Verses 1, 2
वि ह्यख्यं॒ मन॑सा॒ वस्य॑ इ॒च्छन्निंद्रा॑ग्नी ज्ञा॒स उ॒त वा॑ सजा॒तान् । नान्या यु॒वत्प्रम॑तिरस्ति॒ मह्यं॒ स वां॒ धियं॑ वाज॒यंती॑मतक्षं ॥
ví hyákhyam mánasā vásya icchánníndrāgnī jñāsá utá vā sajātā́n ǀ nā́nyā́ yuvátprámatirasti máhyam sá vām dhíyam vājayántīmatakṣam ǁ
अश्र॑वं॒ हि भू॑रि॒दाव॑त्तरा वां॒ विजा॑मातुरु॒त वा॑ घा स्या॒लात् । अथा॒ सोम॑स्य॒ प्रय॑ती यु॒वभ्या॒मिंद्रा॑ग्नी॒ स्तोमं॑ जनयामि॒ नव्यं॑ ॥
áśravam hí bhūridā́vattarā vām víjāmāturutá vā ghā syālā́t ǀ áthā sómasya práyatī yuvábhyāmíndrāgnī stómam janayāmi návyam ǁ
In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi approaches Indra and Agni with the affectionate familiarity of a kinsman, seeking them out as one would search for beloved relatives among kindred and friends. He declares that no other guiding intelligence is as precious or nurturing to him as theirs. Recognizing them as the most bountiful bestowers of gifts—surpassing even the generous ties of a brother-in-law or a welcoming kinsman—he resolves to fashion a brand-new song of praise born from the pressing of the sacred Soma.
Verse 1: Seeking with my mind, I have looked upon you both, O Indra and Agni, as a man looks for kindred or noble kinsmen; for no other guiding grace is there for me than yours, and so I have fashioned for you this praise that quickens our strength.
Verse 2: I have heard that you two are givers more abundant than a brother-in-law or a friendly host; therefore, as the Soma is pressed, I generate this brand-new hymn of praise for you both, O Indra and Agni.
Sāyaṇa interprets the familial terms (brother-in-law, kinsman) as references to customary societal gift-giving, while Sri Aurobindo sees the dual deity of Indra (Divine Mind) and Agni (Divine Will) as the ultimate source of spiritual wealth that outshines all mundane transactions.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| मनसा | manasā | with the mind or intention |
| इन्द्राग्नी | indrāgnī | O Indra and Agni (dual vocative) |
| धियम् | dhiyam | thought, prayer, or vision |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| भूरिदावत्तरा | bhūridāvattarā | more abundantly giving than usual |
| विजामातुः | vijāmātuḥ | than a brother-in-law or distant kinsman |
| स्तोमम् | stomam | hymn of praise or adoration |
Picture an artisan meticulously crafting a rare garment for visiting royal kinsmen, knowing their generosity surpasses any earthly relative.
Verses 3, 4
मा च्छे॑द्म र॒श्मीँरिति॒ नाध॑मानाः पितॄ॒णां श॒क्तीर॑नु॒यच्छ॑मानाः । इं॒द्रा॒ग्निभ्यां॒ कं वृष॑णो मदंति॒ ता ह्यद्री॑ धि॒षणा॑या उ॒पस्थे॑ ॥
mā́ cchedma raśmī́m̐ríti nā́dhamānāḥ pitṝṇā́m śaktī́ranuyácchamānāḥ ǀ indrāgníbhyām kám vṛ́ṣaṇo madanti tā́ hyádrī dhiṣáṇāyā upásthe ǁ
यु॒वाभ्यां॑ दे॒वी धि॒षणा॒ मदा॒येंद्रा॑ग्नी॒ सोम॑मुश॒ती सु॑नोति । ताव॑श्विना भद्रहस्ता सुपाणी॒ आ धा॑वतं॒ मधु॑ना पृं॒क्तम॒प्सु ॥
yuvā́bhyām devī́ dhiṣáṇā mádāyéndrāgnī sómamuśatī́ sunoti ǀ tā́vaśvinā bhadrahastā supāṇī ā́ dhāvatam mádhunā pṛṅktámapsú ǁ
The Ṛṣi invokes the continuity of the ancestral spiritual heritage, praying that the tight reins of divine communion—passed down from the ancient seers—may never be snapped. He envisions the heroic worshippers rejoicing in the lap of the sacred press-stones (Dhiṣaṇā). The divine motherly power, Dhiṣaṇā herself, lovingly prepares the exhilarating Soma, while the Aśvins, with their healing hands, rush forward to enrich the waters with honeyed sweetness.
Verse 3: May we not snap the reins of our communion, crying out as supplicants and holding fast to the mighty powers of our fathers! Strong men rejoice in Indra and Agni, there in the lap of the altar stones.
Verse 4: The divine altar-vessel desires and presses out the Soma for your delight, O Indra and Agni. O Aśvins, fair-handed and sweet-palmed, come running hither and mingle the waters with honey.
The 'reins' (raśmīḥ) are understood literally by ritualists as the harnessing gear of sacrificial horses, whereas esoteric commentators view them as the subtle channels of inner concentration linking the modern seeker to ancestral yogic realizations.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| रश्मीन् | raśmīn | reins, rays, or lines of connection |
| पितॄणाम् | pitṝṇām | of the forefathers or ancient seers |
| वृषणः | vṛṣaṇaḥ | the vigorous, powerful heroes |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| धिषणा | dhiṣaṇā | the divine bowl, speech, or intelligence |
| अश्विना | aśvinā | the divine horsemen, healers |
| मधुना | madhunā | with honey or sweet essence |
Imagine a golden chain of light linking generations of meditators, anchored firmly in the sweet, flowing waters of grace.
Verses 5, 6
यु॒वामिं॑द्राग्नी॒ वसु॑नो विभा॒गे त॒वस्त॑मा शुश्रव वृत्र॒हत्ये॑ । तावा॒सद्या॑ ब॒र्हिषि॑ य॒ज्ञे अ॒स्मिन्प्र च॑र्षणी मादयेथां सु॒तस्य॑ ॥
yuvā́mindrāgnī vásuno vibhāgé tavástamā śuśrava vṛtrahátye ǀ tā́vāsádyā barhíṣi yajñé asmínprá carṣaṇī mādayethām sutásya ǁ
प्र च॑र्ष॒णिभ्यः॑ पृतना॒हवे॑षु॒ प्र पृ॑थि॒व्या रि॑रिचाथे दि॒वश्च॑ । प्र सिंधु॑भ्यः॒ प्र गि॒रिभ्यो॑ महि॒त्वा प्रेंद्रा॑ग्नी॒ विश्वा॒ भुव॒नात्य॒न्या ॥
prá carṣaṇíbhyaḥ pṛtanāháveṣu prá pṛthivyā́ riricāthe diváśca ǀ prá síndhubhyaḥ prá giríbhyo mahitvā́ préndrāgnī víśvā bhúvanā́tyanyā́ ǁ
Here, the hymn swells to cosmic proportions. Indra and Agni are hailed as supreme masters in the distribution of treasures, renowned above all for their triumph in battles against inner darkness and outer obstacles. They tower majestically beyond the earth, the sky, the flowing rivers, and the towering mountains, outshining all created worlds with their unparalled majesty.
Verse 5: You two, O Indra and Agni, are renowned as the most vigorous in the division of wealth during the slaughter of Vṛtra. Seated upon the sacred grass in this very rite, rejoice together in the pressed Soma.
Verse 6: Far beyond active mortals in the shocks of war, far beyond earth and sky have you outstripped; far beyond rivers, far beyond mountains by your greatness, O Indra and Agni, far beyond all other worlds!
Sāyaṇa treats the battles (pṛtanāhāveṣu) as literal wars of Aryan tribes, while spiritual interpreters view them as the ongoing psychological warfare between light and ignorance within the human soul.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| वसुनः | vasunaḥ | of wealth, good, or substance |
| वृत्रहत्ये | vṛtrahatye | in the slaying of Vṛtra (the obstructive force) |
| बर्हिषि | barhiṣi | upon the sacred strewn grass of the ritual seat |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| पृतनाहवेषु | pṛtanāhāveṣu | in battles or calls to combat |
| महित्वा | mahitvā | by greatness or majesty |
| भुवना | bhuvanā | worlds or realms of existence |
Envision two towering peaks of golden light that cast long shadows over mountains and oceans, dwarfing the entire cosmos with their splendor.
Verses 7, 8
आ भ॑रतं॒ शिक्ष॑तं वज्रबाहू अ॒स्माँ इं॑द्राग्नी अवतं॒ शची॑भिः । इ॒मे नु ते र॒श्मयः॒ सूर्य॑स्य॒ येभिः॑ सपि॒त्वं पि॒तरो॑ न॒ आस॑न् ॥
ā́ bharatam śíkṣatam vajrabāhū asmā́m̐ indrāgnī avatam śácībhiḥ ǀ imé nú té raśmáyaḥ sū́ryasya yébhiḥ sapitvám pitáro na ā́san ǁ
पुरं॑दरा॒ शिक्ष॑तं वज्रहस्ता॒स्माँ इं॑द्राग्नी अवतं॒ भरे॑षु । तन्नो॑ मि॒त्रो वरु॑णो मामहंता॒मदि॑तिः॒ सिंधुः॑ पृथि॒वी उ॒त द्यौः ॥
púraṃdarā śíkṣatam vajrahastāsmā́m̐ indrāgnī avatam bháreṣu ǀ tánno mitró váruṇo māmahantāmáditiḥ síndhuḥ pṛthivī́ utá dyáuḥ ǁ
In the grand finale, the Ṛṣi begs the thunderbolt-armed sustainers to bestow their grace and protection in times of stress. He invokes the solar rays as the very lineage and fellowship that connected the ancient ancestors to the divine. Finally, a broad coalition of universal deities—Mitra, Varuṇa, Aditi, Sindhū, Pṛthivī, and Dyaus—is summoned to seal this prayer with total protection and abundance.
Verse 7: Bring gifts, grant boons, O holders of the thunderbolt! Protect us with your saving might, O Indra and Agni. These indeed are the rays of the sun by which our fathers attained fellowship with the divine.
Verse 8: O destroyers of cities, givers of boons, armed with the thunderbolt, protect us in all our burdens and struggles. May Mitra, Varuṇa, Aditi, Sindhū, Pṛthivī, and Dyaus all magnify and protect this prayer of ours!
The mention of 'sun rays' (sūryasya raśmayaḥ) is read by astronomers as solar phenomena, but mystical commentaries identify them as the ladder of higher illumination that enlightened forefathers (pitaraḥ) climbed to attain immortality.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| वज्रबाहू | vajrabāhū | armed with the thunderbolt |
| शचीभिः | śacībhiḥ | with mighty acts, skills, or energies |
| सपित्वम् | sapitvam | fellowship, shared banquet, or communion |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| पुरंदरा | puraṃdarā | breakers of fortresses or strongholds |
| भरेषु | bhareṣu | in the bearing of burdens or in contests |
| अदितिः | aditiḥ | the undivided Mother of cosmic infinity |
Picture a panoramic circle of cosmic guardians—sunlight, earth, sky, and ocean—standing shoulder-to-shoulder around the seeker like an impregnable fortress wall.