widely; none of the other dawns can take away that which is yours—your unique gift of revelation.

Mantra 12

अश्वावतीर्गोमतीर्विश्ववारा यतमाना रश्मिभिः सूर्यस्य । परा च यन्ति पुनरा च यन्ति भद्रा नाम वहमाना उषासः ॥

Horse-rich, cow-rich, bearing all desirable boons, striving with the rays of the Sun, the Dawns go forth and return again. Carrying the name ‘Auspicious,’ they bring the powers of swift force and luminous knowledge back into our field.

Mantra 13

ऋतस्य रश्मिमनुयच्छमाना भद्रम्भद्रं क्रतुमस्मासु धेहि । उषो नो अद्य सुहवा व्युच्छास्मासु रायो मघवत्सु च स्युः ॥

Following the ray of Ṛta, set within us an ever more auspicious will of right working. O Dawn, today shine out for us, easy to invoke; may the plenitudes of being become in us—and in our powers of giving—firmly established.