Sukta 54

Mantra 1

प्र शर्धाय मारुताय स्वभानव इमां वाचमनजा पर्वतच्युते । घर्मस्तुभे दिव आ पृष्ठयज्वने द्युम्नश्रवसे महि नृम्णमर्चत ॥

Forward to the Marut host, O self-radiant ones, drive this word—O mountain-born—towards the praiser of the Sun-heat. To the back-support of the sacrifice, to him of radiant fame, chant a great manly might: let the soul’s strength stand in the vast order.

Mantra 2

प्र वो मरुतस्तविषा उदन्यवो वयोवृधो अश्वयुजः परिज्रयः । सं विद्युता दधति वाशति त्रितः स्वरन्त्यापोऽवना परिज्रयः ॥

Forward for you, O Maruts—mighty, water-bringing, increasers of life, yoking the steeds, moving in encircling courses. They set the lightning together; Trita cries out; the waters resound from the depths, moving in their circling flow.

Mantra 3

विद्युन्महसो नरो अश्मदिद्यवो वातत्विषो मरुतः पर्वतच्युतः । अब्दया चिन्मुहुरा ह्रादुनीवृतः स्तनयदमा रभसा उदोजसः ॥

O Maruts, luminous heroes of the lightning’s vastness, stone-flashing, wind-ardent, who make the mountains slip from their fixedness—again and again, even by the waters, you come veiled in the rolling roar, thundering at close quarters, impetuous, surging upward in force.

Mantra 4

व्यक्तून्रुद्रा व्यहानि शिक्वसो व्यन्तरिक्षं वि रजांसि धूतयः । वि यदज्राँ अजथ नाव ईं यथा वि दुर्गाणि मरुतो नाह रिष्यथ ॥

You Rudras, skilled ones, you spread out the nights, you spread out the days; you shake apart the mid-world and the spaces. When you drive the unbroken plains as a boat drives through the waters, you pass through the difficult passages, O Maruts, without hurt or failure.

Mantra 5

तद्वीर्यं वो मरुतो महित्वनं दीर्घं ततान सूर्यो न योजनम् । एता न यामे अगृभीतशोचिषोऽनश्वदां यन्न्ययातना गिरिम् ॥

That is your hero-force, O Maruts—your vast greatness—that stretches far, like the Sun’s long-reaching course. Thus, with unfettered flame, you moved in your journey; and without horses you brought yourselves down upon the mountain—by sheer force of luminous will.

Mantra 6

अभ्राजि शर्धो मरुतो यदर्णसं मोषथा वृक्षं कपनेव वेधसः । अध स्मा नो अरमतिं सजोषसश्चक्षुरिव यन्तमनु नेषथा सुगम् ॥

Radiant is your host, O Maruts, when you strip away the flooding resistance, like a woodcutter felling a tree. Then, in harmony, lead our will of right effort—like sight guiding one who moves—along a good and open path.

Mantra 7

न स जीयते मरुतो न हन्यते न स्रेधति न व्यथते न रिष्यति । नास्य राय उप दस्यन्ति नोतय ऋषिं वा यं राजानं वा सुषूदथ ॥

He is not conquered, O Maruts, nor is he slain; he does not fail, he does not tremble, he is not harmed—he whom you wholly set to victory. For his plenitude is not diminished, nor do his helps desert him—whether he is a seer or a king whom you drive to perfect overcoming.

Mantra 8

नियुत्वन्तो ग्रामजितो यथा नरोऽर्यमणो न मरुतः कबन्धिनः । पिन्वन्त्युत्सं यदिनासो अस्वरन्व्युन्दन्ति पृथिवीं मध्वो अन्धसा ॥

Yoked in their ordered energies, winning the fields like conquering men, the Maruts—like Aryaman—move as binders of the bands. They swell the spring when the strong ones resound; they moisten and flood the earth with the honeyed essence of delight.

Mantra 9

प्रवत्वतीयं पृथिवी मरुद्भ्यः प्रवत्वती द्यौर्भवति प्रयद्भ्यः । प्रवत्वतीः पथ्या अन्तरिक्ष्याः प्रवत्वन्तः पर्वता जीरदानवः ॥

Sloping and yielding becomes this earth for the Maruts; sloping and yielding becomes heaven for those who advance. The mid-air paths turn sloping toward them; even the mountains, ancient-giving, become inclined—so the world itself leans into their forward movement.

Mantra 10

यन्मरुतः सभरसः स्वर्णरः सूर्य उदिते मदथा दिवो नरः । न वोऽश्वाः श्रथयन्ताह सिस्रतः सद्यो अस्याध्वनः पारमश्नुथ ॥

When you, O Maruts—impetuous, children of the luminous heaven—rejoice at the Sun’s rising, O strong ones of the heights, then your horses do not slacken as you speed: at once you reach the farther shore of the way.

Mantra 11

अंसेषु व ऋष्टयः पत्सु खादयो वक्षस्सु रुक्मा मरुतो रथे शुभः । अग्निभ्राजसो विद्युतो गभस्त्योः शिप्राः शीर्षसु वितता हिरण्ययीः ॥

On your shoulders are the spears; on your feet the biting powers; on your chests the shining golden discs, O Maruts, and on the chariot your splendors. Fire-bright are your lightnings in your hands; golden helmets are spread upon your heads—armed with radiance for the work of victory.

Mantra 12

तं नाकमर्यो अगृभीतशोचिषं रुशत्पिप्पलं मरुतो वि धूनुथ । समच्यन्त वृजनातित्विषन्त यत्स्वरन्ति घोषं विततमृतायवः ॥

That heavenward height, O Maruts, with its unseized flame and its shining leafage, you shake loose and set in motion. The hostile powers are dislodged and scatter when you blaze beyond measure, when you sound forth the wide-spread roar—seekers and movers of the Truth.

Mantra 13

युष्मादत्तस्य मरुतो विचेतसो रायः स्याम रथ्यो वयस्वतः । न यो युच्छति तिष्यो यथा दिवोऽस्मे रारन्त मरुतः सहस्रिणम् ॥

O Maruts, luminous in discernment, may we become possessors of the riches that are your gift—fit for the chariot of the journey and full of life-force. As the heavenly Tiṣya-star is not obscured, so may the thousandfold plenitude you set in motion resound and be established in us.

Mantra 14

यूयं रयिं मरुतः स्पार्हवीरं यूयमृषिमवथ सामविप्रम् । यूयमर्वन्तं भरताय वाजं यूयं धत्थ राजानं श्रुष्टिमन्तम् ॥

You, O Maruts, give the plenitude rich in heroic energies; you guard the seer whose inspiration is a chant of harmony. You set the swift steed and the victorious force for Bharata; you establish the king who is endowed with obedient hearing to the Truth.

Mantra 15

तद्वो यामि द्रविणं सद्यऊतयो येना स्वर्ण ततनाम नॄँरभि । इदं सु मे मरुतो हर्यता वचो यस्य तरेम तरसा शतं हिमाः ॥

That treasure I seek from you, O Maruts of swift help—by which, like a spreading light, we may extend ourselves over the human powers. Accept gladly this my word, O Maruts; by it may we cross with force a hundred winters of obscurity.