Verses 1, 2, 3
सु॒षु॒मा या॑त॒मद्रि॑भि॒र्गोश्री॑ता मत्स॒रा इ॒मे सोमा॑सो मत्स॒रा इ॒मे । आ रा॑जाना दिविस्पृशास्म॒त्रा गं॑त॒मुप॑ नः । इ॒मे वां॑ मित्रावरुणा॒ गवा॑शिरः॒ सोमाः॑ शु॒क्रा गवा॑शिरः ॥
suṣumā́ yātamádribhirgóśrītā matsarā́ imé sómāso matsarā́ imé ǀ ā́ rājānā divispṛśāsmatrā́ gantamúpa naḥ ǀ imé vām mitrāvaruṇā gávāśiraḥ sómāḥ śukrā́ gávāśiraḥ ǁ
इ॒म आ या॑त॒मिंद॑वः॒ सोमा॑सो॒ दध्या॑शिरः सु॒तासो॒ दध्या॑शिरः । उ॒त वा॑मु॒षसो॑ बु॒धि सा॒कं सूर्य॑स्य र॒श्मिभिः॑ । सु॒तो मि॒त्राय॒ वरु॑णाय पी॒तये॒ चारु॑र्ऋ॒ताय॑ पी॒तये॑ ॥
imá ā́ yātamíndavaḥ sómāso dádhyāśiraḥ sutā́so dádhyāśiraḥ ǀ utá vāmuṣáso budhí sākám sū́ryasya raśmíbhiḥ ǀ sutó mitrā́ya váruṇāya pītáye cā́rurṛtā́ya pītáye ǁ
तां वां॑ धे॒नुं न वा॑स॒रीमं॒शुं दु॑हं॒त्यद्रि॑भिः॒ सोमं॑ दुहं॒त्यद्रि॑भिः । अ॒स्म॒त्रा गं॑त॒मुप॑ नो॒ऽर्वांचा॒ सोम॑पीतये । अ॒यं वां॑ मित्रावरुणा॒ नृभिः॑ सु॒तः सोम॒ आ पी॒तये॑ सु॒तः ॥
tā́m vām dhenúm ná vāsarī́maṃśúm duhantyádribhiḥ sómam duhantyádribhiḥ ǀ asmatrā́ gantamúpa no’rvā́ñcā sómapītaye ǀ ayám vām mitrāvaruṇā nṛ́bhiḥ sutáḥ sóma ā́ pītáye sutáḥ ǁ
In this sacred sūkta, the Ṛṣi directs our attention to the dual divinity of Mitra and Varuṇa—the upholders of Ṛta (cosmic and moral order), bound together in an inseparable cosmic partnership. The sacrifice is fully set: the pressing stones (adri) have crushed the stalks of the bright Soma plant, and the milky mixtures (go-śrītā and dadhy-āśiraḥ) have been poured in to enrich the exhilarating beverage. The Ṛṣi calls upon the two sovereign rulers whose domain touches the very vault of heaven (divi-spṛśā) to draw near to the mortal space and partake of the offerings. The poetry pulses with rhythmic repetition—a stylistic device in the Rigveda that mirrors the steady, hypnotic thudding of the pressing stones and the rising fervor of invocation. The Soma is described not merely as a physical drink, but as an intoxicating, life-giving surge (matsarāḥ) that awakens divine consciousness right at the break of dawn, alongside the flashing rays of Sūrya. It is pressed by human hands (nṛbhiḥ) yet likened to a bellowing, lowing cow (dhenum... vāsarīm) yielding its nourishing milk, pointing directly to the inner psycho-spiritual extraction of divine bliss within the human heart.
Verse 1: Come forth, O Mitra and Varuṇa, to our pressing-stones where the exhilarating Soma has been mixed with milk; come down from the heavens to reach us, for these bright, milk-blended juices are ready for you.
Verse 2: Come hither, O inspiring Soma-drops curdled with milk, pressed for drinking; come at the awakening of Uṣās, together with the radiant beams of the sun, delightful and prepared for Mitra and Varuṇa and for the truth of Ṛta.
Verse 3: They milk the stalk with the pressing stones just as one milks a bellowing cow; turn hither toward us, O Mitra and Varuṇa, for the drinking of Soma, which has been pressed for you by men.
The translation adheres closely to Sāyaṇa’s traditional ritualistic interpretation, where the physical pressing of the Soma plant and its mixing with cow's milk and curds are central. From a psychological and esoteric perspective, following Sri Aurobindo, the pressing stones represent the discipline that extracts the inner ecstasy (Soma) from the dense physical plant of the nervous system, while Mitra and Varuṇa symbolize the divine powers of harmony and vast moral-cosmic law that govern spiritual growth.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सुषुमा | suṣumā | well-pressed, beautifully prepared |
| यातम् | yātam | come (dual imperative) |
| अद्रिभिः | adribhiḥ | with the pressing-stones |
| गोश्रीता | gośrītā | mixed with cow's milk |
| मत्सराः | matsarāḥ | exhilarating, gladdening |
| राजाना | rājānā | two kings (Mitra and Varuṇa) |
| दिविस्पृशा | divispṛśā | touching the sky/heavens |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| इन्दवः | indavaḥ | drops of Soma, glowing drops |
| दध्याशिरः | dadhyāśiraḥ | mixed with curd or sour milk |
| उषसः | uṣasaḥ | of the dawn |
| बुधि | budhi | at the awakening |
| सूर्यस्य | sūryasya | of the sun |
| ऋताय | ṛtāya | for the sake of Ṛta (cosmic order/truth) |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| धेनुम् | dhenum | cow, milch cow |
| वासरीम् | vāsarīm | lowing, vocal, active at dawn |
| अंशुम् | aṃśum | stalk of the Soma plant |
| दुहन्ति | duhanti | they milk, extract |
| अर्वाञ्चा | arvāñcā | turned hitherward, approaching |
| नृभिः | nṛbhiḥ | by men, by the leaders/priests |
Imagine a pair of noble kings standing on a mountain peak that touches the clouds, while priests below churn a golden-white elixir that sings like a calling cow at dawn.