Sukta 55

Mantra 1

को वस्त्राता वसवः को वरूता द्यावाभूमी अदिते त्रासीथां नः । सहीयसो वरुण मित्र मर्तात्को वोऽध्वरे वरिवो धाति देवाः ॥

Who is your protector, O Vasus, who your true defense? O Heaven and Earth, O Aditi, do you guard us. From the overbearing mortal, O Varuṇa and Mitra, who among you gods establishes for us a wide freedom in the sacrifice?

Mantra 2

प्र ये धामानि पूर्व्याण्यर्चान्वि यदुच्छान्वियोतारो अमूराः । विधातारो वि ते दधुरजस्रा ऋतधीतयो रुरुचन्त दस्माः ॥

Forth they sang the ancient stations; when they rose, the clear-seeing separators opened out the ways. The ordainers set them in their distinct places—unceasing, thinking the ṛta, the wondrous ones shone forth.

Mantra 3

प्र पस्त्यामदितिं सिन्धुमर्कैः स्वस्तिमीळे सख्याय देवीम् । उभे यथा नो अहनी निपात उषासानक्ता करतामदब्धे ॥

With hymns I uplift Aditi in the home, and Sindhu; I adore the goddess for well-being and for comradeship—so that both our Days, at their descent, Dawn and Night, the unbetraying, may fashion for us the right state.

Mantra 4

व्यर्यमा वरुणश्चेति पन्थामिषस्पतिः सुवितं गातुमग्निः । इन्द्राविष्णू नृवदु षु स्तवाना शर्म नो यन्तममवद्वरूथम् ॥

May Aryaman and Varuṇa make clear the path; may Agni, lord of the offering-impulse, lead us to the good passage. Indra and Viṣṇu, praised with the strength of men, bring to us peace—an effective, protecting defense.

Mantra 5

आ पर्वतस्य मरुतामवांसि देवस्य त्रातुरव्रि भगस्य । पात्पतिर्जन्यादंहसो नो मित्रो मित्रियादुत न उरुष्येत् ॥

May the strong supports of Parvata—the upward-pressing foundation—and the helpful powers of the Maruts come to us; may Bhaga, the divine distributor, open out his guarded abundance for our rescue. May the Lord protect; may he beget us out of anguish. May Mitra make us grow in the harmony of friendship, and may he widen us into safety.

Mantra 6

नू रोदसी अहिना बुध्न्येन स्तुवीत देवी अप्येभिरिष्टैः । समुद्रं न संचरणे सनिष्यवो घर्मस्वरसो नद्यो अप व्रन् ॥

Now may the two Goddesses, Heaven-and-Earth, be praised with the desired offerings, with the deep-moving serpent-power from the foundation. Like rivers with the sound of heat and force, eager to win, they press forward in their course towards the ocean of being.

Mantra 7

देवैर्नो देव्यदितिर्नि पातु देवस्त्राता त्रायतामप्रयुच्छन् । नहि मित्रस्य वरुणस्य धासिमर्हामसि प्रमियं सान्वग्नेः ॥

May the Goddess Aditi protect us together with the Gods; may the divine Protector save us without failing. For we do not deserve to diminish the established ordinances of Mitra and Varuna, nor to fall from the firm summit of Agni’s flame of aspiration.

Mantra 8

अग्निरीशे वसव्यस्याग्निर्महः सौभगस्य । तान्यस्मभ्यं रासते ॥

Agni governs the riches that make us dwell in the true home; Agni governs the great felicity. Those powers of abundance may he give to us.

Mantra 9

उषो मघोन्या वह सूनृते वार्या पुरु । अस्मभ्यं वाजिनीवति ॥

O Dawn, rich in gifts, bring to us—O Power of luminous right speech—many desirable treasures; bring them to us, O she who is full of the plenitude of force.

Mantra 10

तत्सु नः सविता भगो वरुणो मित्रो अर्यमा । इन्द्रो नो राधसा गमत् ॥

May that divine working come to us: Savitar the impeller, Bhaga the distributor, Varuna the vast purity, Mitra the harmonizer, Aryaman the noble law; and may Indra come to us with the abundance of fulfilment.