Verses 1, 2
विष्णो॒र्नु कं॑ वी॒र्या॑णि॒ प्र वो॑चं॒ यः पार्थि॑वानि विम॒मे रजां॑सि । यो अस्क॑भाय॒दुत्त॑रं स॒धस्थं॑ विचक्रमा॒णस्त्रे॒धोरु॑गा॒यः ॥
víṣṇornú kam vīryā́ṇi prá vocam yáḥ pā́rthivāni vimamé rájāṃsi ǀ yó áskabhāyadúttaram sadhástham vicakramāṇástredhórugāyáḥ ǁ
प्र तद्विष्णुः॑ स्तवते वी॒र्ये॑ण मृ॒गो न भी॒मः कु॑च॒रो गि॑रि॒ष्ठाः । यस्यो॒रुषु॑ त्रि॒षु वि॒क्रम॑णेष्वधिक्षि॒यंति॒ भुव॑नानि॒ विश्वा॑ ॥
prá tádvíṣṇuḥ stavate vīryéṇa mṛgó ná bhīmáḥ kucaró giriṣṭhā́ḥ ǀ yásyorúṣu triṣú vikrámaṇeṣvadhikṣiyánti bhúvanāni víśvā ǁ
In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi Dirghatamas invites us to contemplate the supreme heroic deeds of Viṣṇu, the deity who measures out the earthly spaces and props up the highest realm. Unlike the turbulent storm gods, Viṣṇu's majesty is expressed through vast, steady strides that encompass the entire universe. He is described as a fierce wild beast dwelling on the mountains, untamed and majestic, whose three great steps support all living and moving worlds. The imagery shifts between the vast cosmic expanse—the measurement of physical realms—and the intimate dwelling of all existence within His three grand paces. The Ṛṣi is praising the foundational stability that Viṣṇu brings to the cosmos, showing how the physical earth and the invisible heights are held in balance by His divine pervasiveness.
Verse 1: Now I declare the heroic deeds of Viṣṇu, who measured out the earthly spaces and propped up the supreme dwelling place, striding far and wide in three steps.
Verse 2: Thus Viṣṇu is praised for His heroism, like a fierce, roaming mountain-dwelling beast, within whose three vast paces all worlds reside.
Sāyaṇa interprets the mountain-dwelling beast as a metaphor for the unassailable and lofty nature of Viṣṇu. Modern commentators like Sri Aurobindo see the three strides as the crossing of the lower, middle, and highest planes of consciousness (earth, sky, and heaven or the supreme supermind).
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| विष्णु | viṣṇu | The all-pervading deity |
| वीर्याणि | vīryāṇi | Heroic deeds or powers |
| पार्थिवानि | pārthivāni | Relating to the earth |
| उरुगाय | urugāya | Wideranging, widely praised |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| मृग | mṛga | Wild animal, beast |
| गिरिष्ठा | giriṣṭhā | Standing or dwelling on the mountain |
| विक्रमणेषु | vikramaṇeṣu | In strides or steps |
| भुवनानि | bhuvanāni | Worlds or living beings |
Picture a majestic lion pacing across mountain peaks, each footprint stamping out a massive realm of existence—this is Viṣṇu measuring the cosmos.
Verses 3, 4
प्र विष्ण॑वे शू॒षमे॑तु॒ मन्म॑ गिरि॒क्षित॑ उरुगा॒याय॒ वृष्णे॑ । य इ॒दं दी॒र्घं प्रय॑तं स॒धस्थ॒मेको॑ विम॒मे त्रि॒भिरित्प॒देभिः॑ ॥
prá víṣṇave śūṣámetu mánma girikṣíta urugāyā́ya vṛ́ṣṇe ǀ yá idám dīrghám práyatam sadhásthaméko vimamé tribhírítpadébhiḥ ǁ
यस्य॒ त्री पू॒र्णा मधु॑ना प॒दान्यक्षी॑यमाणा स्व॒धया॒ मदं॑ति । य उ॑ त्रि॒धातु॑ पृथि॒वीमु॒त द्यामेको॑ दा॒धार॒ भुव॑नानि॒ विश्वा॑ ॥
yásya trī́ pūrṇā́ mádhunā padā́nyákṣīyamāṇā svadháyā mádanti ǀ yá u tridhā́tu pṛthivī́mutá dyā́méko dādhā́ra bhúvanāni víśvā ǁ
The Ṛṣi continues his song, urging devotion to rise toward the mountain-dwelling, widely praised Lord who single-handedly measured out the expansive, stretched-out world with just three steps. These three footsteps are not merely physical paces; they are filled with sweetness (madhu) and remain forever undiminished, sustained by their own inner law of truth (svadhā). In the fourth verse, the cosmic architecture is revealed: Viṣṇu alone holds up the earth, heaven, and all the worlds in a threefold manifestation. The narrative emphasizes the supreme autonomy and sustaining power of the deity, whose grace overflows continuously into the creation.
Verse 3: Let the soaring prayer of the mind go forth to Viṣṇu, the mountain-dweller, the widely-praised bull, who single-handedly measured this long, extended realm with only three steps.
Verse 4: Whose three steps are filled with honey, unfading, rejoicing in their own self-law, who alone supports the earth, heaven, and all worlds in a threefold way.
Yāska, in the Nirukta, famously explains Viṣṇu's three steps as the rising, culmination, and setting of the sun (earth, atmosphere, and sky), while spiritual interpreters view them as the descent of divine light into the human heart.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| शूष | śūṣa | Vigour, inspiration, or loud song |
| मन्म | manma | Thought, prayer, or hymn |
| पदेभि | padebhi | By steps or footprints |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| मधुना | madhunā | With honey or sweet nectar |
| अक्षीयमाणा | akṣīyamāṇā | Undiminished, imperishable |
| त्रिधातु | tridhātu | Triple-layered, threefold |
Imagine giant footprints left across the sky, overflowing with golden honey that never runs dry, holding the roof of heaven and floor of earth firmly in place.
Verses 5, 6
तद॑स्य प्रि॒यम॒भि पाथो॑ अश्यां॒ नरो॒ यत्र॑ देव॒यवो॒ मदं॑ति । उ॒रु॒क्र॒मस्य॒ स हि बंधु॑रि॒त्था विष्णोः॑ प॒दे प॑र॒मे मध्व॒ उत्सः॑ ॥
tádasya priyámabhí pā́tho aśyām náro yátra devayávo mádanti ǀ urukramásya sá hí bándhuritthā́ víṣṇoḥ padé paramé mádhva útsaḥ ǁ
ता वां॒ वास्तू॑न्युश्मसि॒ गम॑ध्यै॒ यत्र॒ गावो॒ भूरि॑शृंगा अ॒यासः॑ । अत्राह॒ तदु॑रुगा॒यस्य॒ वृष्णः॑ पर॒मं प॒दमव॑ भाति॒ भूरि॑ ॥
tā́ vām vā́stūnyuśmasi gámadhyai yátra gā́vo bhū́riśṛṅgā ayā́saḥ ǀ átrā́ha tádurugāyásya vṛ́ṣṇaḥ paramám padámáva bhāti bhū́ri ǁ
The Sūkta culminates in an intensely yearning prayer. The Ṛṣi longs to reach that dear, supreme pasture of Viṣṇu where seekers of the divine rejoice. For here, in the highest step of the all-pervading Lord, is the very fountainhead of honey and divine bliss. In the final verse, the chant broadens into a collective aspiration: 'We desire to go to those homes of yours where the many-horned, agile cows roam.' This points directly to the highest step of the widely-praised Lord, which shines brilliantly above all, representing the ultimate goal of the spiritual journey—the luminous pasture of supreme illumination.
Verse 5: May I attain that dear pasture of His where the God-seeking mortals rejoice, for he is the true friend of the wide-striding Viṣṇu—the fountain of honey in the highest step.
Verse 6: We wish to go to those homes of you two where the swift, many-horned cattle roam; for right there, the supreme step of the widely-praised Bull shines forth in all its abundance.
Tradition equates the 'many-horned cows' with the rays of light or higher illuminations of the mind. Sāyaṇa views them literally as divine cattle in heaven, whereas spiritual commentators see them as symbols of higher consciousness grazing in the infinite pastures of the Infinite.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| पाथ | pātha | Abode, path, or pasture |
| देवयव | devayava | Seeking the gods, devout |
| उत्स | utsa | Spring, fountain, or source |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| वास्तूनि | vāstūni | Dwellings, abodes, or homesteads |
| गाव | gāva | Cows or rays of light |
| भूरिशृंग | bhūriśṛṅga | Many-horned |
Picture a lush, sunlit meadow at the summit of the highest mountain, filled with radiant, many-horned cows drinking from an endless fountain of honey—the ultimate destination of the soul.