Verses 1
चि॒त्रं दे॒वाना॒मुद॑गा॒दनी॑कं॒ चक्षु॑र्मि॒त्रस्य॒ वरु॑णस्या॒ग्नेः । आप्रा॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी अं॒तरि॑क्षं॒ सूर्य॑ आ॒त्मा जग॑तस्त॒स्थुष॑श्च ॥
citrám devā́nāmúdagādánīkam cákṣurmitrásya váruṇasyāgnéḥ ǀ ā́prā dyā́vāpṛthivī́ antárikṣam sū́rya ātmā́ jágatastasthúṣaśca ǁ
As the dawn breaks over the Vedic horizon, the Ṛṣi greets the rising sun not merely as a physical ball of fire, but as the magnificent countenance and living eye of the great cosmic forces—Mitra, Varuṇa, and Agni. In this opening verse, Sūrya is celebrated as the universal soul, the animating spirit that binds together everything that moves and everything that stands still in the universe. He fills the earth, the sky, and the vast intermediate space with his radiant presence, signaling the awakening of conscious existence. This verse sets a deeply contemplative tone for the entire hymn. The poet invites us to look past the superficial appearance of the morning sky and recognize the sun as the supreme witness of cosmic order (Ṛta). By connecting Sūrya to Mitra and Varuṇa, the Ṛṣi reminds us that light is intrinsically tied to truth, harmony, and moral boundlessness.
Verse 1: The wondrous face of the gods has arisen, the eye of Mitra, Varuṇa, and Agni; he has filled heaven, earth, and the atmosphere—Sūrya, the very soul of all that moves and stands.
The translation adheres closely to the traditional Sayana and modern philological consensus, while Sri Aurobindo's commentary elevates the 'eye of Mitra and Varuṇa' to represent the psychological faculties of divine light and universal harmony.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| चित्रम् | citram | wondrous, bright, variegated |
| अनीकम् | anīkam | face, front, form |
| चक्षुः | cakṣuḥ | eye, organ of sight |
| आत्मा | ātmā | soul, innermost essence |
| जगतः | jagataḥ | of that which moves |
| तस्थुषः | tasthuṣaḥ | of that which stands still |
Imagine a giant, glowing eye opening in the sky, instantly filling every corner of the cosmos with warmth and awareness.
Verses 2
सूर्यो॑ दे॒वीमु॒षसं॒ रोच॑मानां॒ मर्यो॒ न योषा॑म॒भ्ये॑ति प॒श्चात् । यत्रा॒ नरो॑ देव॒यंतो॑ यु॒गानि॑ वितन्व॒ते प्रति॑ भ॒द्राय॑ भ॒द्रं ॥
sū́ryo devī́muṣásam rócamānām máryo ná yóṣāmabhyéti paścā́t ǀ yátrā náro devayánto yugā́ni vitanvaté práti bhadrā́ya bhadrám ǁ
Here, the relationship between Sūrya (the Sun) and Uṣas (the Dawn) is portrayed with delicate romantic imagery. Sūrya follows closely behind the shining goddess of dawn, much like a passionate young lover following a maiden. This imagery depicts the natural succession of time, where the brilliant light of day inevitably overtakes and embraces the blushing colors of the morning. Furthermore, the verse shifts to human society: as the sun ascends, mortals devoted to the divine gather to weave their sacred rites and cycles of life (yugāni). Under the watchful gaze of the sun, human endeavors are aligned with cosmic rhythms, transforming everyday work into a reciprocal exchange of blessings where goodness meets goodness.
Verse 2: Sūrya follows the shining Dawn like a young man pursuing a maiden, where pious mortals weave their sacrificial cycles, returning blessing for blessing.
Yāska in the Nirukta notes the metaphor of pursuit, while comparative mythologists view this as an ancient solar-dawn motif representing the eternal dance of diurnal time.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सूर्यः | sūryaḥ | the sun |
| उषसम् | uṣasam | the dawn |
| मर्यः | maryaḥ | young man, suitor, mortal |
| योषाम् | yoṣām | maiden, young woman |
| युगानि | yugāni | yokes, generations, ritual cycles |
| वितन्वते | vitanvate | they stretch out, perform |
Picture a youth eagerly running after a graceful maiden in a golden meadow, while priests on earth light their fires to match the sky's splendor.
Verses 3
भ॒द्रा अश्वा॑ ह॒रितः॒ सूर्य॑स्य चि॒त्रा एत॑ग्वा अनु॒माद्या॑सः । न॒म॒स्यंतो॑ दि॒व आ पृ॒ष्ठम॑स्थुः॒ परि॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी यं॑ति स॒द्यः ॥
bhadrā́ áśvā harítaḥ sū́ryasya citrā́ étagvā anumā́dyāsaḥ ǀ namasyánto divá ā́ pṛṣṭhámasthuḥ pári dyā́vāpṛthivī́ yanti sadyáḥ ǁ
The dynamic movement of the sun is captured through his divine steeds—the Harits, often described as tawny, dappled, or reddish horses. These brilliant creatures are auspicious, delightful to behold, and wondrously adorned. As they ascend the ridge of the sky, they bow in reverence, swiftly traversing the vast expanses of heaven and earth in a single sweep. This verse paints a majestic picture of celestial motion. The horses are not mere animals; they are the kinetic energies of light itself harnessed by the solar deity. Their journey across the cosmic ridge bridges the earthly realm with the infinite heights of the divine.
Verse 3: The auspicious, wondrous, dappled steeds of the sun, delightful to behold, have mounted the ridge of heaven; they swiftly encompass earth and sky.
Sāyaṇa interprets 'haritaḥ' as the rays of the sun personified as horses, while modern translators emphasize the poetic majesty of the solar chariot imagery common across Indo-European mythologies.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| हरितः | haritaḥ | tawny, golden horses of the sun |
| चित्राः | citrāḥ | bright, variegated, wondrous |
| पृष्ठम् | pṛṣṭham | back, ridge, surface |
| नमस्यन्तः | namasyantaḥ | paying homage, bowing |
| सद्यः | sadyaḥ | instantly, swiftly, in a day |
Visualize a chariot pulled by golden, shining horses leaping gracefully over the very top of the sky.
Verses 4
तत्सूर्य॑स्य देव॒त्वं तन्म॑हि॒त्वं म॒ध्या कर्तो॒र्वित॑तं॒ सं ज॑भार । य॒देदयु॑क्त ह॒रितः॑ स॒धस्था॒दाद्रात्री॒ वास॑स्तनुते सि॒मस्मै॑ ॥
tátsū́ryasya devatvám tánmahitvám madhyā́ kártorvítatam sám jabhāra ǀ yadédáyukta harítaḥ sadhásthādā́drā́trī vā́sastanute simásmai ǁ
In this profound philosophical verse, the Ṛṣi contemplates the sheer majesty and divine nature (devatva) of Sūrya. The sun gathers up the vast expanse of light that was stretched across the mid-region by human or cosmic activity. The moment the sun harnesses his tawny steeds from their resting place, Night steps forward to weave her dark garment over the earth. Here we see the perpetual cosmic rhythm of manifestation and withdrawal. The sun's exertion of light defines the day, and when his work is done, the dark cloak of night is spread out, maintaining the delicate balance of existence.
Verse 4: This is the divinity of Sūrya, this is his greatness: he has gathered back into the middle what was spread wide across the task; when he yokes his steeds from their station, Night then weaves her garment over all.
Commentators see this verse as a profound description of the alternation between day and night, where Sūrya actively controls the boundaries of light and darkness.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| देवत्वम् | devatvam | divinity, divine nature |
| महित्वम् | mahitvam | greatness, majesty |
| विततम् | vitatam | spread out, extended |
| रात्रिः | rātrī | night |
| वासः | vāsaḥ | garment, clothing |
Think of a master weaver rolling up a brilliant golden tapestry at sunset, replacing it with a velvety black cloak for the night.
Verses 5
तन्मि॒त्रस्य॒ वरु॑णस्याभि॒चक्षे॒ सूर्यो॑ रू॒पं कृ॑णुते॒ द्योरु॒पस्थे॑ । अ॒नं॒तम॒न्यद्रुश॑दस्य॒ पाजः॑ कृ॒ष्णम॒न्यद्ध॒रितः॒ सं भ॑रंति ॥
tánmitrásya váruṇasyābhicákṣe sū́ryo rūpám kṛṇute dyórupásthe ǀ anantámanyádrúśadasya pā́jaḥ kṛṣṇámanyáddharítaḥ sám bharanti ǁ
Poised in the lap of Dyaus (the sky), Sūrya assumes his wondrous form so that Mitra and Varuṇa may clearly perceive the universe. His radiance is wonderfully divided: one part of his splendor is boundless, brilliant, and white (or glowing), while the other part is dark, which his golden horses skillfully bring together. This verse addresses the dual nature of cosmic reality—the interplay of light and darkness, day and night, visible and invisible. Even the darkness is not separate from the sun's dominion; it is gathered and managed by the same divine solar energy.
Verse 5: This form Sūrya assumes in the lap of heaven for Mitra and Varuṇa to behold: one of his splendors is boundless and glowing, while the other, dark, his steeds bring together.
Sri Aurobindo interprets the 'glowing' and 'dark' splendors as psychological symbols of the higher illumined mind and the subconscious depths embraced by the divine light.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अभिचक्षे | abhicakṣe | to look upon, to behold |
| द्योः | dyoḥ | of heaven, the sky |
| अनन्तम् | anantam | boundless, endless |
| रुशत् | ruśat | bright, white, glowing |
| पाजः | pājaḥ | splendor, vigor, energy |
| कृष्णम् | kṛṣṇam | dark, black |
Picture a magnificent glowing orb holding both dazzling white light and soft, soothing shadow in perfect balance.
Verses 6
अ॒द्या दे॑वा॒ उदि॑ता॒ सूर्य॑स्य॒ निरंह॑सः पिपृ॒ता निर॑व॒द्यात् । तन्नो॑ मि॒त्रो वरु॑णो मामहंता॒मदि॑तिः॒ सिंधुः॑ पृथि॒वी उ॒त द्यौः ॥
adyā́ devā úditā sū́ryasya níráṃhasaḥ pipṛtā́ níravadyā́t ǀ tánno mitró váruṇo māmahantāmáditiḥ síndhuḥ pṛthivī́ utá dyáuḥ ǁ
Having contemplated the cosmic grandeur of the rising sun, the Ṛṣi turns into a personal and communal prayer. Addressing the assembled gods at the very moment of Sūrya's uprising, the poet pleads for deliverance from all distress (aṃhas) and moral blemish or reproach (avadyāt). The hymn culminates in a grand invocation of cosmic protectors—Mitra, Varuṇa, Aditi, Sindhu, Pṛthivī, and Dyaus—asking them to magnify and bless the human seeker. The physical light of the sun thus becomes the catalyst for inner purification and divine grace.
Verse 6: Today, ye gods, at the rising of Sūrya, deliver us from distress and from blemish! May Mitra, Varuṇa, Aditi, Sindhu, Earth, and Heaven grant us greatness!
Traditional commentators highlight this verse as a classic Vedic sanctuary prayer, where natural deities are invoked collectively to ensure holistic protection—physical, moral, and spiritual.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अंहसः | aṃhasaḥ | from distress, trouble, sin |
| अवद्यात् | avadyāt | from blame, blemish, fault |
| मित्रः | mitraḥ | Mitra (deity of harmony) |
| वरुणः | varuṇaḥ | Varuṇa (deity of cosmic order) |
| अदितिः | aditiḥ | Aditi (the boundless mother of gods) |
| पृथिवी | pṛthivī | the Earth |
Imagine standing with outstretched arms in the morning sunlight, surrounded by all of nature, asking heaven and earth to wash away all burdens.