Sukta 49

Mantra 1

स्तुषे जनं सुव्रतं नव्यसीभिर्गीर्भिर्मित्रावरुणा सुम्नयन्ता । त आ गमन्तु त इह श्रुवन्तु सुक्षत्रासो वरुणो मित्रो अग्निः ॥

I hymn the noble host of right-will with ever-new words—Mitra and Varuṇa who bring the happy grace. Let them come to us; let them hear here: the strong in sovereign power—Varuṇa, Mitra, and Agni.

Mantra 2

विशोविश ईड्यमध्वरेष्वदृप्तक्रतुमरतिं युवत्योः । दिवः शिशुं सहसः सूनुमग्निं यज्ञस्य केतुमरुषं यजध्यै ॥

Worship, O clans and clans, in the sacrifices, Agni the adorable—whose will is unbroken, the tireless traveller between the two young worlds. The child of Heaven, the son of Force, the red flame, the banner of the sacrifice—worship him for the offering.

Mantra 3

अरुषस्य दुहितरा विरूपे स्तृभिरन्या पिपिशे सूरो अन्या । मिथस्तुरा विचरन्ती पावके मन्म श्रुतं नक्षत ऋच्यमाने ॥

Two daughters of the Ruddy One, diverse in form: one is adorned with her bright trappings, the other is the Sun’s own. Moving in mutual impulse, they wander in the purifying flame; and the thought that is heard attains its goal as the hymn is being shaped.

Mantra 4

प्र वायुमच्छा बृहती मनीषा बृहद्रयिं विश्ववारं रथप्राम् । द्युतद्यामा नियुतः पत्यमानः कविः कविमियक्षसि प्रयज्यो ॥

Forward to Vāyu my vast thought goes, seeking the great plenitude, the all-desirable richness that fills the car. With shining courses, mastering his yoked energies, the seer calls the Seer for the offering, O thou worthy of worship.

Mantra 5

स मे वपुश्छदयदश्विनोर्यो रथो विरुक्मान्मनसा युजानः । येन नरा नासत्येषयध्यै वर्तिर्याथस्तनयाय त्मने च ॥

May that radiant form cover and protect me—the chariot of the Aśvins, bright with gold, yoked by the mind. By it, O Nāsatyas, O lords of man, may you come to speed our aspiration, for the child (our future) and for the self within.

Mantra 6

पर्जन्यवाता वृषभा पृथिव्याः पुरीषाणि जिन्वतमप्यानि । सत्यश्रुतः कवयो यस्य गीर्भिर्जगतः स्थातर्जगदा कृणुध्वम् ॥

O Parjanya and Vāta, bulls of the Earth, quicken the moist richnesses, the inner sap. O seers who hear the truth, by whose words the moving world and the stable world are set in order—make the world itself grow into its right becoming.

Mantra 7

पावीरवी कन्या चित्रायुः सरस्वती वीरपत्नी धियं धात् । ग्नाभिरच्छिद्रं शरणं सजोषा दुराधर्षं गृणते शर्म यंसत् ॥

May Sarasvatī—purifying in her flow, the young maiden of many-coloured life, the spouse of heroic powers—place within us the inspired thought. Together with the divine women, may she grant to the singer an unbroken refuge, hard to assail, a sheltering peace.

Mantra 8

पथस्पथः परिपतिं वचस्या कामेन कृतो अभ्यानळर्कम् । स नो रासच्छुरुधश्चन्द्राग्रा धियंधियं सीषधाति प्र पूषा ॥

On every path, may Pūṣan—the lord who goes around and guards the ways—impelled by the soul’s desire, bring near the hymn. May he give us the shining streams whose forefront is luminous, and may he set in motion thought after thought toward the forward march.

Mantra 9

प्रथमभाजं यशसं वयोधां सुपाणिं देवं सुगभस्तिमृभ्वम् । होता यक्षद्यजतं पस्त्यानामग्निस्त्वष्टारं सुहवं विभावा ॥

Agni, the luminous one, as Hotṛ, may sacrifice to Tvāṣṭṛ—the first sharer, the glorious, the establisher of the life-powers, the god with good hands and fair grasp—he who is perfectly to be invoked for the dwelling-places of our being.

Mantra 10

भुवनस्य पितरं गीर्भिराभी रुद्रं दिवा वर्धया रुद्रमक्तौ । बृहन्तमृष्वमजरं सुषुम्नमृधग्घुवेम कविनेषितासः ॥

With these utterances we strengthen Rudra, the Father of the worlds—by day and in the night. Him we call, the Vast and Lofty, the Unaging, the giver of a happy grace; we, impelled by the seer-mind, invoke him each in his own way.

Mantra 11

आ युवानः कवयो यज्ञियासो मरुतो गन्त गृणतो वरस्याम् । अचित्रं चिद्धि जिन्वथा वृधन्त इत्था नक्षन्तो नरो अङ्गिरस्वत् ॥

Come, O Maruts—young, seer-like, worthy of the offering—come to the excellent call of the singer. For you quicken even what is without light; you increase it, and thus you attain your goal, O heroic men, in the manner of the Angirases.

Mantra 12

प्र वीराय प्र तवसे तुरायाजा यूथेव पशुरक्षिरस्तम् । स पिस्पृशति तन्वि श्रुतस्य स्तृभिर्न नाकं वचनस्य विपः ॥

Forward for the hero, forward for the strong, forward for the swift—go, like a herd’s protector toward the home. He touches in his body the fullness of what is heard (the revealed word), as the inspired one reaches heaven by the firm steps of speech.

Mantra 13

यो रजांसि विममे पार्थिवानि त्रिश्चिद्विष्णुर्मनवे बाधिताय । तस्य ते शर्मन्नुपदद्यमाने राया मदेम तन्वा तना च ॥

He who measured out the earthly spaces—thrice, indeed, Vishnu—for Manu pressed by the adversary: in that your shelter, as it is being given to us, may we rejoice in the plenitude, in our embodied self and in our inmost being.

Mantra 14

तन्नोऽहिर्बुध्न्यो अद्भिरर्कैस्तत्पर्वतस्तत्सविता चनो धात् । तदोषधीभिरभि रातिषाचो भगः पुरंधिर्जिन्वतु प्र राये ॥

May the Serpent of the deep set that for us by the waters and by the hymns; may the Mountain set that; may Savitṛ also establish it for our delight. And with the healing plants, may Bhaga—together with Purandhi, the power of fulfilment—quicken us toward plenitude.

Mantra 15

नु नो रयिं रथ्यं चर्षणिप्रां पुरुवीरं मह ऋतस्य गोपाम् । क्षयं दाताजरं येन जनान्त्स्पृधो अदेवीरभि च क्रमाम विश आदेवीरभ्यश्नवाम ॥

Now give us the plenitude that moves like a chariot, that leads the peoples, rich in heroic powers—great, a guardian of the Truth. Give a dwelling secure and undecaying, by which we may stride beyond the hostile forces that are without the gods, and may reach the communities aligned with the gods.