Verses 1, 2
कस्य॑ नू॒नं क॑त॒मस्या॒मृता॑नां॒ मना॑महे॒ चारु॑ दे॒वस्य॒ नाम॑ । को नो॑ म॒ह्या अदि॑तये॒ पुन॑र्दात्पि॒तरं॑ च दृ॒शेयं॑ मा॒तरं॑ च ॥
kásya nūnám katamásyāmṛ́tānām mánāmahe cā́ru devásya nā́ma ǀ kó no mahyā́ áditaye púnardātpitáram ca dṛśéyam mātáram ca ǁ
अ॒ग्नेर्व॒यं प्र॑थ॒मस्या॒मृता॑नां॒ मना॑महे॒ चारु॑ दे॒वस्य॒ नाम॑ । स नो॑ म॒ह्या अदि॑तये॒ पुन॑र्दात्पि॒तरं॑ च दृ॒शेयं॑ मा॒तरं॑ च ॥
agnérvayám prathamásyāmṛ́tānām mánāmahe cā́ru devásya nā́ma ǀ sá no mahyā́ áditaye púnardātpitáram ca dṛśéyam mātáram ca ǁ
In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi Śunaḥśepa initiates a profound existential inquiry that echoes through the corridors of Vedic spirituality. He asks which of the immortal divinities whose glorious, luminous name we should invoke, and who will restore us to the great Mother Aditi so that we may once again behold our divine father and mother. This is the primal yearning of the soul separated from its source—a longing to pierce the veil of mortality and return to the boundless, undivided consciousness of the Infinite. In the second verse, the Ṛṣi answers his own universal question by turning directly to Agni, the first and foremost among the immortals. Agni is the divine flame of aspiration burning within the human heart, the mediator who connects earth and heaven. By invoking Agni, Śunaḥśepa anchors his spiritual journey in the living presence of the sacred fire, seeking through it the grace of Aditi—the boundless, unbroken matrix of cosmic existence.
Verse 1: Whose of the immortals now, of which god shall we invoke the dear name? Who will grant us back to the great Aditi, that I may see my father and my mother?
Verse 2: Of Agni, the first of the immortals, we invoke the dear name; may he grant us back to the great Aditi, that I may see my father and my mother.
Sāyaṇa interprets 'father' and 'heaven' and 'mother' as 'earth', while psychological commentators like Sri Aurobindo view them as cosmic principles of Father Heaven (Dyaus) and Mother Earth/Infinite (Aditi) representing the dual parentage of the divine consciousness in man.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| कस्य | kasya | of whom |
| अमृतानाम् | amṛtānām | of the immortals |
| अदितये | aditaye | to Aditi, the undivided mother |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अग्नेः | agneḥ | of Agni |
| प्रथमस्य | prathamasya | of the first |
| अमृतानाम् | amṛtānām | of the immortals |
Picture a child lost in a bustling marketplace, crying out for their parents — here, the soul calls out across the cosmos to Agni and Aditi to find its true home.
Verses 3, 4, 5
अ॒भि त्वा॑ देव सवित॒रीशा॑नं॒ वार्या॑णां । सदा॑वन्भा॒गमी॑महे ॥
abhí tvā deva savitarī́śānam vā́ryāṇām ǀ sádāvanbhāgámīmahe ǁ
यश्चि॒द्धि त॑ इ॒त्था भगः॑ शशमा॒नः पु॒रा नि॒दः । अ॒द्वे॒षो हस्त॑योर्द॒धे ॥
yáściddhí ta itthā́ bhágaḥ śaśamānáḥ purā́ nidáḥ ǀ adveṣó hástayordadhé ǁ
भग॑भक्तस्य ते व॒यमुद॑शेम॒ तवाव॑सा । मू॒र्धानं॑ रा॒य आ॒रभे॑ ॥
bhágabhaktasya te vayámúdaśema távā́vasā ǀ mūrdhā́nam rāyá ārábhe ǁ
The focus now shifts toward Savitṛ and Bhaga, the divine dispensers of fortune and auspicious distribution. Śunaḥśepa prays to Savitṛ, the divine impeller, who holds absolute lordship over all desirable and excellent things. The Ṛṣi approaches not with empty hands, but with an unwavering devotion that seeks its rightful share in the divine abundance, protected from all hostile malice and inner negation (nidas). In verses 4 and 5, this relationship deepens into an intimate alliance between the worshipper and the divine patron of bounty. Bhaga, the auspicious power, establishes himself securely in the hands of the devoted singer, free from all envy. By partaking in this divine share (bhagabhakta), the Ṛṣi declares that through the strength and sustenance (avasā) of the deity, they have reached the very crown and summit of spiritual wealth.
Verse 3: Unto thee, O god Savitṛ, lord of all desirable boons, ever beneficent, we pray for our share.
Verse 4: And truly that auspicious Bhaga, devoted and worshipping, far from all censure, has been placed within the hands free from malice.
Verse 5: May we, sharing in thy bounty, attain through thy grace, O Bhaga, to the very summit of spiritual riches.
Traditional commentators explain 'Bhaga' both as the Aditya deity presiding over wealth and as general fortune. Mystically, it represents the divine delight (ānanda) that crowns spiritual aspiration.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सवितः | savitaḥ | O Savitṛ, impeller and creator |
| ईशानम् | īśānam | ruling over, lord of |
| वार्याणाम् | vāryāṇām | of desirable things |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| भगः | bhagaḥ | dispenser, fortune |
| शशमानः | śaśamānaḥ | praising, striving in worship |
| अद्वेषः | adveṣaḥ | free from malice or hatred |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| भगभक्तस्य | bhaga-bhaktasya | of one who shares in Bhaga's bounty |
| उत अशेम | ut aśema | may we attain |
| मूर्धानम् | mūrdhānam | the head, summit, peak |
Visualize cupped hands held open at sunrise, receiving a shower of golden light and precious gems directly from the hands of the solar deity.
Verses 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
न॒हि ते॑ क्ष॒त्रं न सहो॒ न म॒न्युं वय॑श्च॒नामी प॒तयं॑त आ॒पुः । नेमा आपो॑ अनिमि॒षं चरं॑ती॒र्न ये वात॑स्य प्रमि॒नंत्यभ्वं॑ ॥
nahí te kṣatrám ná sáho ná manyúm váyaścanā́mī́ patáyanta āpúḥ ǀ némā́ ā́po animiṣám cárantīrná yé vā́tasya praminántyábhvam ǁ
अ॒बु॒ध्ने राजा॒ वरु॑णो॒ वन॑स्यो॒र्ध्वं स्तूपं॑ ददते पू॒तद॑क्षः । नी॒चीनाः॑ स्थुरु॒परि॑ बु॒ध्न ए॑षाम॒स्मे अं॒तर्निहि॑ताः के॒तवः॑ स्युः ॥
abudhné rā́jā váruṇo vánasyordhvám stū́pam dadate pūtádakṣaḥ ǀ nīcī́nāḥ sthurupári budhná eṣāmasmé antárníhitāḥ ketávaḥ syuḥ ǁ
उ॒रुं हि राजा॒ वरु॑णश्च॒कार॒ सूर्या॑य॒ पंथा॒मन्वे॑त॒वा उ॑ । अ॒पदे॒ पादा॒ प्रति॑धातवेऽकरु॒ताप॑व॒क्ता हृ॑दया॒विध॑श्चित् ॥
urúm hí rā́jā váruṇaścakā́ra sū́ryāya pánthāmánvetavā́ u ǀ apáde pā́dā prátidhātave’karutā́pavaktā́ hṛdayāvídhaścit ǁ
श॒तं ते॑ राजन्भि॒षजः॑ स॒हस्र॑मु॒र्वी ग॑भी॒रा सु॑म॒तिष्टे॑ अस्तु । बाध॑स्व दू॒रे निर्ऋ॑तिं परा॒चैः कृ॒तं चि॒देनः॒ प्र मु॑मुग्ध्य॒स्मत् ॥
śatám te rājanbhiṣájaḥ sahásramurvī́ gabhīrā́ sumatíṣṭe astu ǀ bā́dhasva dūré nírṛtim parācáiḥ kṛtám cidénaḥ prá mumugdhyasmát ǁ
अ॒मी य ऋक्षा॒ निहि॑तास उ॒च्चा नक्तं॒ ददृ॑श्रे॒ कुह॑ चि॒द्दिवे॑युः । अद॑ब्धानि॒ वरु॑णस्य व्र॒तानि॑ वि॒चाक॑शच्चं॒द्रमा॒ नक्त॑मेति ॥
amī́ yá ṛ́kṣā níhitāsa uccā́ náktam dádṛśre kúha ciddíveyuḥ ǀ ádabdhāni váruṇasya vratā́ni vicā́kaśaccandrámā náktameti ǁ
The tone now ascends into a grand, majestic contemplation of Varuṇa, the sovereign of Ṛta (cosmic order) and universal law. No creature—neither flying birds, nor rushing waters, nor the tempestuous winds—can ever outpace or surpass the supreme dominion, might, and fiery passion (manyu) of Varuṇa. His laws are unassailable, and his moral gaze penetrates the deepest recesses of the human heart. In these central verses, Varuṇa is depicted as the cosmic architect who upholds the golden pillar of the universe from the bottomless abyss, carving out a vast pathway for the sun. Yet this supreme king is also the supreme physician, possessing hundreds and thousands of healing remedies. The Ṛṣi begs Varuṇa to banish Nirṛti (decay, destruction, and evil) far away and to untie or release the knots of sin (enas) that bind him.
Verse 6: Neither thy dominion, nor thy might, nor thy fury do flying birds ever reach, nor these unceasing rivers, nor those who outstrip the tempest's vastness.
Verse 7: King Varuṇa, pure in his working, holds aloft the vertical summit of the cosmic tree in the bottomless depths; downward are its roots, above is their foundation—may those rays be deeply planted within us.
Verse 8: King Varuṇa has made a wide path for the sun to travel, making feet for the footless to tread upon, and he is the speaker of truth who pierces the secret heart.
Verse 9: A hundred are thy physicians, O King, a thousand; wide and deep be thy gracious goodwill. Drive far away Nirṛti to a distance, and release from us the guilt that we have committed.
Verse 10: Those stars placed on high, which are seen at night, whither did they go by day? Unassailable are the ordinances of Varuṇa, and the moon shines forth, moving through the night.
The 'cosmic tree' (vanasya stūpam) in verse 7 is interpreted by modern and traditional thinkers as the inverted tree of creation (Aśvattha), rooted in the transcendent Brahman and branching downward into manifestation.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| क्षत्रम् | kṣatram | dominion, ruling power |
| सहः | sahaḥ | might, victory |
| मन्युम् | manyum | passion, wrath, spiritual fervor |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अबुध्ने | abudhne | in the bottomless realm |
| वरुणः | varuṇaḥ | Varuṇa, the binder and sustainer |
| पूतदक्षः | pūta-dakṣaḥ | pure in skill and discernment |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| उरुम् | urum | wide, vast |
| सूर्याय | sūryāya | for the sun |
| हृदयविधः | hṛdaya-vidhaḥ | piercing or knowing the heart |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| भिषजः | bhiṣajaḥ | healers, physicians |
| सुमतिः | sumatiḥ | grace, benevolent thought |
| निर्ऋतिम् | nírṛtim | decay, ruin, destruction |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ऋक्षाः | ṛkṣāḥ | bears, constellations, stars |
| अदब्धानि | adabdhāni | uninjured, unassailable, infallible |
| व्रतानि | vratāni | laws, sacred ordinances |
Picture an infinite cosmic ocean arched over by a starry dome, where a divine king sits watching over every heartbeat with absolute, loving justice.
Verses 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
तत्त्वा॑ यामि॒ ब्रह्म॑णा॒ वंद॑मान॒स्तदा शा॑स्ते॒ यज॑मानो ह॒विर्भिः॑ । अहे॑ळमानो वरुणे॒ह बो॒ध्युरु॑शंस॒ मा न॒ आयुः॒ प्र मो॑षीः ॥
táttvā yāmi bráhmaṇā vándamānastádā́ śāste yájamāno havírbhiḥ ǀ áheḷamāno varuṇehá bodhyúruśaṃsa mā́ na ā́yuḥ prá moṣīḥ ǁ
तदिन्नक्तं॒ तद्दिवा॒ मह्य॑माहु॒स्तद॒यं केतो॑ हृ॒द आ वि च॑ष्टे । शुनः॒शेपो॒ यमह्व॑द्गृभी॒तः सो अ॒स्मान्राजा॒ वरु॑णो मुमोक्तु ॥
tádínnáktam táddívā máhyamāhustádayám kéto hṛdá ā́ ví caṣṭe ǀ śúnaḥśépo yámáhvadgṛbhītáḥ só asmā́nrā́jā váruṇo mumoktu ǁ
शुनः॒शेपो॒ ह्यह्व॑द्गृभी॒तस्त्रि॒ष्वा॑दि॒त्यं द्रु॑प॒देषु॑ ब॒द्धः । अवै॑नं॒ राजा॒ वरु॑णः ससृज्याद्वि॒द्वाँ अद॑ब्धो॒ वि मु॑मोक्तु॒ पाशा॑न् ॥
śúnaḥśépo hyáhvadgṛbhītástriṣvā́dityám drupadéṣu baddháḥ ǀ ávainam rā́jā váruṇaḥ sasṛjyādvidvā́m̐ ádabdho ví mumoktu pā́śān ǁ
अव॑ ते॒ हेळो॑ वरुण॒ नमो॑भि॒रव॑ य॒ज्ञेभि॑रीमहे ह॒विर्भिः॑ । क्षय॑न्न॒स्मभ्य॑मसुर प्रचेता॒ राज॒न्नेनां॑सि शिश्रथः कृ॒तानि॑ ॥
áva te héḷo varuṇa námobhiráva yajñébhirīmahe havírbhiḥ ǀ kṣáyannasmábhyamasura pracetā rā́jannénāṃsi śiśrathaḥ kṛtā́ni ǁ
उदु॑त्त॒मं व॑रुण॒ पाश॑म॒स्मदवा॑ध॒मं वि म॑ध्य॒मं श्र॑थाय । अथा॑ व॒यमा॑दित्य व्र॒ते तवाना॑गसो॒ अदि॑तये स्याम ॥
úduttamám varuṇa pā́śamasmádávādhamám ví madhyamám śrathāya ǀ áthā vayámāditya vraté távā́nāgaso áditaye syāma ǁ
In the concluding movement of the sūkta, the personal drama of Śunaḥśepa bursts forth with poignant urgency. Bound to the sacrificial stakes (drupadeṣu) as an offering, the young seer appeals directly to Varuṇa with sacred hymns and oblation. He prays that the king of law may not be wrathful (aheḷamāna) and that he may not shorten his allotted span of life. Here, Śunaḥśepa explicitly names himself as the bound captive who called upon Varuṇa from the triple sacrificial post. He implores the deity to loosen the upper, middle, and lower fetters that bind him. With this ultimate act of divine grace, the bonds fall away, and Śunaḥśepa stands completely free, sinless, and restored to the sacred vow (vrata) of Aditi, completing his journey from bondage to supreme liberation.
Verse 11: That I approach thee with a prayer, revering thee; that the yajamāna seeks thee with oblations. Be not angry with us here, O Varuṇa, lord of wide praise; do not cut short our life.
Verse 12: This they speak of me by night and by day; this inner intuition of my heart beholds it clearly: Śunaḥśepa, bound to the posts, has called upon thee—may King Varuṇa release him.
Verse 13: Śunaḥśepa, bound to the three sacrificial stakes, called upon the Aditya; may King Varuṇa, knowing and unassailable, unloose him, and may he set the fetters free.
Verse 14: We put away thy wrath, O Varuṇa, with reverences, with sacrifices, and with oblations. Ruling over us, O Asura, wise King, shake off and unbind the sins we have committed.
Verse 15: Unbind the uppermost fetter from us, O Varuṇa, untie the lowest, and loosen the middle one; then, O Āditya, may we be free from guilt under thy sacred law, abiding in Aditi.
According to the Aitareya Brāhmaṇa, Śunaḥśepa was sold by his father to be sacrificed to Varuṇa, but was saved and liberated through these very mantras. Spiritually, the three bonds represent the triple bondage of human limitations (karma, ignorance, and ego).
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| यामि | yāmi | I approach, go to |
| अहेळमानः | aheḷamānaḥ | unangered, without wrath |
| उरुशंस | uruśaṃsa | praised by many, of vast glory |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| केतः | ketaḥ | perception, sign, intent |
| शुनःशेपः | śunaḥśepaḥ | Śunaḥśepa (the seer's name) |
| मुमोक्तु | mumoktu | may he release, set free |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| द्रुपदेषु | drupadeṣu | at the wooden stakes |
| ससृज्यात् | sasṛjyāt | may he loosen or release |
| पाशान् | pāśān | fetters, bonds, nooses |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| हेळः | heḷaḥ | wrath, anger, disdain |
| असुर | asura | lord, divine spirit of great might |
| शिश्रथः | śiśrathaḥ | thou loosenest, untie |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| उत्तमम् | uttamam | uppermost, highest |
| श्रथाय | śrathāya | loosen, unbind |
| अनागसः | anāgasaḥ | sinless, free from guilt |
Picture a captive tied with three tight ropes around chest, waist, and feet, who suddenly feels each knot miraculously dissolve as the golden light of forgiveness touches them.