Sukta 27

Mantra 1

असत्सु मे जरितः साभिवेगो यत्सुन्वते यजमानाय शिक्षम् । अनाशीर्दामहमस्मि प्रहन्ता सत्यध्वृतं वृजिनायन्तमाभुम् ॥

Among the untrue states, O singer, my onset is swift when I am taught for the sacrificer who presses. I am the smiter of the joyless giver; I strike the crooked-moving one who holds to a false law against the truth.

Mantra 2

यदीदहं युधये संनयान्यदेवयून्तन्वा शूशुजानान् । अमा ते तुम्रं वृषभं पचानि तीव्रं सुतं पञ्चदशं नि षिञ्चम् ॥

When I go forth to battle and bring the godless together—those who swell in the body’s pride—then at home for you I prepare the strong bull-force; the fierce pressed Soma I pour out, the full fifteenfold measure.

Mantra 3

नाहं तं वेद य इति ब्रवीत्यदेवयून्त्समरणे जघन्वान् । यदावाख्यत्समरणमृघावदादिद्ध मे वृषभा प्र ब्रुवन्ति ॥

I do not know that one who says ‘thus’—yet he has slain the godless in the battle. When he has clearly seen the clash like a charging onset, then indeed my bull-powers speak forth within me.

Mantra 4

यदज्ञातेषु वृजनेष्वासं विश्वे सतो मघवानो म आसन् । जिनामि वेत्क्षेम आ सन्तमाभुं प्र तं क्षिणां पर्वते पादगृह्य ॥

When I was in unknown and tangled passages of existence, all the powers that uphold plenitude stood with me. I conquer; I find the safe and settled state. Seizing the foot-hold, I press forward and wear down the obstructer even on the mountain of difficulty.

Mantra 5

न वा उ मां वृजने वारयन्ते न पर्वतासो यदहं मनस्ये । मम स्वनात्कृधुकर्णो भयात एवेदनु द्यून्किरणः समेजात् ॥

Neither the tangled ways nor the mountains can hold me back when I set the will within. At the sound that goes forth from me the hard-eared fear recoils; and the ray of light, following the days, gathers itself and moves in harmony.

Mantra 6

दर्शन्न्वत्र शृतपाँ अनिन्द्रान्बाहुक्षदः शरवे पत्यमानान् । घृषुं वा ये निनिदुः सखायमध्यू न्वेषु पवयो ववृत्युः ॥

Here one sees those who drink the cooked draught yet are without Indra—devourers with the arm, rushing to the arrow’s path. Or those who revile the companion-force: upon them the whetted edges turn and return.

Mantra 7

अभूर्वौक्षीर्व्यु आयुरानड्दर्षन्नु पूर्वो अपरो नु दर्षत् । द्वे पवस्ते परि तं न भूतो यो अस्य पारे रजसो विवेष ॥

Thou hast become; thou hast increased; thou hast spread out life and reached it. Now the former is seen, and now the later is seen. Two sharp edges encompass him—none becomes that one who has crossed beyond this mid-air and entered the farther shore.

Mantra 8

गावो यवं प्रयुता अर्यो अक्षन्ता अपश्यं सहगोपाश्चरन्तीः । हवा इदर्यो अभितः समायन्कियदासु स्वपतिश्छन्दयाते ॥

The cows—rays yoked to the grain of force—moved under the noble impulse; I saw them moving with their guardians. The call of the Arya gathered from every side: how far in them does the true lord of the self consent and delight?

Mantra 9

सं यद्वयं यवसादो जनानामहं यवाद उर्वज्रे अन्तः । अत्रा युक्तोऽवसातारमिच्छादथो अयुक्तं युनजद्ववन्वान् ॥

When we, feeders on the herbage among men, and I, eater of the grain, are gathered within the wide field of the thunder-force, then the yoked power seeks the bringer of help; and the power not yet yoked is harnessed by the one who wins.

Mantra 10

अत्रेदु मे मंससे सत्यमुक्तं द्विपाच्च यच्चतुष्पात्संसृजानि । स्त्रीभिर्यो अत्र वृषणं पृतन्यादयुद्धो अस्य वि भजानि वेदः ॥

Here indeed I hold in mind a truth that is spoken: I can set in right union the two-footed and the four-footed powers. But whoever here makes battle against the Bull with the women-forces, being himself without the true fight, I, knowing, apportion him out—separating and limiting his share.

Mantra 11

यस्यानक्षा दुहिता जात्वास कस्तां विद्वाँ अभि मन्याते अन्धाम् । कतरो मेनिं प्रति तं मुचाते य ईं वहाते य ईं वा वरेयात् ॥

Whose daughter is without a chariot, who indeed would a knower deem her blind? Which one releases the measure/bond against him—he who carries her, or he who would choose her?

Mantra 12

कियती योषा मर्यतो वधूयोः परिप्रीता पन्यसा वार्येण । भद्रा वधूर्भवति यत्सुपेशाः स्वयं सा मित्रं वनुते जने चित् ॥

How great is the woman-power for the youthful soul and the bride-state, when she is fulfilled by the admirable treasure. A bride becomes auspicious when she is of beautiful form; she herself wins the friend even among the people.

Mantra 13

पत्तो जगार प्रत्यञ्चमत्ति शीर्ष्णा शिरः प्रति दधौ वरूथम् । आसीन ऊर्ध्वामुपसि क्षिणाति न्यङ्ङुत्तानामन्वेति भूमिम् ॥

Fallen, he wakes; he eats what turns back upon him. With the head he sets the head as a defence. Sitting, he wears away what is above; turned downward, stretched out, he follows the earth. Thus the being moves in inversions until right orientation is found.

Mantra 14

बृहन्नच्छायो अपलाशो अर्वा तस्थौ माता विषितो अत्ति गर्भः । अन्यस्या वत्सं रिहती मिमाय कया भुवा नि दधे धेनुरूधः ॥

The Vast, the bright-hued, leafless Steed stands firm. The Mother—driven by the inner impulsion—feeds the growing embryo. Licking the calf of another, she lows: by what becoming of being does the Cow set down her udder?

Mantra 15

सप्त वीरासो अधरादुदायन्नष्टोत्तरात्तात्समजग्मिरन्ते । नव पश्चातात्स्थिविमन्त आयन्दश प्राक्सानु वि तिरन्त्यश्नः ॥

Seven heroic powers rose up from below; eight from the higher side came together at the end. Nine came from behind, strong in their mass; ten in front stretch out the ridge of the stone—opening a passage through the resisting hardness.

Mantra 16

दशानामेकं कपिलं समानं तं हिन्वन्ति क्रतवे पार्याय । गर्भं माता सुधितं वक्षणास्ववेनन्तं तुषयन्ती बिभर्ति ॥

Of the ten, one tawny power is the same in essence; they drive it onward for the will and for the crossing beyond. The Mother bears the well-set embryo in her breasts, delighting it, not wounding it—nourishing its growth into form.

Mantra 17

पीवानं मेषमपचन्त वीरा न्युप्ता अक्षा अनु दीव आसन् । द्वा धनुं बृहतीमप्स्वन्तः पवित्रवन्ता चरतः पुनन्ता ॥

The heroes cooked the well-fed ram; the dice were cast and followed the day’s course. Two great bows move within the waters, bearing the purifier; they go about cleansing—making the being fit for the truth.

Mantra 18

वि क्रोशनासो विष्वञ्च आयन्पचाति नेमो नहि पक्षदर्धः । अयं मे देवः सविता तदाह द्र्वन्न इद्वनवत्सर्पिरन्नः ॥

The loud-criers went out in all directions; the measure cooks, but the half does not ripen into a wing. This my god Savitṛ spoke: ‘He whose food is the wood wins; he whose food is the ghee wins’—for the right nourishment sustains the ascent.

Mantra 19

अपश्यं ग्रामं वहमानमारादचक्रया स्वधया वर्तमानम् । सिषक्त्यर्यः प्र युगा जनानां सद्यः शिश्ना प्रमिनानो नवीयान् ॥

I beheld from afar the moving host, going without wheels, moving by its own law of power. The noble one yokes forward the generations of men; at once, ever-new, he breaks the rigid virility of the old formations.

Mantra 20

एतौ मे गावौ प्रमरस्य युक्तौ मो षु प्र सेधीर्मुहुरिन्ममन्धि । आपश्चिदस्य वि नशन्त्यर्थं सूरश्च मर्क उपरो बभूवान् ॥

These two Cows of mine are yoked to the smiter; do not hinder them—again and again they intoxicate me with their force. Even the waters scatter his aim; and the Sun, the darkness, has become the upper cover—until the right victory is won.

Mantra 21

अयं यो वज्रः पुरुधा विवृत्तोऽवः सूर्यस्य बृहतः पुरीषात् । श्रव इदेना परो अन्यदस्ति तदव्यथी जरिमाणस्तरन्ति ॥

This thunderbolt, turned in many ways, is the help of the Sun from the Vast abundance. For by it there is a farther, another fame: the unshaken cross beyond the wearing down of time.

Mantra 22

वृक्षेवृक्षे नियता मीमयद्गौस्ततो वयः प्र पतान्पूरुषादः । अथेदं विश्वं भुवनं भयात इन्द्राय सुन्वदृषये च शिक्षत् ॥

From tree to tree the constrained Cow lowed; then the birds flew out—the man-devourer. And then this whole world of becoming fell into fear; it learned obedience to Indra, and to the pressing seer.

Mantra 23

देवानां माने प्रथमा अतिष्ठन्कृन्तत्रादेषामुपरा उदायन् । त्रयस्तपन्ति पृथिवीमनूपा द्वा बृबूकं वहतः पुरीषम् ॥

In the measure of the gods the first powers took their stand; from the cutting-through, their higher ones rose up. Three burn upon the wide earth and its waters; two bear the bṛbūka and the abundant substance—carrying forward the work of formation.

Mantra 24

सा ते जीवातुरुत तस्य विद्धि मा स्मैतादृगप गूहः समर्ये । आविः स्वः कृणुते गूहते बुसं स पादुरस्य निर्णिजो न मुच्यते ॥

That is your life-force; know also its secret. Do not hide away such a vision in the battle for the right fulfilment. He who makes the Sun-world manifest and yet conceals the husk—he, the guardian at the threshold, is not released from his covering-robe.