Sukta 51

Mantra 1

उदु त्यच्चक्षुर्महि मित्रयोराँ एति प्रियं वरुणयोरदब्धम् । ऋतस्य शुचि दर्शतमनीकं रुक्मो न दिव उदिता व्यद्यौत् ॥

Up rises that great Eye, dear to Mitra and unbetrayable to Varuṇa; the pure and visible face of the Truth. Like a golden splendour it is lifted out of heaven and shines abroad—awakening in us the sight that discerns the law of things.

Mantra 2

वेद यस्त्रीणि विदथान्येषां देवानां जन्म सनुतरा च विप्रः । ऋजु मर्तेषु वृजिना च पश्यन्नभि चष्टे सूरो अर्य एवान् ॥

He is the illumined seer who knows their three assemblies and the birth of the gods and their ancient continuities. Seeing straight among mortals and also the crookedness, the Sun-like noble one looks upon all and makes the truth visible in our mixed human field.

Mantra 3

स्तुष उ वो मह ऋतस्य गोपानदितिं मित्रं वरुणं सुजातान् । अर्यमणं भगमदब्धधीतीनच्छा वोचे सधन्यः पावकान् ॥

I would utter to you the great guardians of the Truth: Aditi, Mitra, Varuṇa, well-born; Aryaman and Bhaga, whose thoughts are not deceived. To these purifying powers I speak straight, as one who seeks the true wealth of being.

Mantra 4

रिशादसः सत्पतीँरदब्धान्महो राज्ञः सुवसनस्य दातॄन् । यूनः सुक्षत्रान्क्षयतो दिवो नॄनादित्यान्याम्यदितिं दुवोयु ॥

I go to the Ādityas—consumers of harm, true lords, unbetrayable—givers of the wide-clothing King (the Vast). Youthful, of good sovereignty, dwelling in heaven as leaders among men, I approach Aditi desiring the gift of their grace and service.

Mantra 5

द्यौष्पितः पृथिवि मातरध्रुगग्ने भ्रातर्वसवो मृळता नः । विश्व आदित्या अदिते सजोषा अस्मभ्यं शर्म बहुलं वि यन्त ॥

Heaven our Father, Earth our Mother, unfailing; Agni our brother—O Vasus, be gracious to us. O all Ādityas, O Aditi, in one accord, extend for us a wide peace and shelter, a many-sided protection for the soul’s growth.

Mantra 6

मा नो वृकाय वृक्ये समस्मा अघायते रीरधता यजत्राः । यूयं हि ष्ठा रथ्यो नस्तनूनां यूयं दक्षस्य वचसो बभूव ॥

Do not hand us over to the wolf, to the wolfish one, to the one who wishes evil—O adorable powers; keep him far from us. For you are the charioteers of our bodies, you are the very mastery and the shaping word of our effective power (dakṣa).

Mantra 7

मा व एनो अन्यकृतं भुजेम मा तत्कर्म वसवो यच्चयध्वे । विश्वस्य हि क्षयथ विश्वदेवाः स्वयं रिपुस्तन्वं रीरिषीष्ट ॥

May we not have to bear the fault that another has done; nor that deed, O Vasus, which you have heaped up (as a consequence). For you, O All-gods, are the lords and sustainers of all: the hostile power itself would wound the embodied being—save us from that self-driven injury.

Mantra 8

नम इदुग्रं नम आ विवासे नमो दाधार पृथिवीमुत द्याम् । नमो देवेभ्यो नम ईश एषां कृतं चिदेनो नमसा विवासे ॥

Reverence indeed to the mighty Power; with reverence I approach and dwell near. Reverence upholds Earth and Heaven. Reverence to the Gods; reverence to the Lord of them: even the fault that has been done, with reverence I seek to set right by the act of adoration.

Mantra 9

ऋतस्य वो रथ्यः पूतदक्षानृतस्य पस्त्यसदो अदब्धान् । ताँ आ नमोभिरुरुचक्षसो नॄन्विश्वान्व आ नमे महो यजत्राः ॥

You are the charioteers of ṛta, with purified discernment; you sit in the home of ṛta, unbetrayable. Those wide-seeing heroic powers—all of you—I bow to with acts of reverence, O great and worthy of sacrifice.

Mantra 10

ते हि श्रेष्ठवर्चसस्त उ नस्तिरो विश्वानि दुरिता नयन्ति । सुक्षत्रासो वरुणो मित्रो अग्निॠतधीतयो वक्मराजसत्याः ॥

For they are of the most excellent splendor; they lead us beyond all the difficult passages. Strong in right sovereignty—Varuṇa, Mitra, Agni—thinkers of ṛta, kings of the inspired word, firm in truth.

Mantra 11

ते न इन्द्रः पृथिवी क्षाम वर्धन्पूषा भगो अदितिः पञ्च जनाः । सुशर्माणः स्ववसः सुनीथा भवन्तु नः सुत्रात्रासः सुगोपाः ॥

May Indra, Earth, the wide realm, Pūṣan, Bhaga, Aditi, and the five kindreds increase us. May they become for us good shelter, self-effective helpers, good leaders—strong protectors and good guardians.

Mantra 12

नू सद्मानं दिव्यं नंशि देवा भारद्वाजः सुमतिं याति होता । आसानेभिर्यजमानो मियेधैर्देवानां जन्म वसूयुर्ववन्द ॥

Now the gods attain their divine seat; Bharadvāja, the Hotṛ, goes toward the good mind. The sacrificer, with seated offerings and right measures, desiring plenitude, reverences the birth/origin of the gods.

Mantra 13

अप त्यं वृजिनं रिपुं स्तेनमग्ने दुराध्यम् । दविष्ठमस्य सत्पते कृधी सुगम् ॥

Cast away that crooked hostile force, the thief, O Agni, the hard-to-master affliction. O most bounteous master of the true, make for him a good passage.

Mantra 14

ग्रावाणः सोम नो हि कं सखित्वनाय वावशुः । जही न्यत्रिणं पणिं वृको हि षः ॥

O Soma, the pressing-stones have cried out for our companionship. Strike down the devouring Paṇi, the hostile Atriṇa—he is indeed a wolf-force.

Mantra 15

यूयं हि ष्ठा सुदानव इन्द्रज्येष्ठा अभिद्यवः । कर्ता नो अध्वन्ना सुगं गोपा अमा ॥

You indeed are givers of good gifts, with Indra as the foremost, powers that press toward the luminous. Make for us on the journey a good path—guardians here with us.

Mantra 16

अपि पन्थामगन्महि स्वस्तिगामनेहसम् । येन विश्वाः परि द्विषो वृणक्ति विन्दते वसु ॥

We have reached the path that goes to well-being, free from distress; by it one wards off all haters on every side and finds plenitude of being.