प्र म॑न्महे शवसा॒नाय॑ शू॒षमां॑गू॒षं गिर्व॑णसे अंगिर॒स्वत् । सु॒वृ॒क्तिभिः॑ स्तुव॒त ऋ॑ग्मि॒यायार्चा॑मा॒र्कं नरे॒ विश्रु॑ताय ॥
prá manmahe śavasānā́ya śūṣámāṅgūṣám gírvaṇase aṅgirasvát ǀ suvṛktíbhiḥ stuvatá ṛgmiyā́yā́rcāmārkám náre víśrutāya ǁ
Verses 1, 2, 3, 4
प्र म॑न्महे शवसा॒नाय॑ शू॒षमां॑गू॒षं गिर्व॑णसे अंगिर॒स्वत् । सु॒वृ॒क्तिभिः॑ स्तुव॒त ऋ॑ग्मि॒यायार्चा॑मा॒र्कं नरे॒ विश्रु॑ताय ॥
prá manmahe śavasānā́ya śūṣámāṅgūṣám gírvaṇase aṅgirasvát ǀ suvṛktíbhiḥ stuvatá ṛgmiyā́yā́rcāmārkám náre víśrutāya ǁ
प्र वो॑ म॒हे महि॒ नमो॑ भरध्वमांगू॒ष्यं॑ शवसा॒नाय॒ साम॑ । येना॑ नः॒ पूर्वे॑ पि॒तरः॑ पद॒ज्ञा अर्चं॑तो॒ अंगि॑रसो॒ गा अविं॑दन् ॥
prá vo mahé máhi námo bharadhvamāṅgūṣyám śavasānā́ya sā́ma ǀ yénā naḥ pū́rve pitáraḥ padajñā́ árcanto áṅgiraso gā́ ávindan ǁ
इंद्र॒स्यांगि॑रसां चे॒ष्टौ वि॒दत्स॒रमा॒ तन॑याय धा॒सिं । बृह॒स्पति॑र्भि॒नदद्रिं॑ वि॒दद्गाः समु॒स्रिया॑भिर्वावशंत॒ नरः॑ ॥
índrasyā́ṅgirasām ceṣṭáu vidátsarámā tánayāya dhāsím ǀ bṛ́haspátirbhinádádrim vidádgā́ḥ sámusríyābhirvāvaśanta náraḥ ǁ
स सु॒ष्टुभा॒ स स्तु॒भा स॒प्त विप्रैः॑ स्व॒रेणाद्रिं॑ स्व॒र्यो॒३॒॑ नव॑ग्वैः । स॒र॒ण्युभिः॑ फलि॒गमिं॑द्र शक्र व॒लं रवे॑ण दरयो॒ दश॑ग्वैः ॥
sá suṣṭúbhā sá stubhā́ saptá vípraiḥ svaréṇā́drim svaryó návagvaiḥ ǀ saraṇyúbhiḥ phaligámindra śakra valám ráveṇa darayo dáśagvaiḥ ǁ
In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi invokes the mighty, victorious Indra alongside the ancient ancestral seers, the Angirases, who discovered the hidden path of truth. We enter the dynamic spiritual drama of the liberation of the cows—the rays of divine illumination—which were locked within the dark mountain cave of Vala by hostile forces. Through rhythmic song, sacred hymns, and the combined spiritual power of the seven seers, the barrier is shattered. Bṛhaspati bursts open the stony fortress, Saramā finds the track for the welfare of posterity, and Indra, aided by the rhythmic chants of the Navagvas and Daśagvas, splits the dark obstacle with thunderous force. This is not merely an ancient myth of cattle-rustling; it is the psychological and metaphysical account of how human consciousness breaks through the barriers of ignorance to recover the lost luminosity of the divine mind.
Verse 1: We fashion this surging hymn of praise with perfect devotion to the mighty and glorious Indra, just as the Angirases did of old; let us sing our radiant songs of adoration to the universally renowned Lord.
Verse 2: Offer up your highest, most majestic reverence to the mighty Indra, singing the Sāma chant through which our ancient fathers, knowing the hidden paths, the Angirases, found the radiant cows of light.
Verse 3: In the joint quest of Indra and the Angirases, Saramā discovered the nourishing sustenance for mankind; Bṛhaspati split open the rock, found the radiant kine, and the heroes rejoiced together with the dawn-lights.
Verse 4: With vibrant praises, with the seven wise singers, with rhythmic vibration and the Navagvas and Daśagvas, O potent Indra, you shattered the fruitful obstruction of Vala with your thundering roar.
The narrative relies heavily on Sri Aurobindo’s psychological interpretation of the Ṛgveda, where the cows (gāḥ) represent the rays of spiritual illumination and the Angirases represent the human faculties ascending into truth. Sāyaṇa’s traditional commentary views these verses through the lens of ritual sacrifice and historical mythology regarding Indra helping the ancient priests reclaim stolen cattle from Panis.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| शवसानाय | śavasānāya | to the mighty or strong one |
| गिर्वणसे | gírvaṇase | pleased by hymns of praise |
| अङ्गिरस्वत् | aṅgirasvat | like the ancient Angirases |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| शवसानाय | śavasānāya | to the powerful one |
| पितरः | pitaraḥ | forefathers, ancestors |
| अङ्गिरसः | aṅgirasaḥ | the Angiras seers |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सरमा | saramā | the divine hound/messenger who tracks the lost light |
| बृहस्पतिः | bṛhaspatiḥ | Lord of the sacred word and prayer |
| अद्रिम् | adrim | the stone mountain or cloud concealing the light |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| नवग्वैः | navagvaiḥ | the Navagvas, a class of ancient seers |
| दशग्वैः | daśagvaiḥ | the Daśagvas, associate seers of the Angirases |
| वलम् | valam | the enclosure or demon Vala who hoards the light |
Picture a band of ancient sages striking a massive mountain with golden hammers of sound until it splits wide open, letting out a stampede of glowing, milk-white cows into the morning sky.
Verses 5, 6, 7, 8
गृ॒णा॒नो अंगि॑रोभिर्दस्म॒ वि व॑रु॒षसा॒ सूर्ये॑ण॒ गोभि॒रंधः॑ । वि भूम्या॑ अप्रथय इंद्र॒ सानु॑ दि॒वो रज॒ उप॑रमस्तभायः ॥
gṛṇānó áṅgirobhirdasma ví varuṣásā sū́ryeṇa góbhirándhaḥ ǀ ví bhū́myā aprathaya indra sā́nu divó rája úparamastabhāyaḥ ǁ
तदु॒ प्रय॑क्षतममस्य॒ कर्म॑ द॒स्मस्य॒ चारु॑तममस्ति॒ दंसः॑ । उ॒प॒ह्व॒रे यदुप॑रा॒ अपि॑न्व॒न्मध्व॑र्णसो न॒द्य१॒॑श्चत॑स्रः ॥
tádu práyakṣatamamasya kárma dasmásya cā́rutamamasti dáṃsaḥ ǀ
द्वि॒ता वि व॑व्रे स॒नजा॒ सनी॑ळे अ॒यास्यः॒ स्तव॑मानेभिर॒र्कैः । भगो॒ न मेने॑ पर॒मे व्यो॑म॒न्नधा॑रय॒द्रोद॑सी सु॒दंसाः॑ ॥
dvitā́ ví vavre sanájā sánīḷe ayā́syaḥ stávamānebhirarkáiḥ ǀ bhágo ná méne paramé vyómannádhārayadródasī sudáṃsāḥ ǁ
स॒नाद्दिवं॒ परि॒ भूमा॒ विरू॑पे पुन॒र्भुवा॑ युव॒ती स्वेभि॒रेवैः॑ । कृ॒ष्णेभि॑र॒क्तोषा रुश॑द्भि॒र्वपु॑र्भि॒रा च॑रतो अ॒न्यान्या॑ ॥
sanā́ddívam pári bhū́mā vírūpe punarbhúvā yuvatī́ svébhirévaiḥ ǀ kṛṣṇébhiraktóṣā́ rúśadbhirvápurbhirā́ carato anyā́nyā ǁ
Having shattered the mountain of darkness, Indra expands his cosmic mastery across the created universe. Praised by the Angirases, he spreads out the earth to its vast limits and props up the immense realm of heaven, revealing the astonishing works of divine craft. The four honey-flowing rivers gush forth in secret places, bringing sweetness and life to all of existence. In these verses, the poetic gaze widens to encompass the eternal interplay between Heaven and Earth (Rodasī), upheld by divine mechanics. Night and Dawn, two youthful sisters clothed in dark and shining garments, endlessly circle the cosmos in an eternal dance. This cosmic rhythm mirrors the inner transformation of the seeker, where the vastness of divine consciousness replaces narrow earthly limitations.
Verse 5: Praised by the Angirases, O wondrous Indra, you made the dark spaces bright with the dawn and the sun and the radiant cows; you stretched wide the surface of the earth and propped up the upper realm of heaven.
Verse 6: This indeed is the most wondrous and charming deed of the wondrous worker: that in the hidden hollow, the four rivers of honey-streams overflowed and poured forth.
Verse 7: Twice the ancient, twin-born Ayāsya unfolded the universe in the same nest through his hymns of praise; like Bhaga in the highest supreme heaven, the mighty worker sustained heaven and earth.
Verse 8: From ancient times, encompassing heaven and earth, two ever-renewed youthful maidens of different forms move by their own movements—Night arrayed in dark forms and Dawn in shining bodies, each taking turns.
Sāyaṇa identifies the four rivers as cosmic streams or rain-clouds, while esoteric commentators view them as the four streams of divine consciousness descending into the human subtle bodies. The description of Night and Dawn (Virūpe) highlights the Vedic appreciation of dual cosmic rhythms.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अङ्गिरोभिः | aṅgirobhiḥ | with the Angiras seers |
| उषसा | uṣasā | with the dawn |
| सूर्येण | sūryeṇa | with the sun |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| प्रयक्षतमम | prayakṣatamam | most excellent to witness or manifest |
| मध्वर्णसो | madhvarṇasaḥ | honey-flowing streams |
| नद्यः | nadyaḥ | rivers |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अयास्यः | ayāsyaḥ | name of an ancient seer associated with the Angirases |
| भगः | bhagaḥ | the lord of bliss, distributor of fortune |
| रोदसी | rodasī | Heaven and Earth |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| विरूपे | virūpe | having different forms (Night and Dawn) |
| युवती | yuvatī | two young maidens |
| उषाः | uṣāḥ | Dawn (and implicitly Night) |
Visualize two dancers—one wearing a cloak of midnight velvet embroidered with stars, the other spun from golden sunbeams—twirling endlessly around the cosmic pillar.
Verses 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
सने॑मि स॒ख्यं स्व॑प॒स्यमा॑नः सू॒नुर्दा॑धार॒ शव॑सा सु॒दंसाः॑ । आ॒मासु॑ चिद्दधिषे प॒क्वमं॒तः पयः॑ कृ॒ष्णासु॒ रुश॒द्रोहि॑णीषु ॥
sánemi sakhyám svapasyámānaḥ sūnúrdādhāra śávasā sudáṃsāḥ ǀ āmā́su ciddadhiṣe pakvámantáḥ páyaḥ kṛṣṇā́su rúśadróhiṇīṣu ǁ
स॒नात्सनी॑ळा अ॒वनी॑रवा॒ता व्र॒ता र॑क्षंते अ॒मृताः॒ सहो॑भिः । पु॒रू स॒हस्रा॒ जन॑यो॒ न पत्नी॑र्दुव॒स्यंति॒ स्वसा॑रो॒ अह्र॑याणं ॥
sanā́tsánīḷā avánīravātā́ vratā́ rakṣante amṛ́tāḥ sáhobhiḥ ǀ purū́ sahásrā jánayo ná pátnīrduvasyánti svásāro áhrayāṇam ǁ
स॒ना॒युवो॒ नम॑सा॒ नव्यो॑ अ॒र्कैर्व॑सू॒यवो॑ म॒तयो॑ दस्म दद्रुः । पतिं॒ न पत्नी॑रुश॒तीरु॒शंतं॑ स्पृ॒शंति॑ त्वा शवसावन्मनी॒षाः ॥
sanāyúvo námasā návyo arkáirvasūyávo matáyo dasma dadruḥ ǀ pátim ná pátnīruśatī́ruśántam spṛśánti tvā śavasāvanmanīṣā́ḥ ǁ
स॒नादे॒व तव॒ रायो॒ गभ॑स्तौ॒ न क्षीयं॑ते॒ नोप॑ दस्यंति दस्म । द्यु॒माँ अ॑सि॒ क्रतु॑माँ इंद्र॒ धीरः॒ शिक्षा॑ शचीव॒स्तव॑ नः॒ शची॑भिः ॥
sanā́devá táva rā́yo gábhastau ná kṣī́yante nópa dasyanti dasma ǀ dyumā́m̐ asi krátumām̐ indra dhī́raḥ śíkṣā śacīvastáva naḥ śácībhiḥ ǁ
स॒ना॒य॒ते गोत॑म इंद्र॒ नव्य॒मत॑क्ष॒द्ब्रह्म॑ हरि॒योज॑नाय । सु॒नी॒थाय॑ नः शवसान नो॒धाः प्रा॒तर्म॒क्षू धि॒याव॑सुर्जगम्यात् ॥
sanāyaté gótama indra návyamátakṣadbráhma hariyójanāya ǀ sunīthā́ya naḥ śavasāna nodhā́ḥ prātármakṣū́ dhiyā́vasurjagamyāt ǁ
The Sūkta culminates in a deeply intimate depiction of the divine relationship between Indra and his devotees. Indra holds supreme friendship and cosmic power, containing within the raw, unmanifested dark forms the ripe, sweet milk of illumination. The divine energies and eternal rivers protect his cosmic laws with steadfast might, while thousands of devoted prayers embrace him just as loving wives embrace their lord. Finally, the human poet Gotama steps forward to offer a brand-new, freshly crafted hymn of praise to yoke the divine steeds of Indra. He prays that this dynamic, treasure-bearing devotion brings swift grace at dawn, ensuring that the radiant wealth of the divine never diminishes in the hands of the seeker.
Verse 9: Working for true spiritual perfection, the powerful son of strength maintains unwavering friendship; within the raw and dark cows, you hold hidden the ripe, sweet milk of illumination.
Verse 10: Sharing an ancient nest, the unblown, windless streams protect the cosmic ordinances with their powers; like devoted wives attending a fearless husband, thousands of sister-streams wait upon him.
Verse 11: Seeking ancient things with reverence, renewal, and hymns, our yearning thoughts rush toward you, O wondrous Lord—just as loving wives embrace their eager husband, so our prayers touch you with might.
Verse 12: From ancient times your bounties in your hands, O wondrous Indra, neither decay nor ever fail. You are full of light, full of inspired will, wise; bestow upon us your divine power and skill.
Verse 13: To the anciently expanding Indra, Gotama has fashioned a brand-new hymn for the yoking of your bay steeds. O mighty one, may Nodhās lead us to good guidance, and may the treasure-bringing prayer reach us swiftly at dawn.
Gotama’s signature (Gotama ātakṣat brahma) appears here, highlighting the poetic self-consciousness of the Ṛṣi who crafts ('fashions', atakṣat) the hymn like a carpenter shaping wood, bridging the human mind with the eternal divine reality.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सनेमि | sanemi | continuously, entirely, completely |
| सख्यम् | sakhyam | friendship |
| पक्वम् | pakvam | ripe, cooked, mature |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अवनीः | avanīḥ | rivers, courses |
| व्रता | vratā | divine laws or vows |
| स्वसारः | svasāraḥ | sisters |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सनायुवः | sanāyuvaḥ | seeking ancient eternal truths |
| मतयः | matayaḥ | mind-formulations, prayers, thoughts |
| पतिम् | patim | lord, master, husband |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| गभस्तौ | gabhastau | in the hands or arms |
| द्युमाम् | dyumān | radiant, brilliant |
| क्रतुमाम् | kratumān | possessing inspired will or effective power |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| गोतमः | gotamaḥ | Gotama, the seer of this hymn |
| नव्यम् | navyam | brand new, fresh |
| हरियोजनाथ् | hariyojanāya | for the yoking of the golden/bay horses of Indra |
Imagine a master artisan polishing a brand-new wooden chariot at sunrise while faithful companions gather round, knowing the storehouse of the king is bottomless and ever-open.