🌐 Language:

Rigveda · Maṇḍala 1

Pūṣan, the Shepherd of Safe Passages and the Remover of Obstacles

📜 10 Verses

Act 1

Clearing the Path and Banishment of the Wolf

Verses 1, 2, 3, 4

Verse 1

सं पू॑ष॒न्नध्व॑नस्तिर॒ व्यंहो॑ विमुचो नपात् । सक्ष्वा॑ देव॒ प्र ण॑स्पु॒रः ॥

sám pūṣannádhvanastira vyáṃho vimuco napāt ǀ sákṣvā deva prá ṇaspuráḥ ǁ

Verse 2

यो नः॑ पूषन्न॒घो वृको॑ दुः॒शेव॑ आ॒दिदे॑शति । अप॑ स्म॒ तं प॒थो ज॑हि ॥

yó naḥ pūṣannaghó vṛ́ko duḥśéva ādídeśati ǀ ápa sma tám pathó jahi ǁ

Verse 3

अप॒ त्यं प॑रिपं॒थिनं॑ मुषी॒वाणं॑ हुर॒श्चितं॑ । दू॒रमधि॑ स्रु॒तेर॑ज ॥

ápa tyám paripanthínam muṣīvā́ṇam huraścítam ǀ dūrámádhi srutéraja ǁ

Verse 4

त्वं तस्य॑ द्वया॒विनो॒ऽघशं॑सस्य॒ कस्य॑ चित् । प॒दाभि ति॑ष्ठ॒ तपु॑षिं ॥

tvám tásya dvayāvíno’gháśaṃsasya kásya cit ǀ padā́bhí tiṣṭha tápuṣim ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi addresses Pūṣan—the solar deity of paths, journeys, and nourishment—as a traveler facing the literal and spiritual perils of the wilderness. Ancient travel was fraught with real dangers: brigands, treacherous terrain, and predatory beasts like wolves. The poet calls upon Pūṣan to stretch out and smooth the road, banishing all evil from the path. Pūṣan is invoked as the 'remover of bonds' (vimuco napāt) who can push away the hostile wolf (vṛkaḥ duḥśevaḥ) and the ambushers hidden in the thickets. The prayer moves from physical safety to moral and spiritual integrity, asking the deity to crush the deceitful and malignant aggressor (aghāśaṃsa) under his foot, ensuring that the seeker advances without stumbling on the journey of life.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 1: O Pūṣan, scatter our roads, make narrow paths wide, remove distress, O descendant of liberation; do thou, O god, go forward before us.

Verse 2: Whosoever, O Pūṣan, is a hostile, ill-performing wolf that aims at us, him do thou drive far away from our path.

Verse 3: Drive far away from our track the path-layer, the thief, the cheat who lurks in crooked ways.

Verse 4: Do thou trample down with thy foot any such double-dealing and malignant slanderer who brings burning pain.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Sāyaṇa interprets these terms primarily as protection against physical robbers and wolves in the Vedic river valleys. Psychological and spiritual commentators like Sri Aurobindo see the 'wolf' and 'thief' as inner forces of ignorance, division, and greed that intercept the soul on its upward march toward truth.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 1

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
पूषन्	pūṣan	O Pūṣan (the nourisher)
अध्वनः	adhvanaḥ	paths, roads
तिर	tira	clear, span across, extend
विमुचो नपात्	vimuco napāt	descendant of liberation/release

Verse 2

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
वृकः	vṛkaḥ	wolf, predator
दुःशेवः	duḥśevaḥ	bringing misfortune, ill-blessed
अपाजहि	apa jahi	strike away, smite down

Verse 3

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
परिषन्थिनम्	paripanthinam	highwayman, robber
मुषीवाणम्	muṣīvāṇam	stealer, plunderer
हुरश्चितम्	huraścitam	deceitful, plotting evil

Verse 4

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
द्वयाविनः	dvayāvinaḥ	double-dealing, false
अघशंसस्य	aghaśaṃsasya	of evil intent or speech
तपुषिम्	tapuṣim	burning, scorching

🧠

Memory Hook

Picture a traveler walking through a dark, foggy forest with a glowing staff, while a loyal guardian dog (representing Pūṣan) chases away lurking wolves and thieves from the trail.

Act 2

Recalling Ancient Grace and Bountiful Treasures

Verses 5, 6

Verse 5

आ तत्ते॑ दस्र मंतुमः॒ पूष॒न्नवो॑ वृणीमहे । येन॑ पि॒तॄनचो॑दयः ॥

ā́ tátte dasra mantumaḥ pū́ṣannávo vṛṇīmahe ǀ yéna pitṝ́nácodayaḥ ǁ

Verse 6

अधा॑ नो विश्वसौभग॒ हिर॑ण्यवाशीमत्तम । धना॑नि सु॒षणा॑ कृधि ॥

ádhā no viśvasaubhaga híraṇyavāśīmattama ǀ dhánāni suṣáṇā kṛdhi ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

Having besought Pūṣan for protection against the immediate dangers of the road, the Ṛṣi deepens the relationship by reminding the deity of his ancient benevolence. Pūṣan is addressed as 'Dasra' (wonder-worker) and 'mantu-mah' (full of wise counsel), the very power that guided and urged forward the ancient Fathers (pitṝn) of the race in their spiritual journeys. Building upon this trust, the poet asks for material and spiritual boons, addressing Pūṣan as 'viśva-saubhaga' (possessor of all blessedness) and 'hiraṇyavāśīmat-tama' (wielding the golden weapon or plowshare). The prayer seeks rich, ever-yielding treasures (su-sanā dhanāni) that sustain life and elevate consciousness.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 5: To thee, wondrous and wise Pūṣan, we turn for that same grace and help with which thou didst urge on the ancient Fathers.

Verse 6: And do thou, O possessor of all auspiciousness and wielder of the golden axe, make our wealth easy to win and abundant.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

The reference to 'Fathers' (pitṝn) is taken by ritualists to mean ancient sages who successfully completed sacrifices, while esoteric interpreters view them as the ancient pioneers of human spiritual evolution who mapped the inner paths.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 5

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
दस्र	dasra	wondrous, wondrously active
मन्तुमः	mantumaḥ	full of counsel, wise
अवः	avaḥ	favor, protection, help
पितॄन्	pitṝn	the ancient fathers, ancestors

Verse 6

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
विश्वसौभग	viśva-saubhaga	source of all welfare/blessedness
हिरण्यवाशीमत्तम	hiraṇyavāśīmat-tama	best equipped with a golden tool/weapon
सुसना	su-sanā	easy to acquire, yielding good gains

🧠

Memory Hook

Imagine an ancient scroll passed down through generations, showing a golden map of treasure that your ancestors successfully walked by trusting the sun.

Act 3

The Refrain of Guidance and Sustenance

Verses 7, 8, 9, 10

Verse 7

अति॑ नः स॒श्चतो॑ नय सु॒गा नः॑ सु॒पथा॑ कृणु । पूष॑न्नि॒ह क्रतुं॑ विदः ॥

áti naḥ saścáto naya sugā́ naḥ supáthā kṛṇu ǀ pū́ṣannihá krátum vidaḥ ǁ

Verse 8

अ॒भि सू॒यव॑सं नय॒ न न॑वज्वा॒रो अध्व॑ने । पूष॑न्नि॒ह क्रतुं॑ विदः ॥

abhí sūyávasam naya ná navajvāró ádhvane ǀ pū́ṣannihá krátum vidaḥ ǁ

Verse 9

श॒ग्धि पू॒र्धि प्र यं॑सि च शिशी॒हि प्रास्यु॒दरं॑ । पूष॑न्नि॒ह क्रतुं॑ विदः ॥

śagdhí pūrdhí prá yaṃsi ca śiśīhí prā́syudáram ǀ pū́ṣannihá krátum vidaḥ ǁ

Verse 10

न पू॒षणं॑ मेथामसि सू॒क्तैर॒भि गृ॑णीमसि । वसू॑नि द॒स्ममी॑महे ॥

ná pūṣáṇam methāmasi sūktáirabhí gṛṇīmasi ǀ vásūni dasmámīmahe ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

The final movement of the Sūkta features a powerful refrain repeated across several verses: 'pūṣanniha kratum vidaḥ' (O Pūṣan, find here our inspired will/capacity). The Ṛṣi asks to be led past all persecutors and entanglements into broad, easy-to-walk paths (su-pathā kṛṇu), specifically guiding them to rich pastures (su-yavasam) where the journeyer finds nourishment without burning fatigue (nava-jvāraḥ). The hymn culminates in direct, urgent exhortations—fill us, strengthen us, sharpen our resolve, fill our belly—culminating in verse 10 with the ultimate act of devotion: we do not disparage Pūṣan; rather, with beautiful hymns, we praise him and ask him directly for our dwelling and sustenance (vasūni īmahe).

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 7: Lead us past those who hem us in, make our path easy to tread and wide, O Pūṣan, and find for us here our inspired strength.

Verse 8: Lead us to rich pastures, free from feverish weariness on the journey; O Pūṣan, find for us here our inspired strength.

Verse 9: Grant strength, fill us up, extend your protection, sharpen our faculties, satisfy our hunger; O Pūṣan, find for us here our inspired strength.

Verse 10: We do not neglect Pūṣan; with beautiful hymns we praise him, and from the wonder-worker we ask for all treasures.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

The repeated line 'pūṣanniha kratum vidaḥ' acts as a liturgical anchor. Sāyaṇa reads 'kratum' as sacrificial action or understanding, while inner interpretations see it as the awakening of divine will (kratu) within the human heart to conquer the spiritual journey.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 7

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
सश्चतः	saścataḥ	pursuers, encirclers, hostile ones
सुगा	sugā	easy to walk, passable
क्रतुम्	kratum	will, mental power, ritual resolve

Verse 8

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
सुयवसम्	su-yavasam	good pasture, rich grass
नवज्वारः	nava-jvāraḥ	free from burning fatigue/fever

Verse 9

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
शग्धि	śagdhi	be able, empower
पूर्धि	pūrdhi	fill, grant abundantly
शिशीहि	śiśīhi	sharpen, whet (our intellect/will)

Verse 10

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
मेथामसि	methāmasi	we disregard, conflict with, or quarrel (with a negative 'na': we do not neglect)
सूक्तैः	sūktaiḥ	with well-spoken hymns
दस्मम्	dasmam	the wondrous one

🧠

Memory Hook

Picture a weary traveler finally arriving at a lush green valley filled with clear water and sweet grass, bowing down in deep gratitude to the sun that brought them there safely.