Sukta 22

Mantra 1

प्रातर्युजा वि बोधयाश्विनावेह गच्छताम् । अस्य सोमस्य पीतये ॥

Awaken the two dawn-yoked powers; O Aśvins, come here for the drinking of this Soma—so the first light in us may become swift and effective.

Mantra 2

या सुरथा रथीतमोभा देवा दिविस्पृशा । अश्विना ता हवामहे ॥

You two who are of the finest chariot, the best of charioteers—two gods who touch the heaven with your reach—O Aśvins, those two we invoke, that our journey may be carried swiftly toward the higher light.

Mantra 3

या वां कशा मधुमत्यश्विना सूनृतावती । तया यज्ञं मिमिक्षतम् ॥

That rein of yours, O Aśvins—honeyed with delight and bearing the power of true speech—by it strengthen and blend our sacrifice into a single growing act of offering.

Mantra 4

नहि वामस्ति दूरके यत्रा रथेन गच्छथः । अश्विना सोमिनो गृहम् ॥

For you there is no ‘far away’: wherever you travel by your chariot, O Aśvins, you arrive at the home of the Soma-offerer—into the prepared inner dwelling of aspiration.

Mantra 5

हिरण्यपाणिमूतये सवितारमुप ह्वये । स चेत्ता देवता पदम् ॥

For help I call near Savitṛ, the Golden-handed: he is the conscious knower who sets the divine step—he establishes in us the right station of the Godhead.

Mantra 6

अपां नपातमवसे सवितारमुप स्तुहि । तस्य व्रतान्युश्मसि ॥

Praise near for our help Savitṛ, the Child of the Waters: we yearn for his laws of working—his ordered ways that shape our growth in truth.

Mantra 7

विभक्तारं हवामहे वसोश्चित्रस्य राधसः । सवितारं नृचक्षसम् ॥

We call Savitṛ, the Distributor of the rich and variegated plenitudes; the Seer of men—who looks into our nature and apportions the right share of force for the journey.

Mantra 8

सखाय आ नि षीदत सविता स्तोम्यो नु नः । दाता राधांसि शुम्भति ॥

O companions, sit down here: Savitṛ is now to be hymned by us. The Giver arranges and adorns the bounties—he sets our gains in a luminous order.

Mantra 9

अग्ने पत्नीरिहा वह देवानामुशतीरुप । त्वष्टारं सोमपीतये ॥

O Agni, bring here the Goddesses, the divine Consorts, eager to come near; and bring Tvaṣṭṛ for the drinking of Soma—so the formative power may shape our offering into a perfected form.

Mantra 10

आ ग्ना अग्न इहावसे होत्रां यविष्ठ भारतीम् । वरूत्रीं धिषणां वह ॥

Bring here, O Agni, for our help, the divine Women of the offering—Bhāratī the word-power, Varūtrī the wide protection, and Dhiṣaṇā the inspired intelligence—carry them into our work.

Mantra 11

अभि नो देवीरवसा महः शर्मणा नृपत्नीः । अच्छिन्नपत्राः सचन्ताम् ॥

May the Goddesses, the Queens of the soul’s lordship, encompass us with their help—by the great peace and shelter; may they, with unbroken leaves of force, cleave to us and accompany our progress.

Mantra 12

इहेन्द्राणीमुप ह्वये वरुणानीं स्वस्तये । अग्नायीं सोमपीतये ॥

Here I call near Indrāṇī, and Varuṇānī for well-being; and Agnāyī for the drinking of Soma—may these sovereign feminine powers secure our wholeness and open the delight within the offering.

Mantra 13

मही द्यौः पृथिवी च न इमं यज्ञं मिमिक्षताम् । पिपृतां नो भरीमभिः ॥

May the Vast Heaven and the broad Earth blend and increase for us this inner sacrifice; may they fill us with the powers that bear and sustain the offering within.

Mantra 14

तयोरिद्घृतवत्पयो विप्रा रिहन्ति धीतिभिः । गन्धर्वस्य ध्रुवे पदे ॥

Of those two (Heaven and Earth), the seers taste with their luminous thoughts the ghee-rich milk—at the Gandharva’s firm station where the delight is held steady.

Mantra 15

स्योना पृथिवि भवानृक्षरा निवेशनी । यच्छा नः शर्म सप्रथः ॥

O Earth, become for us blissful and uninjured in thy flow; O Power of dwelling, grant us a wide peace and shelter in the embodied life.

Mantra 16

अतो देवा अवन्तु नो यतो विष्णुर्विचक्रमे । पृथिव्याः सप्त धामभिः ॥

Therefore may the Gods protect us from that source where Vishnu strode out, establishing the seven domains of the Earth—those ordered habitations of the manifested being.

Mantra 17

इदं विष्णुर्वि चक्रमे त्रेधा नि दधे पदम् । समूळ्हमस्य पांसुरे ॥

This is Vishnu who has strode forth; in threefold fashion he has set down his step—one of his steps is hidden and packed in the dust, in the depths of the inconscient.

Mantra 18

त्रीणि पदा वि चक्रमे विष्णुर्गोपा अदाभ्यः । अतो धर्माणि धारयन् ॥

Three steps Vishnu strode forth—an unfailing guardian; from that act he holds up the laws and right workings of the worlds within us.

Mantra 19

विष्णोः कर्माणि पश्यत यतो व्रतानि पस्पशे । इन्द्रस्य युज्यः सखा ॥

Behold the works of Vishnu, from where he has looked upon and set in view the laws of action; he is the yoked companion of Indra—power allied with luminous force.

Mantra 20

तद्विष्णोः परमं पदं सदा पश्यन्ति सूरयः । दिवीव चक्षुराततम् ॥

That highest step of Vishnu the illumined seers behold always—like an eye stretched out in heaven: a constant seeing of the supreme station of consciousness.

Mantra 21

तद्विप्रासो विपन्यवो जागृवांसः समिन्धते । विष्णोर्यत्परमं पदम् ॥

That the seers—adoring, wakeful—kindle together: the flame of realization of Vishnu’s highest step, the supreme station they strive to make manifest within.