Verses 1, 2
क॒त॒रा पूर्वा॑ कत॒राप॑रा॒योः क॒था जा॒ते क॑वयः॒ को वि वे॑द । विश्वं॒ त्मना॑ बिभृतो॒ यद्ध॒ नाम॒ वि व॑र्तेते॒ अह॑नी च॒क्रिये॑व ॥
katarā́ pū́rvā katarā́parāyóḥ kathā́ jāté kavayaḥ kó ví veda ǀ víśvam tmánā bibhṛto yáddha nā́ma ví vartete áhanī cakríyeva ǁ
भूरिं॒ द्वे अच॑रंती॒ चरं॑तं प॒द्वंतं॒ गर्भ॑म॒पदी॑ दधाते । नित्यं॒ न सू॒नुं पि॒त्रोरु॒पस्थे॒ द्यावा॒ रक्ष॑तं पृथिवी नो॒ अभ्वा॑त् ॥
bhū́rim dvé ácarantī cárantam padvántam gárbhamapádī dadhāte ǀ nítyam ná sūnúm pitrórupásthe dyā́vā rákṣatam pṛthivī no ábhvāt ǁ
In this opening movement, the Ṛṣi confronts the ultimate cosmic mystery: the primordial relationship between Dyāvāpṛthivī—Heaven and Earth. He asks which of the two came first, and how these vast powers manage to sustain the entire universe while constantly turning like two wheels, yet remaining intimately connected as parents to a newborn child. They hold the mobile and immobile creation within themselves, acting as universal protectors. The imagery shifts from abstract cosmic mechanics to the tenderness of parental care. Heaven and Earth are depicted as boundless yet nurturing, holding all beings like a child in their lap. Through these verses, the poet invites us to look past the physical appearance of day and night and recognize the divine, eternal framework that cradles human existence.
Verse 1: Which of the two was first, and which came after? How were they born, oh sages, who truly knows? Together they bear the whole universe by their own inherent might, while day and night roll on like two wheels.
Verse 2: The two endless movers sustain the many-formed, moving, footed creation and the footless germ, holding them as parents hold their own constant child in their lap. May Heaven and Earth protect us from all terrifying evil.
The translation reflects both the literal descriptions of natural dualities (day and night, heaven and earth) and the esoteric Vedic view of these entities as universal sustainers (bhubhṛt) embodying the divine order (ṛta).
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| कतरा | katarā | which of the two |
| पूर्वा | pūrvā | earlier, first |
| कवयः | kavayaḥ | seers, sages |
| अहनी | ahanī | day and night |
| चक्रियेव | cakriyeva | like two wheels |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अचरन्ती | acarantī | moving, coursing |
| गर्भम् | garbham | embryo, germ, womb |
| सूनुम् | sūnum | son, child |
| द्यावा | dyāvā | Heaven |
| पृथिवी | pṛthivī | Earth |
Picture two massive, glowing chariot wheels—Day and Night—spinning endlessly while holding all of creation between them like a cherished baby in a mother's arms.
Verses 3, 4, 5
अ॒ने॒हो दा॒त्रमदि॑तेरन॒र्वं हु॒वे स्व॑र्वदव॒धं नम॑स्वत् । तद्रो॑दसी जनयतं जरि॒त्रे द्यावा॒ रक्ष॑तं पृथिवी नो॒ अभ्वा॑त् ॥
anehó dātrámáditeranarvám huvé svárvadavadhám námasvat ǀ tádrodasī janayatam jaritré dyā́vā rákṣatam pṛthivī no ábhvāt ǁ
अत॑प्यमाने॒ अव॒सावं॑ती॒ अनु॑ ष्याम॒ रोद॑सी दे॒वपु॑त्रे । उ॒भे दे॒वाना॑मु॒भये॑भि॒रह्नां॒ द्यावा॒ रक्ष॑तं पृथिवी नो॒ अभ्वा॑त् ॥
átapyamāne ávasā́vantī ánu ṣyāma ródasī deváputre ǀ ubhé devā́nāmubháyebhiráhnām dyā́vā rákṣatam pṛthivī no ábhvāt ǁ
सं॒गच्छ॑माने युव॒ती समं॑ते॒ स्वसा॑रा जा॒मी पि॒त्रोरु॒पस्थे॑ । अ॒भि॒जिघ्रं॑ती॒ भुव॑नस्य॒ नाभिं॒ द्यावा॒ रक्ष॑तं पृथिवी नो॒ अभ्वा॑त् ॥
saṃgácchamāne yuvatī́ sámante svásārā jāmī́ pitrórupásthe ǀ abhijíghrantī bhúvanasya nā́bhim dyā́vā rákṣatam pṛthivī no ábhvāt ǁ
The Ṛṣi deepens his prayer, invoking the bountiful, flawless grace that flows from Aditi's vast matrix. He calls upon Heaven and Earth not merely as cosmic forces, but as active benefactors who generate spiritual wealth for the sincere singer of mantras. They are unwearied, overflowing with light, and filled with a nurturing presence that shields the seeker from every destructive force. In verses 4 and 5, the poetic vision intensifies. Heaven and Earth are depicted as sisters, youths, and close companions who occupy the same divine household yet constantly embrace the central navel of the universe. They are the divine parents who never tire, guarding the human pilgrim on the path of truth with boundless grace.
Verse 3: I invoke the faultless, uninjured gift of Aditi, filled with light, harmless, and accompanied by reverence. Do you, oh Heaven and Earth, generate that wealth for the singer; protect us, Earth and Heaven, from all terrifying evil.
Verse 4: Unwearied, rich in grace, may we attain you, oh Heaven and Earth, you who have gods as your children. May we be united with the blessings of both worlds through all our days; protect us from all terrifying evil.
Verse 5: Going together, youthful, co-terminous, sisters, closely related in the lap of their parents, sniffing the navel of the universe—may Heaven and Earth protect us from all terrifying evil.
Traditional commentators like Sāyaṇa interpret 'devaputre' as having gods as offspring, pointing to the cosmological birth of deities from the union of cosmic space and terrestrial matter.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अनेहः | anehaḥ | faultless, sinless |
| दात्रम् | dātram | gift, bounty |
| अदितेः | aditeḥ | of Aditi (the boundless mother) |
| रोदसी | rodasī | the two worlds (Heaven and Earth) |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अतप्यमाने | atapyamāne | unwearied, unheated |
| अवसावन्ती | avasāvantī | possessing favor or protection |
| देवपुत्रे | devaputre | having gods as sons |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| युवती | yuvatī | young maidens |
| स्वसारा | svasārā | two sisters |
| नाभिम् | nābhim | navel, center |
Imagine two radiant sisters sharing a single home, bending down to kiss the central navel of the earth, sealing the world in a protective embrace.
Verses 6, 7
उ॒र्वी सद्म॑नी बृह॒ती ऋ॒तेन॑ हु॒वे दे॒वाना॒मव॑सा॒ जनि॑त्री । द॒धाते॒ ये अ॒मृतं॑ सु॒प्रती॑के॒ द्यावा॒ रक्ष॑तं पृथिवी नो॒ अभ्वा॑त् ॥
urvī́ sádmanī bṛhatī́ ṛténa huvé devā́nāmávasā jánitrī ǀ dadhā́te yé amṛ́tam suprátīke dyā́vā rákṣatam pṛthivī no ábhvāt ǁ
उ॒र्वी पृ॒थ्वी ब॑हु॒ले दू॒रेअं॑ते॒ उप॑ ब्रुवे॒ नम॑सा य॒ज्ञे अ॒स्मिन् । द॒धाते॒ ये सु॒भगे॑ सु॒प्रतू॑र्ती॒ द्यावा॒ रक्ष॑तं पृथिवी नो॒ अभ्वा॑त् ॥
urvī́ pṛthvī́ bahulé dūréante úpa bruve námasā yajñé asmín ǀ dadhā́te yé subháge suprátūrtī dyā́vā rákṣatam pṛthivī no ábhvāt ǁ
Here, the Ṛṣi praises the vast abodes of the cosmic parents. They are expansive, magnificent, and founded upon Ṛta—the fundamental rhythm and truth of the cosmos. They are the mothers who bring forth all the shining deities and hold the immortal essence within their beautiful forms. In the following verse, the poet calls upon them with reverent speech during the sacrifice. He describes them as stretching out to distant ends, yet intimately present in the ritual enclosure. They are 'supratūrtī'—swiftly overcoming all obstacles—bestowing auspicious blessings upon those who invoke them with devotion.
Verse 6: Broad, magnificent seats, sustaining the gods through Ṛta, I invoke you who are the mothers of the divine hosts. You who hold the immortal truth in your glorious forms, protect us, Heaven and Earth, from all terrifying evil.
Verse 7: Wide, earthy, expansive, with distant borders, I invoke you with reverence at this very sacrifice. You who hold supreme auspiciousness and swift victory, protect us, Heaven and Earth, from all terrifying evil.
The repetition of the refrain 'dyāvā rakṣatam pṛthivī no abhvāt' at the end of each verse acts as a liturgical shield, grounding the grand cosmology in a personal plea for safety.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| उर्वी | urvī | wide, vast |
| सद्मनी | sadmanī | two abodes/seats |
| ऋतेन | ṛtena | by cosmic order/truth |
| जनित्री | janitrī | the two mothers |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| पृथ्वी | pṛthvī | the broad earth |
| दूरेअंते | dūreante | having distant ends |
| नमसा | namasā | with bowing, reverence |
| सुभगे | subhage | auspicious, richly blessed |
Picture two infinite horizons stretching across the sky and land, woven tightly together by an invisible thread of golden truth.
Verses 8, 9, 10, 11
दे॒वान्वा॒ यच्च॑कृ॒मा कच्चि॒दागः॒ सखा॑यं वा॒ सद॒मिज्जास्प॑तिं वा । इ॒यं धीर्भू॑या अव॒यान॑मेषां॒ द्यावा॒ रक्ष॑तं पृथिवी नो॒ अभ्वा॑त् ॥
devā́nvā yáccakṛmā́ káccidā́gaḥ sákhāyam vā sádamíjjā́spatim vā ǀ iyám dhī́rbhūyā avayā́nameṣām dyā́vā rákṣatam pṛthivī no ábhvāt ǁ
उ॒भा शंसा॒ नर्या॒ माम॑विष्टामु॒भे मामू॒ती अव॑सा सचेतां । भूरि॑ चिद॒र्यः सु॒दास्त॑राये॒षा मदं॑त इषयेम देवाः ॥
ubhā́ śáṃsā náryā mā́maviṣṭāmubhé mā́mūtī́ ávasā sacetām ǀ bhū́ri cidaryáḥ sudā́starāyeṣā́ mádanta iṣayema devāḥ ǁ
ऋ॒तं दि॒वे तद॑वोचं पृथि॒व्या अ॑भिश्रा॒वाय॑ प्रथ॒मं सु॑मे॒धाः । पा॒ताम॑व॒द्याद्दु॑रि॒ताद॒भीके॑ पि॒ता मा॒ता च॑ रक्षता॒मवो॑भिः ॥
ṛtám divé tádavocam pṛthivyā́ abhiśrāvā́ya prathamám sumedhā́ḥ ǀ pātā́mavadyā́dduritā́dabhī́ke pitā́ mātā́ ca rakṣatāmávobhiḥ ǁ
इ॒दं द्या॑वापृथिवी स॒त्यम॑स्तु॒ पित॒र्मात॒र्यदि॒होप॑ब्रु॒वे वां॑ । भू॒तं दे॒वाना॑मव॒मे अवो॑भिर्वि॒द्यामे॒षं वृ॒जनं॑ जी॒रदा॑नुं ॥
idám dyāvāpṛthivī satyámastu pítarmā́taryádihópabruvé vām ǀ bhūtám devā́nāmavamé ávobhirvidyā́meṣám vṛjánam jīrádānum ǁ
In this final act, the Ṛṣi adopts a tone of humble self-reflection. He acknowledges human frailty, asking for forgiveness if he or his community have inadvertently committed any transgression against the gods, friends, or householders. He prays that his hymn may serve as a pathway of appeasement, smoothing over any faults. The Sūkta culminates in a touching parental metaphor. The poet declares his truth directly to Heaven and Earth, addressing them explicitly as Father and Mother. He asks that their grace envelop him like a warm blanket, shielding him from harm and granting him abundant, flowing nourishment and energetic strength for the journey of life.
Verse 8: Whatever sin we may have committed against the gods, against a friend, or against the master of the house, may this prayer of ours become a path of reconciliation and release from them; protect us, Heaven and Earth, from all terrifying evil.
Verse 9: May both auspicious invocations favor me; may both unite with their help and protection. Rejoicing in abundant refreshment for the liberal giver, may we shine forth as divine poets.
Verse 10: I, a wise one, have uttered this first truth to Heaven and Earth for proclamation. May Father and Mother guard us from reproach and calamity at the close of day, shielding us with their protections.
Verse 11: Let this be true, oh Heaven and Earth, what I invoke here to you both, oh Father and Mother. Be present with the protections of the gods, and may we attain living, flowing vigor.
Yāska and Sāyaṇa both emphasize the transition in these final verses from cosmic personification to the intimate familial bond, highlighting how the Rigvedic seers experienced divinity not as distant rulers, but as immediate parents.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| आगः | āgaḥ | sin, transgression |
| सखायम् | sakhāyam | friend |
| धीः | dhīḥ | thought, prayer, vision |
| अवयानम् | avayānam | means of turning away/appeasing |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| शंसा | śaṃsā | praise, invocation |
| नर्या | naryā | beneficial to mortals |
| सुदास्तराय | sudāstarāya | to the most generous donor |
| इषयेम | iṣayema | may we thrive/enjoy vigor |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ऋतम् | ṛtam | truth, cosmic law |
| सुमेधाः | sumedhāḥ | wise-minded seer |
| पिता | pitā | father |
| माता | mātā | mother |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सत्यम् | satyam | truth, reality |
| पितर्मातर् | pitarmātar | Father and Mother |
| ईषम् | īṣam | refreshment, nourishment |
| जीरदानुम् | jīradānum | life-bestowing, quick-flowing |
Visualize a child whispering an apology and a request directly into the loving ears of their divine Mother and Father, who respond by wrapping them in a warm, protective mantle.