Verses 1, 2
अ॒न॒र्वाणं॑ वृष॒भं मं॒द्रजि॑ह्वं॒ बृह॒स्पतिं॑ वर्धया॒ नव्य॑म॒र्कैः । गा॒था॒न्यः॑ सु॒रुचो॒ यस्य॑ दे॒वा आ॑शृ॒ण्वंति॒ नव॑मानस्य॒ मर्ताः॑ ॥
anarvā́ṇam vṛṣabhám mandrájihvam bṛ́haspátim vardhayā návyamarkáiḥ ǀ gāthānyáḥ surúco yásya devā́ āśṛṇvánti návamānasya mártāḥ ǁ
तमृ॒त्विया॒ उप॒ वाचः॑ सचंते॒ सर्गो॒ न यो दे॑वय॒तामस॑र्जि । बृह॒स्पतिः॒ स ह्यंजो॒ वरां॑सि॒ विभ्वाभ॑व॒त्समृ॒ते मा॑त॒रिश्वा॑ ॥
támṛtvíyā úpa vā́caḥ sacante sárgo ná yó devayatā́másarji ǀ bṛ́haspátiḥ sá hyáñjo várāṃsi víbhvā́bhavatsámṛté mātaríśvā ǁ
In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi approaches Bṛhaspati—the divine embodiment of sacred prayer, intellect, and the expansive word—with hymns of dynamic praise. He is described as anarvāṇa, the unassailable or unstoppable one, and vṛṣabha, the showering bull of spiritual and material abundance. His tongue is mandra-jihva, dripping with honeyed, delightful wisdom that awakens divine aspirations. The Ṛṣi urges his companions to magnify this newly arisen deity with glowing praises (arkaiḥ) and songs (gāthānyaḥ) that echo across the realms. Gods and mortals alike lend their ears to his sublime invocation. Bṛhaspati is not a static idol; he is the surging wave (sarga) released from the heart of those who seek the divine. Like Mātariśvā, the cosmic wind filling the intermediate spaces, Bṛhaspati pervades all supreme expanses with lightning swiftness and unyielding grace.
Verse 1: Magnify with radiant hymns the unassailable, showering bull whose tongue drops honey, Bṛhaspati, whose brilliant songs are hearkened to by both gods and chanting mortals.
Verse 2: To Him flock the fitting prayers, as a surging wave let loose by seekers of the divine; Bṛhaspati indeed became the all-pervading protector of supreme realms, like Mātariśvā in the cosmic meet.
The translation follows Sāyaṇa's ritualistic and Sayana-Aurobindo's psychological interpretations, viewing Bṛhaspati simultaneously as the priest of the gods and the inner faculty of inspired mental illumination.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अनर्वाणम् | anarvāṇam | unassailable, unstoppable, free from obstruction |
| वृषभम् | vṛṣabham | showering bull, bestower of abundance |
| मन्द्रजिह्वम् | mandra-jihvam | having a delightful, honeyed tongue of speech |
| बृहस्पतिम् | bṛhaspatim | Lord of the vast sacred prayer or mantra |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ऋत्वियाः | ṛtviyāḥ | timely, fitting, seasonal prayers |
| सर्गः | sargaḥ | a flowing stream, a surging release |
| विभ्वा | vibhvā | all-pervading, immensely expansive |
| मातरिश्वा | mātariśvā | the wind-god moving in the mother space |
Picture a majestic, cosmic bull whose tongue drips honeyed wisdom, while rivers of prayer rush toward Him like cascading waves.
Verses 3, 4
उप॑स्तुतिं॒ नम॑स॒ उद्य॑तिं च॒ श्लोकं॑ यंसत्सवि॒तेव॒ प्र बा॒हू । अ॒स्य क्रत्वा॑ह॒न्यो॒३॒॑ यो अस्ति॑ मृ॒गो न भी॒मो अ॑र॒क्षस॒स्तुवि॑ष्मान् ॥
úpastutim námasa údyatim ca ślókam yaṃsatsavitéva prá bāhū́ ǀ asyá krátvāhanyó yó ásti mṛgó ná bhīmó arakṣásastúviṣmān ǁ
अ॒स्य श्लोको॑ दि॒वीय॑ते पृथि॒व्यामत्यो॒ न यं॑सद्यक्ष॒भृद्विचे॑ताः । मृ॒गाणां॒ न हे॒तयो॒ यंति॑ चे॒मा बृह॒स्पते॒रहि॑मायाँ अ॒भि द्यून् ॥
asyá ślóko divī́yate pṛthivyā́mátyo ná yaṃsadyakṣabhṛ́dvícetāḥ ǀ mṛgā́ṇām ná hetáyo yánti cemā́ bṛ́haspáteráhimāyām̐ abhí dyū́n ǁ
Here, Bṛhaspati’s reach is likened to the rising sun extending its arms across the sky. He stretches forth high praises, deep reverence, and the resounding mantra. By his dynamic will (kratu), he is the hero of every day, fierce and formidable like a wild mountain beast (mṛga) that strikes terror into the hearts of demons and dark forces (arakṣasaḥ). His voice and glory traverse both earth and heaven, carried forward by swift spiritual steeds. Like the unerring weapons of a predator, Bṛhaspati's divine decrees strike down the deceptive magic (ahi-māyāḥ) of the serpent-like powers of darkness across all passing days. The Ṛṣi paints a portrait of a deity whose spiritual sound is a thunderous chariot that shatters all spiritual obstacles.
Verse 3: He extends up his supreme praise, reverence, and resounding song like Savitṛ reaching out his arms; by his dynamic will he is daily victorious, fierce like a wild beast, terrible to the demoniac, and immensely powerful.
Verse 4: His resounding song courses through heaven and earth like a charging steed; like the weapons of wild beasts, the deadly shafts of Bṛhaspati strike down the serpent-magics across all days.
Yāska's Nirukta emphasizes 'śloka' here not merely as poetry, but as the dynamic vibration that pierces through the obscuring layers of terrestrial and celestial falsehood.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| उपस्तुतिम् | upastutim | sublime praise, supplementary hymn |
| सविताऽइव | savita-iva | like the divine impeller Savitṛ |
| मृगः | mṛgaḥ | wild beast, lion or majestic deer |
| तुविष्मान् | tuviṣmān | exceedingly strong, mighty |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| श्लोकः | ślokaḥ | fame, resounding song, verse |
| अत्यः | atyaḥ | steed, swift horse |
| यक्षभृत् | yakṣabhṛt | sustainer of wondrous manifestations or worshipful forms |
| अहिमायान् | ahi-māyān | serpentine illusions or dark witchcrafts |
Visualize a powerful lion leaping across the sky at dawn, its roar scattering the shadows of deceit like fleeing deer.
Verses 5, 6
ये त्वा॑ देवोस्रि॒कं मन्य॑मानाः पा॒पा भ॒द्रमु॑प॒जीवं॑ति प॒ज्राः । न दू॒ढ्ये॒३॒॑ अनु॑ ददासि वा॒मं बृह॑स्पते॒ चय॑स॒ इत्पिया॑रुं ॥
yé tvā devosrikám mányamānāḥ pāpā́ bhadrámupajī́vanti pajrā́ḥ ǀ ná dūḍhyé ánu dadāsi vāmám bṛ́haspate cáyasa ítpíyārum ǁ
सु॒प्रैतुः॑ सू॒यव॑सो॒ न पंथा॑ दुर्नि॒यंतुः॒ परि॑प्रीतो॒ न मि॒त्रः । अ॒न॒र्वाणो॑ अ॒भि ये चक्ष॑ते॒ नोऽपी॑वृता अपोर्णु॒वंतो॑ अस्थुः ॥
supráituḥ sūyávaso ná pánthā durniyántuḥ páriprīto ná mitráḥ ǀ anarvā́ṇo abhí yé cákṣate nó’pīvṛtā aporṇuvánto asthuḥ ǁ
The Ṛṣi turns to address the moral and spiritual alignment required in the presence of such light. Those who perceive the divine radiance merely as ordinary or cheap, living superficial and wicked lives, find no favor with Bṛhaspati. He does not grant wealth or grace to the double-dealing, crooked-minded person (dūḍhya), but instead targets the detractor (piyāru) with righteous correction. Conversely, for those whose path is straight and well-grazed like a fertile pasture (sūyavasaḥ pantḥāḥ), and who are guided by an unshakeable friend, Bṛhaspati provides safe passage. His unassailable guardians keep watch, removing the veils of ignorance so that seekers may stand revealed in truth.
Verse 5: Those foolish, wicked men who deem You, O God, common and live off the blessed light with hardened hearts—to the double-dealer You grant no wealth, but expose the derider to sharp correction.
Verse 6: Like an easy-to-traverse path rich in pasture, or a trusted friend well-loved, the unassailable ones look upon us, standing forth and uncovering what was veiled.
The term 'usrikam' carries a dual layer: in outer ritual it refers to the sun or milk-offering; internally, it signifies the inner dawn of consciousness that the faithless fail to value.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| उस्रिकम् | usrikam | pertaining to the bright light or morning cow |
| पज्राः | pajrāḥ | hardened, firm in stubbornness |
| दुःध्ये | duḥ-dhye | to the deceitful, double-minded person |
| पियारुम् | piyārum | the mocker, derider, critic |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सुयवसः | sūyavasaḥ | rich in good pasture, nourishing |
| परिप्रीतः | pari-prītaḥ | deeply cherished, well-beloved |
| अनर्वाणः | anarvāṇaḥ | unobstructed guardians, unstoppable forces |
| अपोर्णुवन्तः | aporṇuvantaḥ | uncovering, revealing, removing covers |
Imagine a clear, lush mountain path flanked by protective guardians, where travelers of pure intent walk freely while the deceptive are turned away.
Verses 7, 8
सं यं स्तुभो॒ऽवन॑यो॒ न यंति॑ समु॒द्रं न स्र॒वतो॒ रोध॑चक्राः । स वि॒द्वाँ उ॒भयं॑ चष्टे अं॒तर्बृह॒स्पति॒स्तर॒ आप॑श्च॒ गृध्रः॑ ॥
sám yám stúbho’vánayo ná yánti samudrám ná sraváto ródhacakrāḥ ǀ sá vidvā́m̐ ubháyam caṣṭe antárbṛ́haspátistára ā́paśca gṛ́dhraḥ ǁ
ए॒वा म॒हस्तु॑विजा॒तस्तुवि॑ष्मा॒न्बृह॒स्पति॑र्वृष॒भो धा॑यि दे॒वः । स नः॑ स्तु॒तो वी॒रव॑द्धातु॒ गोम॑द्वि॒द्यामे॒षं वृ॒जनं॑ जी॒रदा॑नुं ॥
evā́ mahástuvijātástúviṣmānbṛ́haspátirvṛṣabhó dhāyi deváḥ ǀ sá naḥ stutó vīrávaddhātu gómadvidyā́meṣám vṛjánam jīrádānum ǁ
In the grand culmination of the Sūkta, all hymns and flowing rivers of devotion rush toward Bṛhaspati as tributaries rushing into the boundless ocean. Bṛhaspati stands at the center, all-knowing (vidvān), surveying both worlds with the keen vision of a raptor (gṛdhra), holding waters and dynamic energy within his grasp. The Sūkta closes with a magnificent benediction. Born of the vast cosmic light, supremely potent and showering blessings like a bull, Bṛhaspati is firmly established as the Supreme God. The Ṛṣi prays that when lauded, He may grant them heroic vigor, abundant cattle, and a flourishing, life-sustaining field of spiritual energy (vṛjanam jīra-dānum).
Verse 7: Toward Him rush all hymns and flowing rivers like streams to the ocean with banked eddies; all-knowing, Bṛhaspati surveys both realms from within, eager and fierce like an eagle over waters.
Verse 8: Thus has been established the great, many-born, mighty, showering God Bṛhaspati; lauded by us, may He grant us hero-strength, cattle-wealth, and may we attain the living, life-giving field of grace.
Sāyaṇa interprets 'vṛjanam' as the place of sacrifice or battle, whereas Sri Aurobindo sees it as the secure field of spiritual holding and dynamic enjoyment of divine delight.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अवनयः | avanayaḥ | rivers, streams |
| रोधचक्राः | rodha-cakrāḥ | having curved banks or swirling eddies |
| चष्टे | caṣṭe | beholds, surveys, observes |
| गृध्रः | gṛdhraḥ | eager, greedy for the good, vulture or eagle |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| तुविजातः | tuvi-jātaḥ | born in many ways or with great power |
| वीरवत् | vīra-vat | accompanied by heroes or spiritual valor |
| वृजनम् | vṛjanam | field of action, sanctuary, community |
| जीरदानुम् | jīra-dānum | bestowing quick, life-giving nourishment |
Picture countless rivers converging into a vast, shining ocean of divine intelligence, bringing gifts of vitality, herds, and flourishing life.