Verses 1, 2
इंद्रं॑ मि॒त्रं वरु॑णम॒ग्निमू॒तये॒ मारु॑तं॒ शर्धो॒ अदि॑तिं हवामहे । रथं॒ न दु॒र्गाद्व॑सवः सुदानवो॒ विश्व॑स्मान्नो॒ अंह॑सो॒ निष्पि॑पर्तन ॥
índram mitrám váruṇamagnímūtáye mā́rutam śárdho áditim havāmahe ǀ rátham ná durgā́dvasavaḥ sudānavo víśvasmānno áṃhaso níṣpipartana ǁ
त आ॑दित्या॒ आ ग॑ता स॒र्वता॑तये भू॒त दे॑वा वृत्र॒तूर्ये॑षु शं॒भुवः॑ । रथं॒ न दु॒र्गाद्व॑सवः सुदानवो॒ विश्व॑स्मान्नो॒ अंह॑सो॒ निष्पि॑पर्तन ॥
tá ādityā ā́ gatā sarvátātaye bhūtá devā vṛtratū́ryeṣu śambhúvaḥ ǀ rátham ná durgā́dvasavaḥ sudānavo víśvasmānno áṃhaso níṣpipartana ǁ
In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi sounds a sweeping call to the divine pantheon—Indra, Mitra, Varuṇa, Agni, the Maruts, and Aditi—calling upon them collectively for protection and assistance. The urgency of human life, fraught with spiritual and physical hurdles, demands the unified grace of all cosmic forces. Notice how the verse pivots on a powerful, recurring refrain: like a sturdy chariot pulling travelers safely through a difficult mountain pass, may the bountiful Vasus carry us past all distress and narrow straits.
Verse 1: We invoke Indra, Mitra, Varuṇa, Agni for our protection, along with the Marut host and Aditi. O bountiful Vasus, transport us safely past all distress and narrow straits as if on a chariot.
Verse 2: O Ādityas, come hither to our complete attainment; O Gods, prove to be bringers of bliss in the battles against Vṛtra. Transport us safely past all distress as if on a chariot.
Sāyaṇa interprets 'durgāt' as physical obstacles and dangers, while esoteric commentators like Sri Aurobindo view 'durgāt' and 'aṃhas' as psychological narrowness, falsehood, and spiritual limitations overcome by divine light.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| इन्द्रम् | indram | Indra, the king of gods and wielder of force |
| मित्रम् | mitram | Mitra, the deity of harmony and contract |
| वरुणम् | varuṇam | Varuṇa, the guardian of cosmic moral order (Ṛta) |
| अग्निम् | agnim | Agni, the divine flame and mediator |
| अदितिम् | aditim | Aditi, the mother of the gods, boundless space/freedom |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| आदित्याः | ādityāḥ | The sons of Aditi, the celestial solar gods |
| वृत्रतूर्येषु | vṛtratūryeṣu | In the struggles or conflicts against Vṛtra (the obstructive force) |
| शंभुवः | śambhuvaḥ | Sources of happiness, welfare-bringers |
Picture a traveler standing before a treacherous, narrow mountain pass, watching a sure-footed chariot expertly navigate the jagged boulders. That chariot is the grace of the Vasus bearing us across.
Verses 3, 4
अवं॑तु नः पि॒तरः॑ सुप्रवाच॒ना उ॒त दे॒वी दे॒वपु॑त्रे ऋता॒वृधा॑ । रथं॒ न दु॒र्गाद्व॑सवः सुदानवो॒ विश्व॑स्मान्नो॒ अंह॑सो॒ निष्पि॑पर्तन ॥
ávantu naḥ pitáraḥ supravācanā́ utá devī́ deváputre ṛtāvṛ́dhā ǀ rátham ná durgā́dvasavaḥ sudānavo víśvasmānno áṃhaso níṣpipartana ǁ
नरा॒शंसं॑ वा॒जिनं॑ वा॒जय॑न्नि॒ह क्ष॒यद्वी॑रं पू॒षणं॑ सु॒म्नैरी॑महे । रथं॒ न दु॒र्गाद्व॑सवः सुदानवो॒ विश्व॑स्मान्नो॒ अंह॑सो॒ निष्पि॑पर्तन ॥
nárāśáṃsam vājínam vājáyannihá kṣayádvīram pūṣáṇam sumnáirīmahe ǀ rátham ná durgā́dvasavaḥ sudānavo víśvasmānno áṃhaso níṣpipartana ǁ
The Ṛṣi broadens the scope of invocation to include the ancient fathers (pitaras) who knew the sacred paths, and the divine mothers who nurture the cosmic order (Ṛta). Following this ancestral communion, the prayer turns to Pūṣan, the pastoral guide and guardian of paths, who protects heroes and multiplies the strength of human endeavor.
Verse 3: May our famed forefathers protect us, and the divine mothers, offspring of the Gods, who foster the cosmic order. Transport us safely past all distress as if on a chariot.
Verse 4: With our prayers we seek here Narāśaṃsa, the victorious, the inspirer of vigor, and Pūṣan, who protects heroes. Transport us safely past all distress as if on a chariot.
Translators identify Narāśaṃsa here as a traditional fire-aspect or sacrificial entity closely linked with Agni, while Pūṣan symbolizes the nourishing solar energy that guides travelers safely through life's terrain.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| पितरः | pitaraḥ | The ancestral sages, the ancient wise ones |
| सुप्रवाचनाः | supravācanāḥ | Famed for good utterances, illustrious |
| ऋतावृधा | ṛtāvṛdhā | Growing through or increasing the cosmic law (Ṛta) |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| नराशंसम् | narāśaṃsam | Narāśaṃsa, 'praised of men' (an epithet of Agni or a fire-deity) |
| वाजिनम् | vājinam | Possessed of speed, energy, or vigor |
| पूषणम् | pūṣaṇam | Pūṣan, the pastoral deity of nourishment and safe paths |
Imagine walking down a long, dark forest trail holding the hand of an experienced ancestor who knows every turn, while a glowing herald clears the brush ahead.
Verses 5, 6, 7
बृह॑स्पते॒ सद॒मिन्नः॑ सु॒गं कृ॑धि॒ शं योर्यत्ते॒ मनु॑र्हितं॒ तदी॑महे । रथं॒ न दु॒र्गाद्व॑सवः सुदानवो॒ विश्व॑स्मान्नो॒ अंह॑सो॒ निष्पि॑पर्तन ॥
bṛ́haspate sádamínnaḥ sugám kṛdhi śám yóryátte mánurhitam tádīmahe ǀ rátham ná durgā́dvasavaḥ sudānavo víśvasmānno áṃhaso níṣpipartana ǁ
इंद्रं॒ कुत्सो॑ वृत्र॒हणं॒ शची॒पतिं॑ का॒टे निबा॑ळ्ह॒ ऋषि॑रह्वदू॒तये॑ । रथं॒ न दु॒र्गाद्व॑सवः सुदानवो॒ विश्व॑स्मान्नो॒ अंह॑सो॒ निष्पि॑पर्तन ॥
índram kútso vṛtraháṇam śácīpátim kāṭé níbāḷha ṛ́ṣirahvadūtáye ǀ rátham ná durgā́dvasavaḥ sudānavo víśvasmānno áṃhaso níṣpipartana ǁ
दे॒वैर्नो॑ दे॒व्यदि॑ति॒र्नि पा॑तु दे॒वस्त्रा॒ता त्रा॑यता॒मप्र॑युच्छन् । तन्नो॑ मि॒त्रो वरु॑णो मामहंता॒मदि॑तिः॒ सिंधुः॑ पृथि॒वी उ॒त द्यौः ॥
deváirno devyáditirní pātu devástrātā́ trāyatāmáprayucchan ǀ tánno mitró váruṇo māmahantāmáditiḥ síndhuḥ pṛthivī́ utá dyáuḥ ǁ
In the final act, the Ṛṣi invokes Bṛhaspati, the lord of the sacred word, to make the path smooth and free of obstructions, fulfilling the primordial desire planted in humanity by Manu. He then recalls the ancient legend of the sage Kutsa, who cried out to Indra from the pit (kāṭa) of difficulty and found deliverance. The hymn culminates in a grand universal blessing, where earth, sky, rivers, and the great gods envelop the worshiper in absolute safety.
Verse 5: O Bṛhaspati, make our path ever smooth; we seek that peace and welfare which was established by Manu for us. Transport us safely past all distress as if on a chariot.
Verse 6: Kutsa, the sage plunged in the pit, called upon Indra, the slayer of Vṛtra and lord of power, for help. Transport us safely past all distress as if on a chariot.
Verse 7: May the divine Aditi protect us with the gods; may the divine protector safeguard us unremittingly. May Mitra, Varuṇa, Aditi, Sindhu, Earth, and Heaven magnify this prayer for us.
Sāyaṇa explains 'kāṭe' as a specific mythological pit or crisis where sage Kutsa was trapped, whereas spiritual commentators see the pit as the deep abyss of ignorance from which divine grace rescues the seeker.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| बृहस्पते | bṛhaspate | Bṛhaspati, lord of prayer and sacred speech |
| सुगम् | sugam | Easy to traverse, a smooth path |
| मनुर्दितम् | manurhitam | Placed or ordained by Manu for humanity |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| कुत्सः | kutsaḥ | Kutsa, an ancient sage and protégé of Indra |
| वृत्रहणम् | vṛtrahaṇam | The slayer of Vṛtra, destroyer of resistance |
| काटे | kāṭe | In the pit, hole, or difficult depth |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अदितिः | aditiḥ | Aditi, the infinite mother of gods |
| सिन्धुः | sindhuḥ | The divine river or ocean |
| पृथिवी | pṛthivī | The Earth |
Visualize a grand dome of light spreading outward from the earth and soaring up to the starry heavens, wrapping the entire world in an unbroken cocoon of divine protection.