Rig Veda Sukta 127
Mandala 10Sukta 1278 Mantras

Sukta 127

Sukta 10.127

Devata

Rātrī (Night)

Este himno alaba a Rātrī (la Noche) como un poder divino que se manifiesta con muchas luces, reúne todos los esplendores y asienta al mundo en quietud, seguridad y descanso. Se pide a la Noche que calme a los seres errantes y la inquietud interior, que proteja el hogar y que acepte el himno del poeta como ofrenda de un buscador por la paz, el bienestar y la buena fortuna.

Recitation with translationRig Veda 10.127

Mantras

Mantra 1

रात्री व्यख्यदायती पुरुत्रा देव्यक्षभिः । विश्वा अधि श्रियोऽधित ॥

La Noche se ha manifestado, avanzando desde muchos lados con sus luces divinas; se ha sentado por encima de todos los esplendores, reuniéndolos en su vasto y silencioso poder.

Mantra 2

ओर्वप्रा अमर्त्या निवतो देव्युद्वतः । ज्योतिषा बाधते तमः ॥

Amplia e inagotable, Diosa inmortal, viene desde lo bajo y desde lo alto; con su luz hace retroceder la oscuridad.

Mantra 3

निरु स्वसारमस्कृतोषसं देव्यायती । अपेदु हासते तमः ॥

Llegando como diosa, hizo desaparecer a su hermana Uṣas (la Aurora). Y la oscuridad, expulsada, se retira, como riendo, ante la medida que la Noche establece.

Mantra 4

सा नो अद्य यस्या वयं नि ते यामन्नविक्ष्महि । वृक्षे न वसतिं वयः ॥

Que ella — esta Noche — sea nuestra hoy, en cuyo recorrido nos asentamos; que entremos en su senda como las aves en un árbol, hallando en ella un descanso seguro.

Mantra 5

नि ग्रामासो अविक्षत नि पद्वन्तो नि पक्षिणः । नि श्येनासश्चिदर्थिनः ॥

Han reposado los poblados; han reposado los que caminan y los alados; incluso los halcones de vuelo veloz, en busca de presa, se retraen. Así se aquieten en nosotros todos los impulsos inquietos, ajustados al orden de la Noche.

Mantra 6

यावया वृक्यं वृकं यवय स्तेनमूर्म्ये । अथा नः सुतरा भव ॥

Ahuyenta a la loba de índole lobuna, ahuyenta al lobo; ahuyenta al ladrón, oh Noche en movimiento. Entonces sé para nosotros un cruce fácil, un paso seguro.

Mantra 7

उप मा पेपिशत्तमः कृष्णं व्यक्तमस्थित । उष ऋणेव यातय ॥

La oscuridad — negra, claramente delineada — se me ha acercado y se ha plantado. Oh Aurora, ahuyéntala como se ahuyenta una deuda.

Mantra 8

उप ते गा इवाकरं वृणीष्व दुहितर्दिवः । रात्रि स्तोमं न जिग्युषे ॥

Acepta, como se acercan las vacas a su meta, esta ofrenda que he dispuesto para ti, oh hija del Cielo. Noche, recibe el himno: no como quien ya ha vencido, sino como el Poder que concede la victoria al buscador.

Inside Sukta 127

How it unfolds

  1. Where it opens

    Night is revealed—approaching from many sides with divine lights and enthroned over splendor (a cosmic theophany).

  2. Development

    The hymn observes Night’s universal governance: villages, walkers, birds, and even swift hunters withdraw; the world’s motions subside into her order.

  3. Climax

    Night is invoked not merely as darkness but as a protective, organizing power that gathers energies and pacifies restlessness (outer and inner).

  4. Where it settles

    The poet offers a crafted hymn to the ‘daughter of Heaven,’ asking her to accept it and continue granting the seeker safety, peace, and successful passage through the night.

The deity: Rātrī

  • In the VedaRātrī is portrayed as a goddess who becomes visible from many directions with “divine lights,” taking her seat over all splendors and spreading a vast, quiet covering over the world. She brings rest to settlements, travelers, birds, and even swift predators, and is invoked to grant protection and calm.
  • Cosmic functionShe orders the nocturnal phase of time, veiling and cooling the world, regulating activity and repose, and providing a protective interval in the daily cycle.
  • Inner significanceNight symbolizes inwardness: the settling of sensory movement, the pacification of anxious or predatory impulses, and the recovery of strength through quietude, trust, and protected rest.

The seer

  • Kūśika (traditional; attribution varies)Kūśika-gotra (traditional) · Associated in later tradition with hymns and priestly-poetic lineages linked to Viśvāmitra’s circle; for RV 10.127 specifically, the seer attribution is not uniform across recensions and is often treated as uncertain.

Famous verses

रात्री व्यख्यदायती पुरुत्रा देव्यक्षभिः । विश्वा अधि श्रियोऽधित ॥
Verse 10.127.1Foundational depiction of Rātrī’s manifestation: she arrives from many sides with divine lights and ‘takes her seat’ above all splendors—setting the hymn’s cosmic frame.Read verse 10.127.1 →
नि ग्रामासो अविक्षत नि पद्वन्तो नि पक्षिणः । नि श्येनासश्चिदर्थिनः ॥
Verse 10.127.5Vivid universal stilling: settlements, walkers, birds, and even hawks withdraw—an emblem of Night’s power to pacify movement and threat.Read verse 10.127.5 →
duhitar divaḥ
Verse 10.127.8Closing offering: Night as ‘daughter of Heaven’ is asked to accept the hymn; it frames devotion as a seeker’s request for ongoing protection and attainment.Read verse 10.127.8 →

Attributes of the deity

  • Daughter of Heaven (divaḥ duhitar)
  • All-encompassing veil and shelter
  • Bringer of rest and cessation of movement
  • Protectress against fear and harm
  • Bearer of many lights (stars/lamps; ‘divy akṣabhiḥ’)
  • Gatherer of splendor into quiet power

Also by this seer

  • Traditional association with parts of the Rigvedic Kūśika/Viśvāmitra-connected hymn milieu (attribution varies by Anukramaṇī and recension).
  • In some listings, Kūśika names appear in relation to late Maṇḍala 10 hymns; however, verse-level certainty for RV 10.127 is low.

The rite, step by step

  • Prepare a clean, quiet space (home hearth or simple lamp).
  • Light a small fire or lamp as a token of ‘divine lights’ within Night’s vastness.
  • Recite the hymn (or selected verses) with a protective intention: settling outer activity and inner agitation.
  • Offer a simple oblation (if in a fire rite) or dedicate the light and breath to Rātrī.
  • Conclude with a brief silence, aligning with Night’s stillness and protection.

Offerings

  • Ghee oblation (in agnihotra-style domestic fire)
  • Sesame/oil lamp or simple light offering
  • Water or milk (as cooling, settling offerings)
  • Stotra (hymn) itself as the primary offering

Frequently Asked Questions

The deity is Rātrī, the goddess Night, praised as a cosmic power who brings rest, safety, and quiet order.

Night is not just darkness; she is a divine protector who gathers energies, settles living beings, and helps both the world and the mind become calm and secure.

It is traditionally suited for evening or before sleep. You can recite it (or key verses) with a lamp or simple prayerful focus, asking for peace, protection, and steady rest.

Ask anything about Sukta 127 of the Rig Veda

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