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Mantra 1

Sukta 53

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

कालः। कालो अश्वो वहति सप्तरश्मिः सहस्राक्षो अजरो भूरिरेताः । तमा रोहन्ति कवयो विपश्चितस्तस्य चक्रा भुवनानि विश्वा

IAST Transliteration

kāláḥ | kā́lo áśvo vahati saptáraśmiḥ sahasrā́kṣo ajáro bhū́riretāḥ | tám ā́ rohanti kaváyo vipaścítaḥ tásya cakrā́ bhúvanāni víśvā ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Time—Time is the Steed that beareth on, with seven reins, thousand-eyed, unaging, of plenteous seed. Him mount the Poets, the discerning sages: his wheels are all the worlds that be.

Translation

Thời gian (Kāla)—Thời gian là tuấn mã chuyên chở, có bảy dây cương, ngàn mắt, không già, đầy dồi sức gieo sinh. Các thi nhân, các hiền triết sáng suốt cưỡi lên Ngài; bánh xe của Ngài là tất cả các thế giới.

Word by Word

कालःTime

अश्वःhorse

वहतिcarries, bears

सप्तरश्मिःhaving seven reins/rays

सहस्राक्षःthousand-eyed

अजरःunaging

भूरिरेताःof abundant seed/energy

तम्him/that (Time)

आonto, up to

रोहन्तिmount, ascend

कवयःseers, poets

विपश्चितःthe discerning, wise

तस्यof him/of that

चक्राwheels

भुवनानिworlds, realms

विश्वाall, entire

Attribution

Rishi: Traditionally attributed in later lists to a Kāla-seer complex (often Atharvanic/Angirasa associations in AV 19).

Devata: Kāla (Time).

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like cadence (late AV speculative hymns often use triṣṭubh/jagatī patterns).

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"adbhuta","secondary_rasa":"shanta","emotional_arc":"Awe at the vast steed of time → calm acceptance as sages ‘mount’ it.","listener_experience":"Vastness, perspective, reduced urgency; a sense that life is carried within a larger rhythm.","intensity":6}