Verses 1, 2, 3
प्रा॒ता रत्नं॑ प्रात॒रित्वा॑ दधाति॒ तं चि॑कि॒त्वान्प्र॑ति॒गृह्या॒ नि ध॑त्ते । तेन॑ प्र॒जां व॒र्धय॑मान॒ आयू॑ रा॒यस्पोषे॑ण सचते सु॒वीरः॑ ॥
prātā́ rátnam prātarítvā dadhāti tám cikitvā́npratigṛ́hyā ní dhatte ǀ téna prajā́m vardháyamāna ā́yū rāyáspóṣeṇa sacate suvī́raḥ ǁ
सु॒गुर॑सत्सुहिर॒ण्यः स्वश्वो॑ बृ॒हद॑स्मै॒ वय॒ इंद्रो॑ दधाति । यस्त्वा॒यंतं॒ वसु॑ना प्रातरित्वो मु॒क्षीज॑येव॒ पदि॑मुत्सि॒नाति॑ ॥
sugúrasatsuhiraṇyáḥ sváśvo bṛhádasmai váya índro dadhāti ǀ yástvāyántam vásunā prātaritvo mukṣī́jayeva pádimutsinā́ti ǁ
आय॑म॒द्य सु॒कृतं॑ प्रा॒तरि॒च्छन्नि॒ष्टेः पु॒त्रं वसु॑मता॒ रथे॑न । अं॒शोः सु॒तं पा॑यय मत्स॒रस्य॑ क्ष॒यद्वी॑रं वर्धय सू॒नृता॑भिः ॥
ā́yamadyá sukṛ́tam prātáricchánniṣṭéḥ putrám vásumatā ráthena ǀ aṃśóḥ sutám pāyaya matsarásya kṣayádvīram vardhaya sūnṛ́tābhiḥ ǁ
In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi introduces us to the dynamic of divine commerce and human generosity, focusing on the dawn as a time of awakening and offering. The one who moves early at dawn (prātaritvā) secures the precious ratna—the spiritual and material treasure bestowed by the divine. Indra, the divine force of heroic power and abundance, readily grants broad and sustaining vitality (vayaḥ) to the person who approaches with offerings of wealth and sacrificial devotion. We see a vivid portrait of a patron or ritualist who approaches the altar at dawn, accompanied by rich chariots and sacred soma infusions. The Ṛṣi calls upon the officiants to pour out the exhilarating soma for the sacrificer, enhancing his strength and ensuring that he is surrounded by valiant heroes. This act establishes the foundational Vedic worldview: that giving, striving, and ritual alignment at the break of day unlock the floodgates of heavenly and earthly prosperity.
Verse 1: The early riser bestows the precious treasure, which the awakened one receives and lays close to heart; through it, growing in progeny and long life, the strong-heroed man enjoys the fullness of wealth.
Verse 2: Rich in cattle, gold, and horses, Indra grants vast sustenance to him who, early at dawn, approaches the eager giver with wealth, releasing his path like a bounding steed.
Verse 3: Today I come, seeking the well-doer at dawn, the son of the rite with a wealth-bearing chariot; make him drink the exhilarating juice of the stalk, and with truthful words expand his hero-protecting might.
Sāyaṇa interprets these verses primarily as a praise of the patron (yajamāna) who performs morning sacrifices and rewards the priests. Sri Aurobindo views the dawn (prātaritvā) and the soma of the stalk (aṃśu) as symbols of inner spiritual awakening and the extraction of the subtle essence of delight.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| प्राता | prātā | bestower, one who gives |
| रत्नम् | ratnam | precious treasure, jewel |
| प्रातरित्वा | prātaritvā | moving early in the morning |
| दधाति | dadhāti | holds, places, bestows |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सुगुरसत् | sugurasat | blessed with good cattle |
| सुहिरण्यः | suhiraṇyaḥ | possessing fine gold |
| इन्द्रः | indraḥ | Indra, the divine king of power |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सुकृतम् | sukṛtam | the well-doer, virtuous performer of rites |
| अंशोः | aṃśoḥ | of the soma stalk |
| सूनृताभिः | sūnṛtābhiḥ | with pleasant, true, and encouraging words |
Picture a resolute seeker stepping into the golden light of dawn, holding out a shining vessel of soma while divine chariots roll down from the sky to meet him.
Verses 4, 5, 6, 7
उप॑ क्षरंति॒ सिंध॑वो मयो॒भुव॑ ईजा॒नं च॑ य॒क्ष्यमा॑णं च धे॒नवः॑ । पृ॒णंतं॑ च॒ पपु॑रिं च श्रव॒स्यवो॑ घृ॒तस्य॒ धारा॒ उप॑ यंति वि॒श्वतः॑ ॥
úpa kṣaranti síndhavo mayobhúva ījānám ca yakṣyámāṇam ca dhenávaḥ ǀ pṛṇántam ca pápurim ca śravasyávo ghṛtásya dhā́rā úpa yanti viśvátaḥ ǁ
नाक॑स्य पृ॒ष्ठे अधि॑ तिष्ठति श्रि॒तो यः पृ॒णाति॒ स ह॑ दे॒वेषु॑ गच्छति । तस्मा॒ आपो॑ घृ॒तम॑र्षंति॒ सिंध॑व॒स्तस्मा॑ इ॒यं दक्षि॑णा पिन्वते॒ सदा॑ ॥
nā́kasya pṛṣṭhé ádhi tiṣṭhati śritó yáḥ pṛṇā́ti sá ha devéṣu gacchati ǀ tásmā ā́po ghṛtámarṣanti síndhavastásmā iyám dákṣiṇā pinvate sádā ǁ
दक्षि॑णावता॒मिदि॒मानि॑ चि॒त्रा दक्षि॑णावतां दि॒वि सूर्या॑सः । दक्षि॑णावंतो अ॒मृतं॑ भजंते॒ दक्षि॑णावंतः॒ प्र ति॑रंत॒ आयुः॑ ॥
dákṣiṇāvatāmídimā́ni citrā́ dákṣiṇāvatām diví sū́ryāsaḥ ǀ dákṣiṇāvanto amṛ́tam bhajante dákṣiṇāvantaḥ prá tiranta ā́yuḥ ǁ
मा पृ॒णंतो॒ दुरि॑त॒मेन॒ आर॒न्मा जा॑रिषुः सू॒रयः॑ सुव्र॒तासः॑ । अ॒न्यस्तेषां॑ परि॒धिर॑स्तु॒ कश्चि॒दपृ॑णंतम॒भि सं यं॑तु॒ शोकाः॑ ॥
mā́ pṛṇánto dúritaména ā́ranmā́ jāriṣuḥ sūráyaḥ suvratā́saḥ ǀ anyástéṣām paridhírastu káścidápṛṇantamabhí sám yantu śókāḥ ǁ
In this concluding act, the Sūkta elevates the concept of Dakṣiṇā (sacrificial gift or bounty) from a simple ritual fee to a cosmic principle. Rivers of honeyed grace (ghṛtasya dhārāḥ) flow from all sides toward the generous patron and the one who prepares for the sacrifice. Generosity is not merely an earthly transaction; it is a ladder to the heavens. The verse proclaims that he who gives and shares stands firmly on the ridge of the firmament (nākasya pṛṣṭhe), mingling with the gods. The rivers of heaven constantly pour clarified butter upon the generous soul, and the divine Dakṣiṇā herself continuously yields her milk to him. Those who practice Dakṣiṇā attain immortality and expand their life force, while radiant suns shine upon them in the heavenly realms. Conversely, the hymn ends with a stark warning against stinginess, praying that the generous and faithful patrons be spared from sin and sorrow, while misery and burning grief envelop those who refuse to share.
Verse 4: Rivers of joy flow from all sides toward the sacrificer, the future sacrificer, the generous giver, and the liberal patron, like streams of clarified butter.
Verse 5: He who gives stands firmly upon the ridge of heaven; he goes indeed among the gods. For him the rivers of ghee flow, and for him this Dakṣiṇā milks forth forever.
Verse 6: These wondrous things belong to the givers of Dakṣiṇā; for them shine the suns in heaven. The givers of Dakṣiṇā partake of immortality and lengthen their span of life.
Verse 7: May the generous givers never fall into evil or sin, may the noble and steadfast patrons never wane; let another be their boundary, and let burning griefs surround the one who gives nothing.
Traditional commentators emphasize Dakṣiṇā as the ritual fee given to brāhmaṇas during sacrifices, leading to heavenly rewards. Mystical interpreters like Sri Aurobindo view Dakṣiṇā as the inner surrender and distribution of one's spiritual attainments, which opens the higher planes of consciousness (nākasya pṛṣṭhe).
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सिन्धवः | sindhavaḥ | rivers, streams |
| मयोजुभः | mayobhuvaḥ | bringing bliss or delight |
| धेनवः | dhenavaḥ | milch cows, nourishers |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| नाकस्य | nākasya | of heaven, the painless realm |
| पृष्ठे | pṛṣṭhe | on the back or ridge |
| दक्षिणा | dakṣiṇā | sacrificial gift, bounty, personified grace |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| दक्षिणावताम् | dakṣiṇāvatām | of those who give sacrificial gifts |
| चित्रा | citrā | bright, wonderful, variegated |
| अमृतम् | amṛtam | immortality, ambrosia |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| पृणन्तः | pṛṇantaḥ | those who fill, the generous givers |
| दुरितम् | duritam | difficult path, sin, evil |
| अपृणन्तम् | apṛṇantam | the ungenerous, one who does not give |
Imagine a person standing triumphantly on a mountain peak touching the sun, while rivers of golden honey stream endlessly toward them from the heavens because of their open-handed generosity.