Verses 1, 2, 3
ह्वया॑म्य॒ग्निं प्र॑थ॒मं स्व॒स्तये॒ ह्वया॑मि मि॒त्रावरु॑णावि॒हाव॑से । ह्वया॑मि॒ रात्रीं॒ जग॑तो नि॒वेश॑नीं॒ ह्वया॑मि दे॒वं स॑वि॒तार॑मू॒तये॑ ॥
hváyāmyagním prathamám svastáye hváyāmi mitrā́váruṇāvihā́vase ǀ hváyāmi rā́trīm jágato nivéśanīm hváyāmi devám savitā́ramūtáye ǁ
आ कृ॒ष्णेन॒ रज॑सा॒ वर्त॑मानो निवे॒शय॑न्न॒मृतं॒ मर्त्यं॑ च । हि॒र॒ण्यये॑न सवि॒ता रथे॒ना दे॒वो या॑ति॒ भुव॑नानि॒ पश्य॑न् ॥
ā́ kṛṣṇéna rájasā vártamāno niveśáyannamṛ́tam mártyam ca ǀ hiraṇyáyena savitā́ ráthenā́ devó yāti bhúvanāni páśyan ǁ
याति॑ दे॒वः प्र॒वता॒ यात्यु॒द्वता॒ याति॑ शु॒भ्राभ्यां॑ यज॒तो हरि॑भ्यां । आ दे॒वो या॑ति सवि॒ता प॑रा॒वतोऽप॒ विश्वा॑ दुरि॒ता बाध॑मानः ॥
yā́ti deváḥ pravátā yā́tyudvátā yā́ti śubhrā́bhyām yajató háribhyām ǀ ā́ devó yāti savitā́ parāvátó’pa víśvā duritā́ bā́dhamānaḥ ǁ
In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi summons the divine powers to usher in a state of inner and outer well-being, placing Agni, Mitra-Varuṇa, and Night herself at the threshold of the day before turning his full adoration toward Savitṛ. The solar deity does not merely bring physical light; he is depicted as moving through the dark realm, masterfully orchestrating the rest and waking states of both mortals and immortals upon his golden chariot. As Savitṛ traverses the cosmic expanse—moving through high paths and low, driven by his brilliant horses—he actively banishes all crookedness and distress from the universe. This movement is both literal and spiritual: the sun sweeps across the sky, while the divine impetus clears away the spiritual darkness that binds human consciousness.
Verse 1: I invoke Agni first for supreme well-being; I invoke Mitra and Varuṇa here for shelter; I invoke Night, who brings all living things to rest; and I invoke the divine Savitṛ for grace.
Verse 2: Moving through the dark realm, establishing both the immortal and the mortal in their resting places, the divine Savitṛ travels on his golden chariot, beholding all manifested worlds.
Verse 3: The divine, worshipful Savitṛ travels by downward paths and upward paths, journeying with his two brilliant, flashing horses; coming from afar, he drives away all crookedness and sin.
Sāyaṇa interprets 'kṛṣṇaṃ rajaḥ' as the dark space traversed by the sun before dawn or during night. Sri Aurobindo highlights Savitṛ as the divine Creator and Stimulator who impels the soul toward truth, driving away the psychological 'crookedness' (duritā) of falsehood and ignorance.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ह्वयामि | hvayāmi | I invoke, I call upon |
| अग्निम् | agnim | Agni, the divine fire |
| सवितारम् | savitāram | Savitṛ, the impeller or animator |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| कृष्णेन रजसा | kṛṣṇena rajasā | through the dark realm or atmospheric space |
| हिरण्ययेन रथेन | hiraṇyayena rathena | on a golden chariot |
| पश्यन् | paśyan | beholding, surveying |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| प्रवता | pravatā | by downward slopes or paths |
| उद्वता | udvatā | by upward slopes or paths |
| बाधमानः | bādhamānaḥ | driving away, pushing back |
Imagine a magnificent golden chariot bursting through a velvet-black night sky, its radiant horses effortlessly clearing away shadows and sweeping aside every obstacle in their path.
Verses 4, 5, 6
अ॒भीवृ॑तं॒ कृश॑नैर्वि॒श्वरू॑पं॒ हिर॑ण्यशम्यं यज॒तो बृ॒हंतं॑ । आस्था॒द्रथं॑ सवि॒ता चि॒त्रभा॑नुः कृ॒ष्णा रजां॑सि॒ तवि॑षीं॒ दधा॑नः ॥
abhī́vṛtam kṛ́śanairviśvárūpam híraṇyaśamyam yajató bṛhántam ǀ ā́sthādrátham savitā́ citrábhānuḥ kṛṣṇā́ rájāṃsi táviṣīm dádhānaḥ ǁ
वि जना॑ञ्छ्या॒वाः शि॑ति॒पादो॑ अख्य॒न्रथं॒ हिर॑ण्यप्रउगं॒ वहं॑तः । शश्व॒द्विशः॑ सवि॒तुर्दैव्य॑स्यो॒पस्थे॒ विश्वा॒ भुव॑नानि तस्थुः ॥
ví jánāñchyāvā́ḥ śitipā́do akhyanrátham híraṇyapra+ugam váhantaḥ ǀ śáśvadvíśaḥ savitúrdáivyasyopásthe víśvā bhúvanāni tasthuḥ ǁ
ति॒स्रो द्यावः॑ सवि॒तुर्द्वा उ॒पस्थाँ॒ एका॑ य॒मस्य॒ भुव॑ने विरा॒षाट् । आ॒णिं न रथ्य॑म॒मृताधि॑ तस्थुरि॒ह ब्र॑वीतु॒ य उ॒ तच्चिके॑तत् ॥
tisró dyā́vaḥ savitúrdvā́ upásthām̐ ékā yamásya bhúvane virāṣā́ṭ ǀ āṇím ná ráthyamamṛ́tā́dhi tasthurihá bravītu yá u táccíketat ǁ
The Ṛṣi zooms in on the breathtaking aesthetics of the solar vehicle. It is adorned with pearls or bright ornaments (kṛśana) and fitted with golden yoke-pins, reflecting the immense majesty of the divine traveler. His dark-backed, white-footed steeds carry him across the skies while all living beings rest comfortably within his divine embrace. Verse six introduces a deeply esoteric cosmological riddle: where do the various realms or dimensions of existence lie? Three heavens belong to Savitṛ, while another supreme domain rests in Yama’s realm. The immortal powers anchor themselves to this cosmic axle as steadfastly as a wheel to its nave, challenging any wise seeker to truly comprehend this mysterious divine architecture.
Verse 4: Decked with bright ornaments, possessing every form, with golden yoke-pins, the worshipful and great Savitṛ has mounted his chariot, wielding supreme power amidst the dark spaces.
Verse 5: His dark, white-footed horses carry him, revealing themselves to mankind as they pull the golden-prowed chariot. Within the lap of the divine Savitṛ, all created beings permanently reside.
Verse 6: Three are the heavens of Savitṛ, two are his resting places, and one—surpassing all—is in the world of Yama. The immortals cling to his cosmic axle like the linchpin to a chariot wheel; let him who knows declare this here.
While traditional commentators like Sāyaṇa view the 'three heavens' as literal cosmic tiers (earth, atmosphere, sky, or higher celestial abodes), mystical interpreters see them as the graduated planes of divine consciousness that support immortal existence.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| कृशनैः | kṛśanaiḥ | with pearls or bright ornaments |
| चित्रभानुः | citrabhānuḥ | having wondrous or variegated light |
| तविषीम् | taviṣīm | strength, power, energy |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| शितिपादः | śitipādaḥ | white-footed |
| हिरण्यप्रउगम् | hiraṇyapra-ugam | having a golden prow or fore-part (of the chariot) |
| उपस्थे | upasthe | in the lap, in the bosom or presence |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| तिस्रो द्यावः | tisro dyāvaḥ | three heavens or luminous realms |
| विराषाट् | virāṣāṭ | surpassing all, conquering broadly |
| आणिम् | āṇim | the axle-hole, linchpin, or pivot |
Picture a cosmic wheel with three concentric rings of light and a single unyielding golden axle holding the entire universe together like a master clockwork.
Verses 7, 8, 9
वि सु॑प॒र्णो अं॒तरि॑क्षाण्यख्यद्गभी॒रवे॑पा॒ असु॑रः सुनी॒थः । क्वे॒३॒॑दानीं॒ सूर्यः॒ कश्चि॑केत कत॒मां द्यां र॒श्मिर॒स्या त॑तान ॥
ví suparṇó antárikṣāṇyakhyadgabhīrávepā ásuraḥ sunītháḥ ǀ kvédā́nīm sū́ryaḥ káściketa katamā́m dyā́m raśmírasyā́ tatāna ǁ
अ॒ष्टौ व्य॑ख्यत्क॒कुभः॑ पृथि॒व्यास्त्री धन्व॒ योज॑ना स॒प्त सिंधू॑न् । हि॒र॒ण्या॒क्षः स॑वि॒ता दे॒व आगा॒द्दध॒द्रत्ना॑ दा॒शुषे॒ वार्या॑णि ॥
aṣṭáu vyákhyatkakúbhaḥ pṛthivyā́strī́ dhánva yójanā saptá síndhūn ǀ hiraṇyākṣáḥ savitā́ devá ā́gāddádhadrátnā dāśúṣe vā́ryāṇi ǁ
हिर॑ण्यपाणिः सवि॒ता विच॑र्षणिरु॒भे द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी अं॒तरी॑यते । अपामी॑वां॒ बाध॑ते॒ वेति॒ सूर्य॑म॒भि कृ॒ष्णेन॒ रज॑सा॒ द्यामृ॑णोति ॥
híraṇyapāṇiḥ savitā́ vícarṣaṇirubhé dyā́vāpṛthivī́ antárīyate ǀ ápā́mīvām bā́dhate véti sū́ryamabhí kṛṣṇéna rájasā dyā́mṛṇoti ǁ
Soaring through the mid-regions like a magnificent golden-winged bird (suparṇa), the Asura Savitṛ guides the worlds with profound vibrational power. The Ṛṣi breaks into an awestruck rhetorical question: Where is the sun now? Who truly knows how far his golden ray extends across the heavens? Savitṛ's reach is boundless; he illuminates the eight regions of the earth, the three deserts or vast spaces, and the seven flowing rivers. With golden eyes and golden hands, this universal guardian moves between heaven and earth, sweeping away physical illnesses and psychological torments as he urges the sun onward.
Verse 7: The divine bird has surveyed the intermediate spaces with his deep vibrations—an Asura, a benevolent guide. Where is the sun now? Who knows to what heaven his ray has stretched out?
Verse 8: He has surveyed the eight quarters of the earth, the three expansive deserts, and the seven rivers. Golden-eyed, the divine Savitṛ has arrived, bestowing desirable treasures upon the worshipper.
Verse 9: Golden-handed, all-pervading, Savitṛ moves between heaven and earth. He drives away disease, impels the sun, and fills the sky with his dark, mysterious matrix.
The term 'Asura' here retains its ancient Vedic sense of a supreme, lordly, and life-sustaining divine power before its later semantic shift. 'Hiraṇyapāṇi' (golden-handed) is a signature epithet of Savitṛ, symbolizing his bountiful generosity in showering health and wealth.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सुपर्णः | suparṇaḥ | having beautiful wings, the celestial bird |
| असुरः | asuraḥ | possessor of great spiritual might or life-force |
| सुनीथः | sunīthaḥ | a good guide, leading safely |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ककुभः | kakubhaḥ | corners, quarters, peaks |
| हिरण्याक्षः | hiraṇyākṣaḥ | golden-eyed |
| दाशुषे | dāśuṣe | to the giver of oblations, the worshipper |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| हिरण्यपाणिः | hiraṇyapāṇiḥ | golden-handed |
| अमीवाम् | amīvām | disease, plague, suffering |
| ऋणोति | ṛṇoti | fills, moves, stirs |
Visualize a colossal golden hawk soaring across the sky, its wings casting healing rays and its golden hands scattering jewels of grace upon the earth below.
Verses 10, 11
हिर॑ण्यहस्तो॒ असु॑रः सुनी॒थः सु॑मृळी॒कः स्ववाँ॑ यात्व॒र्वाङ् । अ॒प॒सेध॑न्र॒क्षसो॑ यातु॒धाना॒नस्था॑द्दे॒वः प्र॑तिदो॒षं गृ॑णा॒नः ॥
híraṇyahasto ásuraḥ sunītháḥ sumṛḷīkáḥ svávām̐ yātvarvā́ṅ ǀ apasédhanrakṣáso yātudhā́nānásthāddeváḥ pratidoṣám gṛṇānáḥ ǁ
ये ते॒ पंथाः॑ सवितः पू॒र्व्यासो॑ऽरे॒णवः॒ सुकृ॑ता अं॒तरि॑क्षे । तेभि॑र्नो अ॒द्य प॒थिभिः॑ सु॒गेभी॒ रक्षा॑ च नो॒ अधि॑ च ब्रूहि देव ॥
yé te pánthāḥ savitaḥ pūrvyā́so’reṇávaḥ súkṛtā antárikṣe ǀ tébhirno adyá pathíbhiḥ sugébhī rákṣā ca no ádhi ca brūhi deva ǁ
As the day draws to a close, the golden-handed Asura turns his face toward us, wrapping the evening in his comforting presence. He is simultaneously the fierce guardian who hunts down malevolent spirits and sorcerers (rakṣasas and yātudhānas), and the infinitely tender protector who listens to the evening prayers of the devout. The Sūkta culminates in a deeply moving personal plea. The Ṛṣi asks Savitṛ to guide him along those ancient, dust-free, perfectly crafted pathways in the mid-region—the safe highways of the gods. Protect us today, O divine Savitṛ, and speak a word of blessing on our behalf!
Verse 10: Golden-handed, lordly, benevolent, and full of grace, may he draw near toward us. Driving away demons and sorcerers, the god takes his stand as evening falls, answering the singer's praise.
Verse 11: Those ancient, dustless, well-made paths of yours in the mid-heaven, O Savitṛ—by those easy-to-traverse paths protect us today, O God, and speak a good word for us!
The final verse is a classic Vedic prayer for safe passage through life (panthāḥ sugebhiḥ). Sāyaṇa interprets the dustless paths as the unblemished trajectories of solar light, while spiritual seekers view them as the inner paths of clarity leading to liberation from ignorance.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सुमृळीकः | sumṛḷīkaḥ | very gracious, compassionate |
| यातुधानान् | yātudhānān | sorcerers, practitioners of dark magic |
| प्रतिदोषम् | pratidoṣam | towards evening, at eventide |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अरेणवः | areṇaḥ | dustless, pure, undefiled |
| सुगेभीः | sugebhīḥ | easy to traverse, safe |
| अधि ब्रूहि | adhi brūhi | speak on our behalf, intercede for us |
Picture a weary traveler at twilight stepping onto a glowing, immaculate highway that stretches straight up into the starry heavens, feeling completely safe under a watchful shepherd's care.