Sukta 56
Sukta 6.56
Bharadvāja
Pūṣan
Triṣṭubh (contextual; verify)
This short hymn to Pūṣan prays for guidance, protection, and integral well-being, emphasizing that the deity is not grasped by mere labels but by true recognition and lived relationship. It moves from defining Pūṣan beyond external description to requesting the successful fulfillment of the worshipper’s intent, ending with a clear benediction for safety and wholeness today and tomorrow.
Mantras
Mantra 1
य एनमादिदेशति करम्भादिति पूषणम् । न तेन देव आदिशे ॥
Whoever points him out as ‘Pūṣan from the karambha (offering)’, by that (mere naming) the god is not truly indicated; he is known by inner recognition, not by a label.
Mantra 2
उत घा स रथीतमः सख्या सत्पतिर्युजा । इन्द्रो वृत्राणि जिघ्नते ॥
And indeed he, the best of charioteers, the lord of the true home through comradeship and yoking—Indra strikes down the obstructing powers; thus he clears the path for our progress.
Mantra 3
उतादः परुषे गवि सूरश्चक्रं हिरण्ययम् । न्यैरयद्रथीतमः ॥
And also there, on the rugged cow (field), the Sun set the golden wheel in motion; the supreme charioteer drove it down into ordered movement—bringing luminous order into the hard substance.
Mantra 4
यदद्य त्वा पुरुष्टुत ब्रवाम दस्र मन्तुमः । तत्सु नो मन्म साधय ॥
What today we utter to you, O much-praised one, O wondrous and discerning power—make that intention of ours effective; accomplish our inner thought in right realization.
Mantra 5
इमं च नो गवेषणं सातये सीषधो गणम् । आरात्पूषन्नसि श्रुतः ॥
And this our seeking of the Rays (cows) for the winning—this band that presses forward—hear from near, O Pūṣan; you are the one who is known to respond.
Mantra 6
आ ते स्वस्तिमीमह आरेअघामुपावसुम् । अद्या च सर्वतातये श्वश्च सर्वतातये ॥
We seek from you well-being—keeping evil far away and bringing near the true wealth; for wholeness today and for wholeness tomorrow.
Inside Sukta 56
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
Pūṣan is invoked in a way that cautions against reducing the god to an external tag—true indication is through recognition and relation, not mere naming.
- Development
The hymn turns to direct petition: Pūṣan is asked to hear the praise and to make the worshipper’s intention effective, aligning thought and outcome.
- Climax
The central request that the spoken prayer and inner resolve (manman) be ‘accomplished’—a fusion of word, will, and divine guidance.
- Where it settles
A clear closing blessing: well-being, evil kept far away, wealth brought near, and complete wholeness for today and for tomorrow.
The deity: Pūṣan
- In the VedaPūṣan is praised as the nourisher and protector, a benevolent guide of paths who brings prosperity, guards travelers, and helps the worshipper find what is lost or sought. He is intimately connected with right movement, safe passage, and the successful reaching of one’s goal.
- Cosmic functionTo oversee pathways and transitions—journeys, exchanges, and the ‘finding’ of goods, cattle, and welfare—ensuring safe conveyance and the right arrival of beings and blessings.
- Inner significanceThe inner guide that aligns intention (manman) with right action and outcome: discernment that keeps harm at a distance, gathers scattered energies, and leads the mind toward wholeness (sarvatāti).
The seer
- BharadvājaBharadvāja-gotra (Āṅgirasa lineage) · A foremost seer of the Rig Veda’s sixth maṇḍala, celebrated for practical, prayerful hymns that join ritual precision with ethical and inner aspiration.
Famous verses
य एनमादिदेशति करम्भादिति पूषणम् । न तेन देव आदिशे ॥यदद्य त्वा पुरुष्टुत ब्रवाम दस्र मन्तुमः । तत्सु नो मन्म साधय ॥adya ca sarvatātaye śvaś ca sarvatātaye
Attributes of the deity
- Path-finder and guide (leader on roads)
- Nourisher and increaser of prosperity
- Protector who wards off evil and misfortune
- Helper in recovery and right attainment
- Benevolent, near-to-humans deity of practical welfare
Also by this seer
- Large portions of Rig Veda Maṇḍala 6 (Bharadvāja family hymns)
- Hymns to Agni, Indra, the Maruts, and allied deities within the Bharadvāja corpus
- Later tradition associates Bharadvāja with a major ṛṣi-lineage influential in Vedic learning and transmission
The rite, step by step
- Prepare the domestic fire or a clean ritual space; establish calm intention (saṅkalpa).
- Offer a simple oblation while invoking Pūṣan as guide and protector of paths.
- Recite the hymn (or selected key verses) with emphasis on warding off harm and inviting well-being.
- State the specific aim: safe passage, success of work, recovery of what is lost, or general welfare.
- Conclude with a benediction for ‘today and tomorrow’ and a quiet moment of inner recognition (not mere naming).
Offerings
- Karambha (barley/meal mixture; a Pūṣan-associated offering)
- Ghee in the fire (if maintaining agni)
- Simple food offering or grains (where fire-rite is not performed)
- Water for auspiciousness and purification
Frequently Asked Questions
Pūṣan is the Vedic guide and nourisher who protects travelers, helps one reach the right goal, and brings practical welfare—safety, prosperity, and right attainment.
It suggests that merely calling the god by a label does not truly reveal him; real knowing comes through inner recognition, devotion, and lived connection.
It asks for continuous well-being—protection from harm, nearness of true wealth, and complete welfare that extends beyond the present moment into the next day.
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