Sukta 9

Mantra 1

विराट्। कुतस्तौ जातौ कतमः सो अर्धः कस्माल्लोकात् कतमस्याः पृथिव्याः । वत्सौ विराजः सलिलादुदैतां तौ त्वा पृछामि कतरेण दुग्धा

Virāj! Whence were those two born? which is that half? from what world, from which Earth? Two calves of Virāj rose up from the waters: thee I ask—by which of them is the milking made?

Mantra 2

यो अक्रन्दयत् सलिलं महित्वा योनिं कृत्वा त्रिभुजं शयानः । वत्सः कामदुघो विराजः स गुहा चक्रे तन्वःऽ पराचैः

He who, by his greatness, set the Waters sounding, having made a womb, lying in a three-cornered (form)—the calf of Virāj, the wish-milking—he made hidden places; he fashioned bodies in outward separation.

Mantra 3

यानि त्रीणि बृहन्ति येषां चतुर्थं वियुनक्ति वाचम्। ब्रह्मैनद् विद्यात् तपसा विपश्चिद् यस्मिन्नेकं युज्यते यस्मिन्नेकम्

Those three are vast, of which the fourth distinguisheth the Speech apart: this let the discerning man, by holy heat, know as Brahman—wherein the One is yoked, wherein the One (alone) is joined.

Mantra 4

बृहतः परि सामानि षष्ठात् पञ्चाधि निर्मिता । बृहद् बृहत्या निर्मितं कुतोऽधि बृहती मिता

Round about the Bṛhat the Sāman-chants are fashioned—five upon the sixth. The Bṛhat is wrought from Bṛhatī: from what source, then, is Bṛhatī herself measured forth?

Mantra 5

बृहती परि मात्राया मातुर्मात्राधि निर्मिता । माया ह जज्ञे मायाया मायाया मातली परि

Bṛhatī, in compass, by measure is fashioned—upon the mother’s measure. Wondrous Power, forsooth, was born of Wondrous Power: from Wondrous Power, all-around, (sprang) Mātalī.

Mantra 6

वैश्वानरस्य प्रतिमोपरि द्यौर्यावद् रोदसी विबबाधे अग्निः । ततः षष्ठादामुतो यन्ति स्तोमा उदितो यन्त्यभि षष्ठमह्नः

Above, as counterpart of Vaiśvānara, Heaven stands—so far as Agni hath thrust apart the two Worlds. Thence, from the Sixth, from yonder, the Stomas go their way; from the Rising they proceed, unto the Sixth of the day.

Mantra 7

षट् त्वा पृछाम ऋषयः कश्यपेमे त्वं हि युक्तं युयुक्षे योग्यं च । विराजमाहुर्ब्रह्मणः पितरं तां नो वि धेहि यतिधा सखिभ्यः

Six! thee we question—seers, these Kāśyapas: for thou, indeed, canst yoke the yoked, and (make) the fit yet fitter. Virāj they call the Father of Brahman: her for us do thou dispose aright, in due allotment, for our comrades.

Mantra 8

यां प्रच्युतामनु यज्ञाः प्रच्यवन्त उपतिष्ठन्त उपतिष्ठमानाम्। यस्या व्रते प्रसवे यक्षमेजति सा विराडृषयः परमे व्योऽमन्

Her, when she hath issued forth, the Sacrifices, advancing after, attend—yea, they attend upon her who is attended. In whose ordinance, at the divine impelling, the dread Yakṣa-power is set aquiver: she is Virāj, the Seers (behold her) in the highest heaven-space.

Mantra 9

अप्राणैति प्राणेन प्राणतीनां विराट् स्वराजमभ्येऽति पश्चात्। विश्वं मृशन्तीमभिरूपां विराजं पश्यन्ति त्वे न त्वे पश्यन्त्येनाम्

Breathless she goeth, yet by breath (she ruleth) over the breathing: Virāj, self-sovereign, cometh on from behind. Her, fair-formed, touching all the All, they behold as Virāj; in thee they behold her not—in thee they behold her not.

Mantra 10

को विराजो मिथुनत्वं प्र वेद क ऋतून् क उ कल्पमस्याः । क्रमान् को अस्याः कतिधा विदुग्धान् को अस्या धाम कतिधा व्युऽष्टीः

Who knoweth forth the paired nature of Virāj? who (knoweth) the Seasons, who indeed her ordered ordinance? Who (knoweth) her steps—how manyfold her milkings-out? who her abodes—how manyfold her dawnings-forth?

Mantra 11

इयमेव सा या प्रथमा व्यौच्छदास्वितरासु चरति प्रविष्टा । महान्तो अस्यां महिमानो अन्तर्वधूर्जिगाय नवगज्जनित्री

This—yea, she—is she who first shone forth; in these, in the other (realms), she moveth, entered in. Great are the greatnesses within her: the Bride hath conquered—Navaga’s Generatrix.

Mantra 12

छन्दःपक्षे उषसा पेपिशाने समानं योनिमनु सं चरेमे । सूर्यपत्नी सं चरतः प्रजानती केतुमती अजरे भूरिरेतसा

On the wing of Metre, with Dawn waxing full, let us together follow unto the self-same womb. The Sun’s Consort—together they move—bringing forth, radiant-bannered, unaging, of abundant generative might.

Mantra 13

ऋतस्य पन्थामनु तिस्र आगुस्त्रयो घर्मा अनु रेत आगुः । प्रजामेका जिन्वत्यूर्जमेका राष्ट्रमेका रक्षति देवयूनाम्

Along the path of Order went three; three heats went on, along the seed. One quickeneth progeny; one, strength and sap; one guardeth the realm of them that seek the Gods.

Mantra 14

अग्नीषोमावदधुर्या तुरीयासीद् यज्ञस्य पक्षावृषयः कल्पयन्तः । गायत्रीं त्रिष्टुभं जगतीमनुष्टुभं बृहदर्कीं यजमानाय स्वऽराभरन्तीम्

Agni and Soma set her, who was the Fourth, while seers, disposing, made the Sacrifice’s two wings: Gāyatrī, Triṣṭubh, Jagatī, Anuṣṭubh—great hymn that bringeth heavenly light unto the sacrificer.

Mantra 15

पञ्च व्युऽष्टीरनु पञ्च दोहा गां पञ्चनाम्नीमृतवोऽनु पञ्च । पञ्च दिशः पञ्चदशेन क्लृप्तस्ता एकमूर्ध्नीरभि लोकमेकम्

Five dawnings follow five milkings; the Cow of fivefold name—the seasons follow five. Five are the quarters, by fifteen disposed: these, one-headed, encompass one single world.

Mantra 16

षड् जाता भूता प्रथमजर्तस्य षडु सामानि षडहं वहन्ति । षड्योगं सीरमनु सामसाम षडाहुर्द्यावापृथिवीः षडुर्वीः

Six beings were born of the First that moveth; six Sāman-chants bear on the six-day course. Sixfold the yoking of the plough, with chant on chant: six, they say, are Heaven and Earth—six the broad expanses.

Mantra 17

षडाहुः शीतान् षडु मास उष्णानृतुं नो ब्रूत यतमोऽतिरिक्तः । सप्त सुपर्णाः कवयो नि षेदुः सप्त च्छन्दांस्यनु सप्त दीक्षाः

Six, men say, are cold; and six the months are hot: tell us the season—which of them is overplus. Seven fair-winged sages have sat them down; seven meters follow, and seven consecrations.

Mantra 18

सप्त होमाः समिधो ह सप्त मधूनि सप्तर्तवो ह सप्त। सप्ताज्यानि परि भूतमायन् ताः सप्तगृध्रा इति शुश्रुमा वयम्

Seven are the oblations, seven the kindling-sticks indeed; seven the honeys, seven the seasons indeed are seven. Seven are the ghee-offerings that have gone about the Being: those, as ‘the Seven Gṛdhras,’—so have we heard, even we.

Mantra 19

सप्त च्छन्दांसि चतुरुत्तराण्यन्यो अन्यस्मिन्नध्यार्पितानि । कथं स्तोमाः प्रति तिष्ठन्ति तेषु तानि स्तोमेषु कथमार्पितानि

Seven are the metres, with four as their over-addition, each upon the other set and fastened. How stand the chants in answer within them? and those metres—how are they fastened within the chants?

Mantra 20

कथं गायत्री त्रिवृतं व्याऽप कथं त्रिष्टुप् पञ्चदशेन कल्पते । त्रयस्त्रिंशेन जगती कथमनुष्टुप् कथमेकविंशः

How did Gāyatrī attain the Trivṛt’s spread? how is Triṣṭubh made ready by the Fifteen? By the Thirty-three how (is) Jagatī? how (is) Anuṣṭubh? how the Twenty-one?

Mantra 21

अष्ट जाता भूता प्रथमजर्तस्याष्टेन्द्रर्त्विजो दैव्या ये। अष्टयोनिरदितिरष्टपुत्राष्टमीं रात्रिमभि हव्यमेति

Eight beings are born of the first begetting; eight are Indra’s divine officiants who (serve). Eight-wombed is Aditi, eight-soned: unto the eighth Night she comes, toward the oblation.

Mantra 22

इत्थं श्रेयो मन्यमानेदमागमं युष्माकं सख्ये अहमस्मि शेवा । समानजन्मा क्रतुरस्ति वः शिवः स वः सर्वाः सं चरति प्रजानन्

Thus deeming welfare, hither have I come: within your friendship I am kindly. Of common birth, there is for you an auspicious purpose; that, knowing, moves together among you all.

Mantra 23

अष्टेन्द्रस्य षड् यमस्य ऋषीणां सप्त सप्तधा। अपो मनुष्या३नोषधीस्ताँ उ पञ्चानु सेचिरे

Eight are Indra’s portions, six belong to Yama; of the Seers there are seven, in sevenfold wise. The Waters—men—and the Plants: these, verily, in five divisions they poured forth in due succession.

Mantra 24

केवलीन्द्राय दुदुहे हि गृष्टिर्वशं पीयूषं प्रथमं दुहाना । अथातर्पयच्चतुरश्चतुर्धा देवान् मनुष्याँ३ असुरानुत ऋषीन्

For Indra only, in sooth, the fruitful Cow gave milk—Vasha—ambrosial draught, the first she milked. Thereafter, fourfold-wise, she made the Four content: the Gods, mankind, the Asuras, and the Seers beside.

Mantra 25

को नु गौः क एकऋषिः किमु धाम का आशिषः । यक्षं पृथिव्यामेकवृदेकर्तुः कतमो नु सः

Who, pray, is the Cow? who is the One Seer? what, indeed, the Station? what are the Blessings? The Yakṣa on Earth, of single circuit, of single season— which, now, is He?

Mantra 26

एको गौरेक एकऋषिरेकं धामैकधाशिषः । यक्षं पृथिव्यामेकवृदेकर्तुर्नाति रिच्यते

One is the Cow, one is the One Seer; one is the Station, the Blessings are in one sole wise. The Yakṣa on Earth, of single circuit, of single season— it is not, in any wise, made void nor fails.