Verse 10श्रो॒णामेक॑ उद॒कं गामवा॑जति मां॒समेकः॑ पिंशति सू॒नयाभृ॑तं ।
आ नि॒म्रुचः॒ शकृ॒देको॒ अपा॑भर॒त्किं स्वि॑त्पु॒त्रेभ्यः॑ पि॒तरा॒ उपा॑वतुः ॥
śroṇā́méka udakám gā́mávājati māṃsámékaḥ piṃśati sūnáyā́bhṛtam ǀ
ā́ nimrúcaḥ śákṛdéko ápābharatkím svitputrébhyaḥ pitárā úpāvatuḥ ǁ
Verse 11उ॒द्वत्स्व॑स्मा अकृणोतना॒ तृणं॑ नि॒वत्स्व॒पः स्व॑प॒स्यया॑ नरः ।
अगो॑ह्यस्य॒ यदस॑स्तना गृ॒हे तद॒द्येदमृ॑भवो॒ नानु॑ गच्छथ ॥
udvátsvasmā akṛṇotanā tṛ́ṇam nivátsvapáḥ svapasyáyā naraḥ ǀ
ágohyasya yádásastanā gṛhé tádadyédámṛbhavo nā́nu gacchatha ǁ
Verse 12सं॒मील्य॒ यद्भुव॑ना प॒र्यस॑र्पत॒ क्व॑ स्वित्ता॒त्या पि॒तरा॑ व आसतुः ।
अश॑पत॒ यः क॒रस्नं॑ व आद॒दे यः प्राब्र॑वी॒त्प्रो तस्मा॑ अब्रवीतन ॥
saṃmī́lya yádbhúvanā paryásarpata kvá svittātyā́ pitárā va āsatuḥ ǀ
áśapata yáḥ karásnam va ādadé yáḥ prā́bravītpró tásmā abravītana ǁ
Verse 13सु॒षु॒प्वांस॑ ऋभव॒स्तद॑पृच्छ॒तागो॑ह्य॒ क इ॒दं नो॑ अबूबुधत् ।
श्वानं॑ ब॒स्तो बो॑धयि॒तार॑मब्रवीत्संवत्स॒र इ॒दम॒द्या व्य॑ख्यत ॥
suṣupvā́ṃsa ṛbhavastádapṛcchatā́gohya ká idám no abūbudhat ǀ
śvā́nam bastó bodhayitā́ramabravītsaṃvatsará idámadyā́ vyákhyata ǁ
Verse 14दि॒वा यां॑ति म॒रुतो॒ भूम्या॒ग्निर॒यं वातो॑ अं॒तरि॑क्षेण याति ।
अ॒द्भिर्या॑ति॒ वरु॑णः समु॒द्रैर्यु॒ष्माँ इ॒च्छंतः॑ शवसो नपातः ॥
divā́ yānti marúto bhū́myāgnírayám vā́to antárikṣeṇa yāti ǀ
adbhíryāti váruṇaḥ samudráiryuṣmā́m̐ icchántaḥ śavaso napātaḥ ǁ
📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context
In the concluding movement of the Sūkta, a curious allegorical narrative unfolds. The Ṛbhus fell into a deep, twelve-day slumber in the house of Agohya ('the Unconcealable One'). When they awoke after a full year, they asked who had awakened them. A dog and a goat (or similar symbolic figures) had roused them to the passage of time.
They reflect on their cosmic wandering across the worlds and curse the thief who stole their handle (karasna). Finally, the Sūkta widens its lens to encompass the entire cosmos: the Maruts traverse the sky, Agni the earth, Vāta the midspace, and Varuṇa the oceans, all joining in the universal quest for the radiant energy of the Ṛbhus.
💭 Flowing Translation
Verse 10: One drives water to the lame, another shapes flesh brought by good fortune, one clears away the dung before sunset—what indeed did the parents bestow upon their sons?
Verse 11: O heroes, you made grass on the heights and waters in the depths through your skillful craftsmanship. What you rested in the house of the Unconcealable One, that today you traverse once more, O Ṛbhus.
Verse 12: Closing your eyes, you roamed across all worlds; where, pray, were your ancient parents? You cursed him who seized your cup's handle, and to him who spoke out, you answered in return.
Verse 13: Having slept long, O Ṛbhus, you asked: 'O Agohya, who has awakened us?' The dog declared the goat to be the awakener. At the end of the year, you beheld this world anew.
Verse 14: The Maruts travel through the sky, Agni upon the earth, Vāta moves through the atmosphere, and Varuṇa travels through the waters of the oceans, seeking you, O descendants of energetic force.
📝 Scholar's Reading Note
The twelve days of sleep followed by waking after a year is interpreted by commentators as a symbolic journey through the solstices or the cycle of the seasons, where the Ṛbhus rest in the house of the Sun before returning refreshed.
🧠Memory Hook
Picture a group of sages waking up after a year-long meditative trance while the sun, wind, and rain roar across the cosmic landscape around them.