Sukta 18

Mantra 1

इदं ह नूनमेषां सुम्नं भिक्षेत मर्त्यः । आदित्यानामपूर्व्यं सवीमनि ॥

Now indeed let the mortal ask for this grace of theirs—of the Ādityas—unprecedented and ever-victorious in its moving power.

Mantra 2

अनर्वाणो ह्येषां पन्था आदित्यानाम् । अदब्धाः सन्ति पायवः सुगेवृधः ॥

For unerring is the path of these Ādityas; their guardianship is not to be overreached—protectors who increase the good going, the right passage.

Mantra 3

तत्सु नः सविता भगो वरुणो मित्रो अर्यमा । शर्म यच्छन्तु सप्रथो यदीमहे ॥

May Savitar, Bhaga, Varuṇa, Mitra, and Aryaman—wide in their extension—grant us the sheltering peace we seek.

Mantra 4

देवेभिर्देव्यदितेऽरिष्टभर्मन्ना गहि । स्मत्सूरिभिः पुरुप्रिये सुशर्मभिः ॥

O goddess Aditi, bearer of the unbroken safety, come here with the gods; with our seers and noble powers, O many-beloved, with protections of good peace.

Mantra 5

ते हि पुत्रासो अदितेर्विदुर्द्वेषांसि योतवे । अंहोश्चिदुरुचक्रयोऽनेहसः ॥

For the sons of Aditi know how to drive away hostilities; even from distress they are wide-wheeled, moving without constriction.

Mantra 6

अदितिर्नो दिवा पशुमदितिर्नक्तमद्वयाः । अदितिः पात्वंहसः सदावृधा ॥

May Aditi guard our being by day, may Aditi guard by night—she who is without duality. May Aditi, ever-increasing, protect us from distress and fault.

Mantra 7

उत स्या नो दिवा मतिरदितिरूत्या गमत् । सा शंताति मयस्करदप स्रिधः ॥

And may that Aditi, our day-thought, come with her help; may she make for us a peace-bestowal and create delight, casting away all failures and hurts.

Mantra 8

उत त्या दैव्या भिषजा शं नः करतो अश्विना । युयुयातामितो रपो अप स्रिधः ॥

And may those divine healers, the Aśvins, work peace for us; may they drive away from here the affliction and cast off the harms.

Mantra 9

शमग्निरग्निभिः करच्छं नस्तपतु सूर्यः । शं वातो वात्वरपा अप स्रिधः ॥

May Agni with the fires create peace; may the Sun warm us in peace. May the Wind blow peace, blowing away affliction; cast away the harms.

Mantra 10

अपामीवामप स्रिधमप सेधत दुर्मतिम् । आदित्यासो युयोतना नो अंहसः ॥

O Ādityas, push away from us the invading sickness, push away the hostile obstruction, and repel the crooked thought; separate us from anguish and the narrowing darkness.

Mantra 11

युयोता शरुमस्मदाँ आदित्यास उतामतिम् । ऋधग्द्वेषः कृणुत विश्ववेदसः ॥

O Ādityas, drive away the dart of hostile attack from us, and drive away the misguiding thought; make the hate that divides fall apart, O all-knowing powers.

Mantra 12

तत्सु नः शर्म यच्छतादित्या यन्मुमोचति । एनस्वन्तं चिदेनसः सुदानवः ॥

Grant us indeed that shelter, O Ādityas, which releases; even one burdened with fault you loosen from the fault, O givers of a right largesse.

Mantra 13

यो नः कश्चिद्रिरिक्षति रक्षस्त्वेन मर्त्यः । स्वैः ष एवै रिरिषीष्ट युर्जनः ॥

Whoever among mortals seeks to harm us with the nature of a Rākṣasa, by his own forces he alone shall be shattered; the crooked man turns his violence back upon himself.

Mantra 14

समित्तमघमश्नवद्दुःशंसं मर्त्यं रिपुम् । यो अस्मत्रा दुर्हणावाँ उप द्वयुः ॥

That evil overtakes the ill-speaking mortal enemy who comes here against us with a will to harm; the double-dealer approaching in hostility is seized by his own misfortune.

Mantra 15

पाकत्रा स्थन देवा हृत्सु जानीथ मर्त्यम् । उप द्वयुं चाद्वयुं च वसवः ॥

Be present in the hidden places, O gods; in the heart you discern the mortal. Come near both the double-minded and the undivided, O Vasus, and set the being in right order.

Mantra 16

आ शर्म पर्वतानामोतापां वृणीमहे । द्यावाक्षामारे अस्मद्रपस्कृतम् ॥

We choose the peace of the mountains and also the peace of the waters; O Heaven-and-Earth, keep far from us the fashioned affliction, the corrosive hurt.

Mantra 17

ते नो भद्रेण शर्मणा युष्माकं नावा वसवः । अति विश्वानि दुरिता पिपर्तन ॥

With your auspicious peace, O Vasus, ferry us in your boat beyond all difficult passages and inner misfortunes.

Mantra 18

तुचे तनाय तत्सु नो द्राघीय आयुर्जीवसे । आदित्यासः सुमहसः कृणोतन ॥

For the sake of offspring and continuance, make for us indeed a longer life for living, O Ādityas of great might—extend the span in which the soul can grow into the truth.

Mantra 19

यज्ञो हीळो वो अन्तर आदित्या अस्ति मृळत । युष्मे इद्वो अपि ष्मसि सजात्ये ॥

The yajña is your inner delight, O Ādityas—be gracious. For we belong to you; we are within your kinship and shared nature.

Mantra 20

बृहद्वरूथं मरुतां देवं त्रातारमश्विना । मित्रमीमहे वरुणं स्वस्तये ॥

We seek for our well-being Mitra and Varuṇa—those wide protectors; and we call the Aśvins, the saving powers, and the divine host of the Maruts, that the vast shelter (bṛhat) may stand around the soul.

Mantra 21

अनेहो मित्रार्यमन्नृवद्वरुण शंस्यम् । त्रिवरूथं मरुतो यन्त नश्छर्दिः ॥

O Mitra and Aryaman, and thou Varuṇa rich in the human strength—be to us worthy of the soul’s praise; O Maruts, come bringing a triple shelter, a covering of peace for us.

Mantra 22

ये चिद्धि मृत्युबन्धव आदित्या मनवः स्मसि । प्र सू न आयुर्जीवसे तिरेतन ॥

Even though we are bound to death, O Ādityas, we are the human seekers; therefore carry forward for us the life-force—lead our span of living across (the limiting darkness) so that we may truly live.