Verses 1
य॒ज्ञो दे॒वानां॒ प्रत्ये॑ति सु॒म्नमादि॑त्यासो॒ भव॑ता मृळ॒यंतः॑ । आ वो॒ऽर्वाची॑ सुम॒तिर्व॑वृत्यादं॒होश्चि॒द्या व॑रिवो॒वित्त॒रास॑त् ॥
yajñó devā́nām prátyeti sumnámā́dityāso bhávatā mṛḷayántaḥ ǀ ā́ vo’rvā́cī sumatírvavṛtyādaṃhóścidyā́ varivovíttarā́sat ǁ
In this opening verse, the Ṛṣi captures the dynamic relationship between human ritual effort and divine benevolence. The sacrifice, charged with human aspiration, moves outward to meet the divine realm, while the Ādityas—the luminous sons of Aditi—are called upon to manifest not as distant cosmic forces, but as compassionate healers who alleviate human suffering. The poet invokes a turning toward the seeker: may the benevolent, right-minded intent of the cosmos curve downward and inward toward us, cutting through the dense knots of distress and widening our narrow horizons into boundless spaciousness. This verse addresses the psychological and spiritual friction of mortal existence, encapsulated by the word 'aṃhaḥ' (narrowness, distress, sin). The Ṛṣi reminds us that the divine act of 'varivovittarā'—widening the path or providing vast open spaces—is the natural outcome of a well-aligned sacrifice. When our inner offering meets the cosmic flow, boundaries dissolve, and the vastness of the infinite divine consciousness floods our immediate awareness.
Verse 1: May the sacrifice go forth to touch the divine grace, O Ādityas, be gentle and gracious to us; may your turned-toward, right-minded intent bend down to us, bringing that which delivers us out of all narrow distress into boundless open spaces.
The translation follows traditional commentaries like Sāyaṇa, who interprets 'varivovittarā' as that which grants vast freedom or wealth, while spiritual commentators like Sri Aurobindo view 'aṃhaḥ' and 'varivas' as the psychological states of limitation and spiritual liberation respectively.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| यज्ञः | yajñaḥ | the sacrifice, sacred offering or act of worship |
| देवानाम् | devānām | of the gods or shining ones |
| सुम्नम् | sumnam | goodwill, grace, happiness |
| आदित्यासः | ādityāsaḥ | the Ādityas, the solar deities of infinite expanse |
| मृळयन्तः | mṛḷayantaḥ | being gracious, compassionate, or forgiving |
| वरिवोवित्तरा | varivovittarā | most effective in finding or bestowing wide, open spaces |
Picture a traveler lost in a dark, narrow mountain pass suddenly seeing the wide, sunlit plains open up before them as the sun breaks through—that is the Ādityas transforming narrow distress into boundless space.
Verses 2
उप॑ नो दे॒वा अव॒सा ग॑मं॒त्वंगि॑रसां॒ साम॑भिः स्तू॒यमा॑नाः । इंद्र॑ इंद्रि॒यैर्म॒रुतो॑ म॒रुद्भि॑रादि॒त्यैर्नो॒ अदि॑तिः॒ शर्म॑ यंसत् ॥
úpa no devā́ ávasā́ gamantváṅgirasām sā́mabhiḥ stūyámānāḥ ǀ índra indriyáirmarúto marúdbhirādityáirno áditiḥ śárma yaṃsat ǁ
Here, the scope of the invocation broadens into a magnificent cosmic gathering. The Ṛṣi calls upon the gods to descend, carried by the vehicle of their protective grace ('avasā'), while being praised by the hymns of the ancient Angiras seers. This is not a petition to a single deity, but a grand orchestration of divine powers: Indra arrives with his dynamic energies, the Maruts with their storm-born companionships, the Ādityas with their solar majesty, and finally Aditi, the undivided Mother of all, establishes the ultimate shelter ('śarma'). The imagery here is kinetic and immersive. The divine hosts are not static statues; they are surging into the arena of the human heart, amplified by the rhythmic chanting of the Sāmans. Aditi’s shelter represents the supreme refuge—the unfragmented matrix of reality that holds all the disparate divine energies together in a harmonious home of peace.
Verse 2: May the gods come down to us with their sustaining grace, being praised through the chant of the Angirases; may Indra with his vital energies, the Maruts with their hosts, the Ādityas, and Aditi bestow upon us ultimate shelter and peace.
Sāyaṇa systematically breaks down each deity and their respective cohort, while esoteric interpreters note that the listing of Indra, Maruts, and Ādityas represents the progressive integration of mental power, vital force, and solar truth within the human soul.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| देवाः | devāḥ | the divine ones, gods |
| अवसा | avasā | with protection, favor, or sustaining grace |
| अङ्गिरसाम् | aṅgirasām | of the ancient seers, the Angirases |
| इन्द्रियैः | indriyaiḥ | with vital powers, energies, or faculties of Indra |
| शर्म | śarma | shelter, refuge, home, or ultimate peace |
| अदितिः | aditiḥ | Aditi, the infinite, undivided mother of the gods |
Imagine a royal procession entering a grand courtyard from all four gates at once—Indra from the east, Maruts from the north, Ādityas from above—all converging to wrap you in a mantle of absolute security.
Verses 3
तन्न॒ इंद्र॒स्तद्वरु॑ण॒स्तद॒ग्निस्तद॑र्य॒मा तत्स॑वि॒ता चनो॑ धात् । तन्नो॑ मि॒त्रो वरु॑णो मामहंता॒मदि॑तिः॒ सिंधुः॑ पृथि॒वी उ॒त द्यौः ॥
tánna índrastádváruṇastádagnístádaryamā́ tátsavitā́ cáno dhāt ǀ tánno mitró váruṇo māmahantāmáditiḥ síndhuḥ pṛthivī́ utá dyáuḥ ǁ
The Sūkta culminates in a powerful litany of divine assent. The Ṛṣi repeats the sacred syllable 'tat' (that), binding every major cosmic principle into a unified intention of blessing. Indra, Varuṇa, Agni, Aryaman, and Savitṛ—each representing a distinct facet of divine governance, from cosmic law to inner transformation—are called upon to lay down this supreme delight ('canaḥ') in the human vessel. To seal the blessing, the poet expands the circle even further, invoking Mitra, Varuṇa, Aditi, the sacred River Sindhu, the patient Earth (Pṛthivī), and the boundless Sky (Dyauḥ) to magnify and rejoice in the mortal's offering. This verse is a magnificent ecological and metaphysical synthesis, showing that true sacrifice aligns not just the mind of man with the gods, but the entire cosmos—rivers, earth, sky, and stars—in a single chorus of joyous validation.
Verse 3: May Indra establish that for us, may Varuṇa, Agni, Aryaman, and Savitṛ bestow that delight upon us; may Mitra, Varuṇa, Aditi, the Sindhu, Earth, and Heaven all rejoice in us and magnify our offering.
Commentators emphasize the iterative use of 'tat' ('that') as a pointer to the ineffable supreme reality or blessing that all gods simultaneously sponsor and deliver to the dedicated seeker.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| इन्द्रः | indraḥ | Indra, the lord of luminous divine mind |
| वरुणः | varuṇaḥ | Varuṇa, the upholder of cosmic breadth and moral law |
| अग्निः | agniḥ | Agni, the divine flame and priest of the ritual |
| अर्यमा | aryamā | Aryaman, the god of societal harmony and inner nobility |
| सविता | savitā | Savitṛ, the divine instigator and impeller of life |
| चनः | canaḥ | delight, pleasure, satisfaction |
| सिन्धुः | sindhuḥ | the flowing river, cosmic stream |
| पृथिवी | pṛthivī | the vast earth |
| द्यौः | dyauḥ | the luminous heaven |
Picture a grand orchestra where every instrument—winds, strings, drums—suddenly plays the exact same triumphant final chord, amplified by the roar of rivers and the canopy of the stars.