Verses 1, 2, 3
भवा॑ मि॒त्रो न शेव्यो॑ घृ॒तासु॑ति॒र्विभू॑तद्युम्न एव॒या उ॑ स॒प्रथाः॑ । अधा॑ ते विष्णो वि॒दुषा॑ चि॒दर्ध्यः॒ स्तोमो॑ य॒ज्ञश्च॒ राध्यो॑ ह॒विष्म॑ता ॥
bhávā mitró ná śévyo ghṛtā́sutirvíbhūtadyumna evayā́ u sapráthāḥ ǀ ádhā te viṣṇo vidúṣā cidárdhyaḥ stómo yajñáśca rā́dhyo havíṣmatā ǁ
यः पू॒र्व्याय॑ वे॒धसे॒ नवी॑यसे सु॒मज्जा॑नये॒ विष्ण॑वे॒ ददा॑शति । यो जा॒तम॑स्य मह॒तो महि॒ ब्रव॒त्सेदु॒ श्रवो॑भि॒र्युज्यं॑ चिद॒भ्य॑सत् ॥
yáḥ pūrvyā́ya vedháse návīyase sumájjānaye víṣṇave dádāśati ǀ yó jātámasya maható máhi brávatsédu śrávobhiryújyam cidabhyasat ǁ
तमु॑ स्तोतारः पू॒र्व्यं यथा॑ वि॒द ऋ॒तस्य॒ गर्भं॑ ज॒नुषा॑ पिपर्तन । आस्य॑ जा॒नंतो॒ नाम॑ चिद्विवक्तन म॒हस्ते॑ विष्णो सुम॒तिं भ॑जामहे ॥
támu stotāraḥ pūrvyám yáthā vidá ṛtásya gárbham janúṣā pipartana ǀ ā́sya jānánto nā́ma cidvivaktana maháste viṣṇo sumatím bhajāmahe ǁ
In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi introduces us to Viṣṇu, not merely as a later mythological deity, but as an expansive cosmic principle—the one whose striding brings order and vastness to the universe. He is described as a friend like Mitra, overflowing with the sweetness of the oblation (ghṛtāsuti), glorious, and spreading far and wide (saprathāḥ). The poet urges the assembly of seekers to approach this ancient yet ever-new creator (pūrvyāya vedhase navīyase) with dedicated worship, recognizing Him as the secret womb of cosmic truth (ṛtasya garbham). To know Viṣṇu is to participate in the ongoing creation of the cosmos. The Ṛṣi emphasizes that whoever offers devotion and speaks of the great birth of this mighty force aligns themselves with higher realms of light and power (śravobhir yujyam cid abhyasat). We are invited to articulate His name with reverence, tapping into a benevolent, sublime intelligence that sustains our highest aspirations.
Verse 1: Be thou, O Viṣṇu, like Mitra, a dear and bountiful friend, pouring forth light and spreading wide across the worlds; may your hymn and sacrifice be worthy and fruitful to the worshipper bearing oblations.
Verse 2: He who dedicates himself to the ancient yet ever-new Creator, the harmoniously manifested Viṣṇu, and who proclaims the mighty birth of this great One, truly attains a companionable force of glorious illumination.
Verse 3: O singers, foster Him as the primeval womb of cosmic order just as you know Him; uttering His name with clear understanding, we seek and embrace your sublime grace, O Viṣṇu.
Sāyaṇa interprets these verses through the lens of ritual sacrifice and historical deity roles, viewing Viṣṇu as the supreme sacrifice personified. Sri Aurobindo and esoteric commentators see 'Viṣṇu' as the all-pervading cosmic consciousness that measures out the psychological planes (earth, mid-world, heaven) within the seeker's inner being.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| भव | bhava | be, become |
| मित्रः | mitraḥ | friend, the solar deity of contracts and harmony |
| शेव्यः | śevyaḥ | dear, worthy of love or service |
| घृतऽआसुतिः | ghṛta-āsutiḥ | one who pours or possesses the oblation of clarified butter |
| सऽप्रथाः | sa-prathāḥ | spreading wide, extending everywhere |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| पूर्व्याय | pūrvyāya | to the ancient, primeval |
| वेधसे | vedhase | to the creator, ordainer, or wise arranger |
| नवीयसे | navīyase | to the ever-new, most youthful |
| विष्णवे | viṣṇave | to Viṣṇu, the all-pervading |
| ददाशति | dadāśati | worships, offers gifts |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| स्तोतारः | stotāraḥ | O singers, praisers |
| ऋतस्य | ṛtasya | of Ṛta, cosmic truth and order |
| गर्भम् | garbham | womb, embryo, inner essence |
| नाम | nāma | name, secret identity |
| सुऽमतिम् | su-matim | benevolent mindset, grace, true intelligence |
Imagine an infinite horizon opening up under the vast sky—that is Viṣṇu, the ancient yet ever-new friend holding the cosmic womb of truth.
Verses 4, 5
तम॑स्य॒ राजा॒ वरु॑ण॒स्तम॒श्विना॒ क्रतुं॑ सचंत॒ मारु॑तस्य वे॒धसः॑ । दा॒धार॒ दक्ष॑मुत्त॒मम॑ह॒र्विदं॑ व्र॒जं च॒ विष्णुः॒ सखि॑वाँ अपोर्णु॒ते ॥
támasya rā́jā váruṇastámaśvínā krátum sacanta mā́rutasya vedhásaḥ ǀ dādhā́ra dákṣamuttamámaharvídam vrajám ca víṣṇuḥ sákhivām̐ aporṇuté ǁ
आ यो वि॒वाय॑ स॒चथा॑य॒ दैव्य॒ इंद्रा॑य॒ विष्णुः॑ सु॒कृते॑ सु॒कृत्त॑रः । वे॒धा अ॑जिन्वत्त्रिषध॒स्थ आर्य॑मृ॒तस्य॑ भा॒गे यज॑मान॒माभ॑जत् ॥
ā́ yó vivā́ya sacáthāya dáivya índrāya víṣṇuḥ sukṛ́te sukṛ́ttaraḥ ǀ vedhā́ ajinvattriṣadhasthá ā́ryamṛtásya bhāgé yájamānamā́bhajat ǁ
As the Sūkta reaches its climax, Viṣṇu's cosmic stature is validated by the greatest guardians of the divine order. Varuṇa, the Aśvins, and the Maruts align themselves with His supreme will and dynamic force (kratu). Viṣṇu is the one who upholds the ultimate spiritual dexterity (dakṣam uttamam), unlocking the hidden pens of light—the vrajam—as a true friend to humanity. In the final verse, Viṣṇu acts as the supreme collaborator with Indra, the sovereign mind of luminous awareness. He is described as 'more accomplished than the most accomplished' (sukṛttaraḥ), a master builder who occupies the three cosmic stations (triṣadhasthaḥ). Because of this vast mastery, He assigns to the sincere yajamāna (sacrificer) their rightful share in the immortal bliss of Ṛta.
Verse 4: King Varuṇa, the Aśvins, and the wise Maruts cleave to His divine will; Viṣṇu holds the supreme spiritual skill and, as a true friend, unseals the hidden pen of spiritual light.
Verse 5: The divine Viṣṇu, dwelling in the triple status, more accomplished than the doer of good deeds, exerted Himself for the sake of Indra's sacred work, and led the sacrificer into his share of cosmic truth.
Sāyaṇa explains the 'three abodes' as earth, atmosphere, and heaven, or the three daily pressings of Soma. Aurobindo interprets the 'three stations' as the physical, vital, and mental (or higher spiritual) planes of consciousness where the all-pervading divine principle operates.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| वरुणः | varuṇaḥ | Varuṇa, sovereign of cosmic law and moral order |
| अश्विना | aśvinā | the twin divine physicians and miracle workers |
| क्रतुम् | kratum | will, power, sacred intent, or ritual action |
| दक्षम् | dakṣam | dexterity, capacity, skill |
| व्रजम् | vrajam | pen, enclosure, stable of cows/light |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| इन्द्राय | indrāya | for Indra, the lord of luminous mind |
| सुकृत्ऽतरः | sukṛt-taraḥ | most proficient in executing good or divine works |
| त्रिऽसधस्थः | tri-sadhasthaḥ | seated in three abodes or worlds |
| ऋतस्य | ṛtasya | of truth, cosmic law |
| भागे | bhāge | into the share, portion, inheritance |
Picture a master architect unlocking a treasure vault (vraja) and handing you the key to your rightful inheritance of light—that is Viṣṇu aligning with Indra.