Sukta 123
Rishi: RV source attribution (solar hymn tradition; preserved in AV 20).
Devata: Sūrya; also implicitly Rātrī as personified counterpart.
Chandas: Triṣṭubh.
Mantras
Mantra 1
तत् सूर्यस्य देवत्वं तन्महित्वं मध्या कर्तोर्विततं सं जभार । यदेदयुक्त हरितः सधस्थादाद् रात्री वासस्तनुते सिमस्मै
This is the Sun’s godhead, this his majesty: in the midst the Maker hath gathered up the outspread. When then he yoked the tawny steeds from their common station, thereafter Night forthwith extends her garment for him.
Mantra 2
तन्मित्रस्य वरुणस्याभिचक्षे सूर्यो रूपं कृणुते द्योरुपस्थे । अनन्तमन्यद् रुशदस्य पाजः कृष्णमन्यद्धरितः सं भरन्ति
Under the overseeing gaze of Mitra and of Varuṇa the Sun makes form in the lap of heaven. One aspect of his splendour is boundless and shining; another is dark: the tawny steeds bear them onward together.
Frequently Asked Questions
It teaches that the Sun’s regular motion is itself divine protection: night arrives only in proper sequence, and the alternation of light and darkness is governed by ṛta (cosmic law).
They represent oversight of truth, covenant, and right measure; the hymn says the Sun manifests “under their gaze,” linking solar regularity with moral and cosmic order.
It is suited for sunrise or dusk recitation to calm fear of night, mark a protected boundary (e.g., home threshold), and align one’s mind and timing with the steady rhythm of day and night.