Verses 1, 2
प्रति॑ व ए॒ना नम॑सा॒हमे॑मि सू॒क्तेन॑ भिक्षे सुम॒तिं तु॒राणां॑ । र॒रा॒णता॑ मरुतो वे॒द्याभि॒र्नि हेळो॑ ध॒त्त वि मु॑चध्व॒मश्वा॑न् ॥
práti va enā́ námasāhámemi sūkténa bhikṣe sumatím turā́ṇām ǀ rarāṇátā maruto vedyā́bhirní héḷo dhattá ví mucadhvamáśvān ǁ
ए॒ष वः॒ स्तोमो॑ मरुतो॒ नम॑स्वान्हृ॒दा त॒ष्टो मन॑सा धायि देवाः । उपे॒मा या॑त॒ मन॑सा जुषा॒णा यू॒यं हि ष्ठा नम॑स॒ इद्वृ॒धासः॑ ॥
eṣá vaḥ stómo maruto námasvānhṛdā́ taṣṭó mánasā dhāyi devāḥ ǀ úpemā́ yāta mánasā juṣāṇā́ yūyám hí ṣṭhā́ námasa ídvṛdhā́saḥ ǁ
In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi approaches the tempestuous Maruts with deep reverence, offering a hymn of submission to calm their formidable wrath. Knowing the fierce and unpredictable nature of these storm-deities, the poet comes forward with bowed head and intentional praise, seeking their benevolent mind rather than their destructive fury. The Ṛṣi confesses that the praise has been carefully crafted within the heart and shaped by the mind, designed specifically to touch the divine consciousness of the Maruts. He reminds them that they are ever-ready to grow through such acts of homage, inviting them to accept the sacrifice with gladness and to cast aside their weapons of wrath so that all hostility may cease.
Verse 1: With this homage I come before you, O Maruts, and through a well-fashioned hymn I beg for the gracious mind of the impetuous ones; put away your wrath, show your familiar wisdom towards us, and unyoke your horses.
Verse 2: This our song of praise, O Maruts, fashioned by the heart and conceived by the mind, has been laid before you, O gods; come hither to it with glad hearts, for you are indeed those who grow through homage.
Sāyaṇa interprets the unyoking of horses as a literal cessation of the Maruts' march across the sky, while Sri Aurobindo sees it as the calming of turbulent mental forces during spiritual practice.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| प्रति | prati | towards, against |
| नमसा | namasā | with homage or bowing |
| मारुत | marutaḥ | O Maruts (storm-gods) |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| स्तोमः | stomaḥ | hymn of praise |
| हृदा | hṛdā | by the heart |
| मनसा | manasā | by the mind |
Picture a traveler lowering their umbrella in the eye of a sudden tempest, offering a gentle gift to calm the roaring winds until the storm-gods finally unyoke their wild horses.
Verses 3, 4
स्तु॒तासो॑ नो म॒रुतो॑ मृळयंतू॒त स्तु॒तो म॒घवा॒ शंभ॑विष्ठः । ऊ॒र्ध्वा नः॑ संतु को॒म्या वना॒न्यहा॑नि॒ विश्वा॑ मरुतो जिगी॒षा ॥
stutā́so no marúto mṛḷayantūtá stutó maghávā śámbhaviṣṭhaḥ ǀ ūrdhvā́ naḥ santu komyā́ vánānyáhāni víśvā maruto jigīṣā́ ǁ
अ॒स्माद॒हं त॑वि॒षादीष॑माण॒ इंद्रा॑द्भि॒या म॑रुतो॒ रेज॑मानः । यु॒ष्मभ्यं॑ ह॒व्या निशि॑तान्यास॒न्तान्या॒रे च॑कृमा मृ॒ळता॑ नः ॥
asmā́dahám taviṣā́dī́ṣamāṇa índrādbhiyā́ maruto réjamānaḥ ǀ yuṣmábhyam havyā́ níśitānyāsantā́nyāré cakṛmā mṛḷátā naḥ ǁ
The Ṛṣi reflects on the terrifying power of the divine forces that surround him, specifically mentioning Indra, whose immense strength causes even the sage to tremble. He confesses that mistakes were made, and offerings were perhaps misdirected or withheld out of fear, yet pleads for forgiveness and enduring mercy. There is a deeply human vulnerability here: the acknowledgment that mortal limitation constantly bumps against the infinite, overwhelming power of the cosmos. The Ṛṣi asks the Maruts to bring joy, to make the forests and days prosperous, and to sweep away any lingering shadows of fear.
Verse 3: May the praised Maruts show us grace, and may the praised Maghavan, most bountiful of givers, be gracious; may our forests stand upright and flourishing, and may all our days be filled with the victory of the Maruts.
Verse 4: Trembling with fear of that mighty Indra, O Maruts, I was struck with awe; our offerings were made ready for you, but we set them far away in fear—do show us mercy and pardon us.
Traditional commentators highlight this hymn as an example of ātma-nivedana (self-surrender) where the devotee openly admits human weakness before the absolute sovereignty of the divine.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| मृळयन्तु | mṛḷayantu | may they be gracious / show mercy |
| मघवान | maghavān | bountiful, generous (Indra) |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| तविषात् | taviṣāt | from the mighty one |
| रेजमानः | rejamānaḥ | trembling, quaking |
Imagine standing at the base of a roaring waterfall, feeling overwhelmed by its sheer volume, yet holding out cupped hands to catch a peaceful drop of water.
Verses 5, 6
येन॒ माना॑सश्चि॒तयं॑त उ॒स्रा व्यु॑ष्टिषु॒ शव॑सा॒ शश्व॑तीनां । स नो॑ म॒रुद्भि॑र्वृषभ॒ श्रवो॑ धा उ॒ग्र उ॒ग्रेभिः॒ स्थवि॑रः सहो॒दाः ॥
yéna mā́nāsaścitáyanta usrā́ vyúṣṭiṣu śávasā śáśvatīnām ǀ sá no marúdbhirvṛṣabha śrávo dhā ugrá ugrébhiḥ stháviraḥ sahodā́ḥ ǁ
त्वं पा॑हींद्र॒ सही॑यसो॒ नॄन्भवा॑ म॒रुद्भि॒रव॑यातहेळाः । सु॒प्र॒के॒तेभिः॑ सास॒हिर्दधा॑नो वि॒द्यामे॒षं वृ॒जनं॑ जी॒रदा॑नुं ॥
tvám pāhīndra sáhīyaso nṝ́nbhávā marúdbhirávayātaheḷāḥ ǀ supraketébhiḥ sāsahírdádhāno vidyā́meṣám vṛjánam jīrádānum ǁ
In the concluding verses, the Ṛṣi invokes the combined majesty of Indra and the Maruts. This partnership represents the coordination between the supreme illuminating consciousness (Indra) and the dynamic, life-giving storm forces (the Maruts) that sweep away ignorance. The Sūkta ends with a powerful benediction: a prayer for sustenance, enduring strength, and the ultimate realization of inner wealth. The poet prays that under the protection of Indra and the Maruts, the seeker may walk safely through all obstacles into a life of boundless spiritual vigor.
Verse 5: He by whose power the dawns shine forth with their bright lights day after day, may that bull-like Lord, together with the Maruts, bestow upon us glory—he who is terrible among the terrible, steadfast, and the giver of strength.
Verse 6: Do you, O Indra, protect these mighty men, and with the Maruts be one who has put away wrath; overcoming all foes and shining with clear light, may we attain the vital refreshment and the dynamic field of life.
Yāska emphasizes 'iṣam' as vital energy or sap of existence, while modern esoteric interpretations view it as the divine nourishment required for spiritual evolution.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| वृषभ | vṛṣabha | bull, lord, bountiful one |
| श्रवः | śravaḥ | glory, fame, hearing |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| पाहि | pāhi | protect |
| इषम् | iṣam | refreshment, nourishment |
Picture a majestic mountain peak bathed in the first golden rays of dawn after a night of torrential rain, representing clarity, peace, and renewed vitality.