Sukta 103

Mantra 1

संवत्सरं शशयाना ब्राह्मणा व्रतचारिणः । वाचं पर्जन्यजिन्वितां प्र मण्डूका अवादिषुः ॥

For a year they lay silent—brahmans, keepers of the vow; then, stirred by Parjanya, the frogs spoke forth the Word.

Mantra 2

दिव्या आपो अभि यदेनमायन्दृतिं न शुष्कं सरसी शयानम् । गवामह न मायुर्वत्सिनीनां मण्डूकानां वग्नुरत्रा समेति ॥

When the luminous Waters came upon him, lying like a dried skin in the lake-bed, then the cry of the frogs gathers here together—like the lowing of cows with calves—awakening the dormant life-forces into a common movement.

Mantra 3

यदीमेनाँ उशतो अभ्यवर्षीत्तृष्यावतः प्रावृष्यागतायाम् । अख्खलीकृत्या पितरं न पुत्रो अन्यो अन्यमुप वदन्तमेति ॥

When the rain poured upon these yearning ones at the coming of the monsoon, then—stammering into utterance—one goes to another speaking, as a son to a father: the re-born speech seeks its source and learns again its rhythms.

Mantra 4

अन्यो अन्यमनु गृभ्णात्येनोरपां प्रसर्गे यदमन्दिषाताम् । मण्डूको यदभिवृष्टः कनिष्कन्पृश्निः सम्पृङ्क्ते हरितेन वाचम् ॥

Each seizes on the other in the outflow of the Waters when they are exhilarated; and when the frog is rained upon, leaping again and again, the speckled one blends his voice with the tawny one—many tones joining into one awakened speech.

Mantra 5

यदेषामन्यो अन्यस्य वाचं शाक्तस्येव वदति शिक्षमाणः । सर्वं तदेषां समृधेव पर्व यत्सुवाचो वदथनाध्यप्सु ॥

When one repeats the other’s speech, learning it like a skilled reciter, that whole exchange becomes for them a joint ‘festival-step’ of increase—because, well-speaking, you utter upon the Waters: speech founded on the flow grows into plenitude.

Mantra 6

गोमायुरेको अजमायुरेकः पृश्निरेको हरित एक एषाम् । समानं नाम बिभ्रतो विरूपाः पुरुत्रा वाचं पिपिशुर्वदन्तः ॥

One has the ‘cow-cry’, one the ‘goat-cry’, one is speckled, one tawny; yet bearing one common name, though of many forms, they fashion speech in many ways while they speak—diverse energies expressing a single power.

Mantra 7

ब्राह्मणासो अतिरात्रे न सोमे सरो न पूर्णमभितो वदन्तः । संवत्सरस्य तदहः परि ष्ठ यन्मण्डूकाः प्रावृषीणं बभूव ॥

Like brahmins at the Atirātra, like a lake full, they speak all around; that day marks the turning of the year when the frogs become ‘of the rains’: the rite of Time opens again and speech returns into its circle.

Mantra 8

ब्राह्मणासः सोमिनो वाचमक्रत ब्रह्म कृण्वन्तः परिवत्सरीणम् । अध्वर्यवो घर्मिणः सिष्विदाना आविर्भवन्ति गुह्या न के चित् ॥

The Soma-bearers make speech; making brahman that belongs to the whole turning year. The Adhvaryus, heated with the inner fire and sweating with effort, become manifest—though hidden before from all: so the concealed powers emerge when the season of inspiration arrives.

Mantra 9

देवहितिं जुगुपुर्द्वादशस्य ऋतुं नरो न प्र मिनन्त्येते । संवत्सरे प्रावृष्यागतायां तप्ता घर्मा अश्नुवते विसर्गम् ॥

They guard the god-ordained arrangement; these do not violate the season of the twelvefold cycle. When, in the year, the monsoon has arrived, the heated forces attain release: the pent-up energies are let go in the right time.

Mantra 10

गोमायुरदादजमायुरदात्पृश्निरदाद्धरितो नो वसूनि । गवां मण्डूका ददतः शतानि सहस्रसावे प्र तिरन्त आयुः ॥

The ‘cow-voiced’ gave, the ‘goat-voiced’ gave, the speckled gave, the tawny gave us riches: the frogs, giving hundreds of rays of light, in the thousandfold pressing carry forward our life-force—extending the span of being.