Verses 1, 2
यजा॑महे वां म॒हः स॒जोषा॑ ह॒व्येभि॑र्मित्रावरुणा॒ नमो॑भिः । घृ॒तैर्घृ॑तस्नू॒ अध॒ यद्वा॑म॒स्मे अ॑ध्व॒र्यवो॒ न धी॒तिभि॒र्भरं॑ति ॥
yájāmahe vām maháḥ sajóṣā havyébhirmitrāvaruṇā námobhiḥ ǀ ghṛtáirghṛtasnū ádha yádvāmasmé adhvaryávo ná dhītíbhirbháranti ǁ
प्रस्तु॑तिर्वां॒ धाम॒ न प्रयु॑क्ति॒रया॑मि मित्रावरुणा सुवृ॒क्तिः । अ॒नक्ति॒ यद्वां॑ वि॒दथे॑षु॒ होता॑ सु॒म्नं वां॑ सू॒रिर्वृ॑षणा॒विय॑क्षन् ॥
prástutirvām dhā́ma ná práyuktiráyāmi mitrāvaruṇā suvṛktíḥ ǀ anákti yádvām vidátheṣu hótā sumnám vām sūrírvṛṣaṇāvíyakṣan ǁ
In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi approaches Mitra and Varuṇa with an offering bathed in clarity and devotion. The priests, acting as the bridge between human aspiration and cosmic grace, pour forth oblations and sacred prayers. There is a deep intimacy in how the Ṛṣi addresses the two deities together—Mitra, the lord of harmony and pacts, and Varuṇa, the guardian of cosmic vastness and truth (Ṛta). The imagery shifts to the sacrificial ground (vidatha), where the hotā (invoking priest) kindles the sacred fire and brightens the ritual space. The prayers are not merely mechanical recitations; they are spoken of as flowing streams of praise that actively seek the divine benevolence and well-being (sumnam) of the patrons who sponsor the sacrifice. The Ṛṣi emphasizes that the articulation of these hymns is well-formed and deliberate, designed to awaken the dual deities to partake in the flowing wealth of spiritual insight.
Verse 1: O Mitra and Varuṇa, well-pleased, we worship you both with mighty oblations and reverent salutations, while the priests bring forth our hymns, rich in clarifying butter, meant for you.
Verse 2: O Mitra and Varuṇa, this well-fashioned praise and intentional projection goes forth to you; the priest illuminates the sacred assembly, and the generous patron eagerly seeks your divine grace.
The translation adheres closely to Sāyaṇa’s ritualistic interpretation where adhvaryus and hotās perform physical sacrifices, while also incorporating Aurobindo's psychological reading of 'ghṛta' as clarified mental energy and 'vidatha' as the plane of sacred knowledge.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| यजामहे | yajāmahe | we worship / we offer sacrifice |
| मित्रावरुणा | mitrāvaruṇā | O Mitra and Varuṇa (dual vocative) |
| घृतैः | ghṛtaiḥ | with clarified butter / with life-sustaining energies |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| प्रस्तुतिः | prastutiḥ | eulogy / well-formulated praise |
| विदथेषु | vidatheṣu | in the sacrificial assemblies or gatherings of wisdom |
| सुम्नम् | sumnam | grace / benevolence / joy |
Picture a pristine morning altar where glowing butter meets rising flames, and twin pillars of smoke carry dual prayers straight to the cosmic guardians of truth.
Verses 3, 4
पी॒पाय॑ धे॒नुरदि॑तिर्ऋ॒ताय॒ जना॑य मित्रावरुणा हवि॒र्दे । हि॒नोति॒ यद्वां॑ वि॒दथे॑ सप॒र्यन्त्स रा॒तह॑व्यो॒ मानु॑षो॒ न होता॑ ॥
pīpā́ya dhenúráditirṛtā́ya jánāya mitrāvaruṇā havirdé ǀ hinóti yádvām vidáthe saparyántsá rātáhavyo mā́nuṣo ná hótā ǁ
उ॒त वां॑ वि॒क्षु मद्या॒स्वंधो॒ गाव॒ आप॑श्च पीपयंत दे॒वीः । उ॒तो नो॑ अ॒स्य पू॒र्व्यः पति॒र्दन्वी॒तं पा॒तं पय॑स उ॒स्रिया॑याः ॥
utá vām vikṣú mádyāsvándho gā́va ā́paśca pīpayanta devī́ḥ ǀ utó no asyá pūrvyáḥ pátirdánvītám pātám páyasa usríyāyāḥ ǁ
The concluding movement of the Sūkta expands into lush pastoral imagery representing spiritual abundance. Aditi, the boundless mother of the gods, swells with milk for the human seeker who honors the cosmic law of Ṛta and generously offers oblations. The mortal priest, fulfilling his sacred duties, stimulates this divine flow so that it nourishes the entire community. In the final verse, this divine sustenance pours into the homes of the people as intoxicating soma juice and the pure, life-giving waters and milk of the shining dawn cows. The Ṛṣi invokes Mitra and Varuṇa as the ancient protectors who guard this nourishing stream, praying that they may continually shield and nurture the sweetness of spiritual and material life.
Verse 3: Aditi, the boundless cow, swells with milk for the seeker devoted to Ṛta, the giver of oblations; the human priest devoted to his task stirs up this divine flow for you both in the assembly.
Verse 4: Moreover, among the clans, the intoxicating soma, the divine cows, and the waters swell for you both; may you, our ancient guardians, protect for us the sweet milk of the radiant dawn.
Sāyaṇa interprets 'gāvaḥ' and 'āpaḥ' literally as physical cows and water participating in the ritual feast. Psychological interpreters like Sri Aurobindo view 'gāvaḥ' as the rays of the inner sun of illumination and 'payas' as the flowing nectar of divine bliss.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| धेनुः | dhenuḥ | milch cow / nourishing source |
| अदितिः | aditiḥ | the boundless one / infinite mother |
| हविर्दे | havirde | to the giver of oblations |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| विक्षु | vikṣu | among the settlements or clans of people |
| गावः | gāvaḥ | cows / rays of light |
| उस्रियायाः | usriyāyāḥ | of the shining one / of the dawn or morning cow |
Imagine a divine udder representing infinite consciousness raining down sweet milk, pure waters, and intoxicating joy upon every home in the village.