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Rigveda · Maṇḍala 1

Invoking the Healing Radiance of Rudra and Soma

📜 9 Verses

Act 1

The Awakening Prayer to the Fierce and Bountiful Healer

Verses 1, 2, 3, 4

Verse 1

कद्रु॒द्राय॒ प्रचे॑तसे मी॒ळ्हुष्ट॑माय॒ तव्य॑से । वो॒चेम॒ शंत॑मं हृ॒दे ॥

kádrudrā́ya prácetase mīḷhúṣṭamāya távyase ǀ vocéma śáṃtamam hṛdé ǁ

Verse 2

यथा॑ नो॒ अदि॑तिः॒ कर॒त्पश्वे॒ नृभ्यो॒ यथा॒ गवे॑ । यथा॑ तो॒काय॑ रु॒द्रियं॑ ॥

yáthā no áditiḥ káratpáśve nṛ́bhyo yáthā gáve ǀ yáthā tokā́ya rudríyam ǁ

Verse 3

यथा॑ नो मि॒त्रो वरु॑णो॒ यथा॑ रु॒द्रश्चिके॑तति । यथा॒ विश्वे॑ स॒जोष॑सः ॥

yáthā no mitró váruṇo yáthā rudráścíketati ǀ yáthā víśve sajóṣasaḥ ǁ

Verse 4

गा॒थप॑तिं मे॒धप॑तिं रु॒द्रं जला॑षभेषजं । तच्छं॒योः सु॒म्नमी॑महे ॥

gāthápatim medhápatim rudrám jálāṣabheṣajam ǀ tácchaṃyóḥ sumnámīmahe ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

In this opening movement, the Ṛṣi approaches Rudra—not with terror, but with profound reverence for His healing potency. Rudra is addressed as pracetas (wise) and mīḷhuṣṭama (most bounteous), recognizing that beneath the tempestuous and formidable exterior lies a divine physician whose waters cure all earthly ailments. The Ṛṣi weaves a fabric of universal well-being, invoking Aditi, Mitra, Varuṇa, and all the gods to align with Rudra in securing safety, prosperity, and peace for cattle, men, and offspring alike. The progression moves from personal supplication to a cosmic harmony where all divine forces are in sweet accord (sajōṣasaḥ). Rudra is celebrated as the lord of sacred songs and sacrificial offerings (gāthāpati, medhapati), bearing healing balms (jalāṣabheṣaja) that soothe both the physical body and the restless spirit. This is the ultimate turning toward the benevolent aspect of the terrifying storm god.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 1: To the wise and most bounteous Rudra, the mighty one, may we utter our most comforting praise from the depths of our heart.

Verse 2: May Aditi grant this to our cattle, our men, our horses, and our progeny, ensuring the grace of Rudra rests upon us.

Verse 3: Just as Mitra, Varuṇa, and Rudra are attentive to us, may all the universal gods be united in goodwill.

Verse 4: To the Lord of Songs, the Lord of Sacrifices, to Rudra who bears healing waters, we ask for that auspicious grace.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Sāyaṇa interprets 'jalāṣabheṣajam' as 'holding remedies that bring happiness or water,' while modern philologists connect it directly to soothing, restorative thermal springs or healing herbs.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 1

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
रुद्राय	rudrāya	to Rudra, the roarer or the terrible one (dative case)
प्रचेतसे	pracetase	wise, observant, conscious
मीळ्हुष्टमाय	mīḷhuṣṭamāya	most bounteous or generous
तव्यसे	tavyase	stronger, mightier
वोचेम	vocema	may we speak or utter
शंतमम्	śaṃtamam	most comforting, most healing
हृदे	hṛde	to the heart

Verse 2

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
अदितिः	aditiḥ	Aditi, the boundless mother of the gods
पश्वे	paśve	for cattle or livestock
नृभ्यो	nṛbhyo	for men or leaders
गवे	gave	for the cow
तोकाय	tokāya	for children or offspring
रुद्रियम्	rudriyam	belonging to Rudra, Rudra's grace

Verse 3

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
मित्रः	mitraḥ	Mitra, the god of harmony and contract
वरुणः	varuṇaḥ	Varuṇa, the guardian of cosmic order (Ṛta)
चिकेतति	ciketati	perceives, takes notice, is attentive
विश्वे	viśve	all
सजोषसः	sajoṣasaḥ	unanimous, sharing the same joy

Verse 4

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
गाथपतिम्	gāthapatim	lord of hymns or songs
मेधपतिम्	medhapatim	lord of sacrifice or wisdom
जलाषभेषजम्	jalāṣabheṣajam	possessing cooling, healing medicines
शम्योः	śamyoḥ	of Śaṃyu (the embodiment of peace and bliss)
सुम्नम्	sumnam	grace, benevolence, happiness

🧠

Memory Hook

Picture a fierce storm cloud turning into a soft, cooling rain shower that nourishes every animal, human, and child in the valley.

Act 2

The Solar Radiance and the Flow of Soma

Verses 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Verse 5

यः शु॒क्र इ॑व॒ सूर्यो॒ हिर॑ण्यमिव॒ रोच॑ते । श्रेष्ठो॑ दे॒वानां॒ वसुः॑ ॥

yáḥ śukrá iva sū́ryo híraṇyamiva rócate ǀ śréṣṭho devā́nām vásuḥ ǁ

Verse 6

शं नः॑ कर॒त्यर्व॑ते सु॒गं मे॒षाय॑ मे॒ष्ये॑ । नृभ्यो॒ नारि॑भ्यो॒ गवे॑ ॥

śám naḥ karatyárvate sugám meṣā́ya meṣyé ǀ nṛ́bhyo nā́ribhyo gáve ǁ

Verse 7

अ॒स्मे सो॑म॒ श्रिय॒मधि॒ नि धे॑हि श॒तस्य॑ नृ॒णां । महि॒ श्रव॑स्तुविनृ॒म्णं ॥

asmé soma śríyamádhi ní dhehi śatásya nṛṇā́m ǀ máhi śrávastuvinṛmṇám ǁ

Verse 8

मा नः॑ सोमपरि॒बाधो॒ मारा॑तयो जुहुरंत । आ न॑ इंदो॒ वाजे॑ भज ॥

mā́ naḥ somaparibā́dho mā́rātayo juhuranta ǀ ā́ na indo vā́je bhaja ǁ

Verse 9

यास्ते॑ प्र॒जा अ॒मृत॑स्य॒ पर॑स्मि॒न्धाम॑न्नृ॒तस्य॑ । मू॒र्धा नाभा॑ सोम वेन आ॒भूषं॑तीः सोम वेदः ॥

yā́ste prajā́ amṛ́tasya párasmindhā́mannṛtásya ǀ mūrdhā́ nā́bhā soma vena ābhū́ṣantīḥ soma vedaḥ ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

The focus now shifts toward the radiant manifestation of divinity and the vital offering of Soma. Rudra shines brightly like the sun, like refined gold, standing supreme among the gods as the ultimate treasure (vasu). The Ṛṣi extends this benediction to every corner of domestic life—horses, rams, ewes, men, and women—praying for an unimpeded path of safe passage (sugam). In the concluding verses, the Ṛṣi addresses Soma directly, asking for abundant glory among hundreds of heroes and protection from hostile obstacles. The Sūkta culminates in a mystical vision of the progeny of eternal Truth (ṛtasya), seated in the highest realm of immortality, guarded by the observant eye of the divine poet (vena).

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 5: He who shines like brilliant the sun, like refined gold, is the most excellent of the gods, the true treasure.

Verse 6: May He bring auspicious peace to our horses, safe pathways to our rams and ewes, and well-being to our men and women and cattle.

Verse 7: In us, O Soma, deposit supreme splendor among a hundred heroes, and grant us high and mighty fame.

Verse 8: Let not those who obstruct Soma overpower us, nor let adversaries injure us; O Indo, enlist us in your bounties.

Verse 9: Those offspring of yours in the highest realm of immortality and truth—may the observant Sage behold them serving you, O Soma.