उप ह्वये सुदुघां धेनुमेतां सुहस्तो गोधुगुत दोहदेनाम् । श्रेष्ठं सवं सविता साविषन्नोऽभीद्धो घर्मस्तदु षु प्र वोचम्
I call upon this good-yielding cow, with good hands, who gives milk to the gods; let us milk her, O Ashvins. The best offering, brought by Savitṛ, the heated vessel, I now declare.
हिङ्कृण्वती वसुपत्नी वसूनां वत्समिच्छन्ती मनसाभ्यागात् । दुहामश्विभ्यां पयो अघ्न्येयं सा वर्धतां महते सौभगाय
Lowing, the mistress of riches, desiring her calf, approached in mind. This unyoked cow, to be milked by the Ashvins, may she grow for great good fortune.
गौरमीमेदनु वत्सं मिषन्तं मूर्धानं हिङ्ङकृणोन्मातवा उ । सृक्वाणं घर्ममभि वावशाना मिमाति मायुं पयते पयोभिः
The cow, following her calf who seeks her, lowing, with her head raised, approaches. Longing for the heated vessel, she pours forth her milk, measuring out her life with her milk.
अयं स शिङ्क्ते येन गौरभीवृता मिमाति मायुं ध्वसनावधि श्रिता । सा चित्तिभिर्नि हि चकार मर्त्यं विद्युद्भवन्ती प्रति वव्रिमौहत
This one sprinkles, by whom the cow, surrounded, measures out her life, reaching to the end of the days. With her thoughts, she has indeed made the mortal; becoming lightning, she has covered him with her garment.
अनच्छये तुरगातु जीवमेजद्ध्रुवं मध्य आ पस्त्यानाम् । जीवो मृतस्य चरति स्वधाभिरमर्त्यो मर्त्येना सयोनिः
Uncovered, swift-moving, living, trembling, yet stable in the midst of dwellings. The living one moves among the dead by his own law; the immortal is united with the mortal.
अपश्यं गोपामनिपद्यमानमा च परा च पथिभिश्चरन्तम् । स सध्रीचीः स विषूचीर्वसान आ वरीवर्ति भुवनेष्वन्तः
I saw the herdsman, never resting, moving on paths both near and far. He, clothed in the same, moves together and apart, spreading himself within all the worlds.
य ईं चकार न सो अस्य वेद य ईं ददर्श हिरुगिन्नु तस्मात् । स मातुर्योना परिवीतो अन्तर्बहुप्रजा निरृतिमा विवेश
He who made her does not know her; he who saw her, let him declare. Surrounded within the mother’s womb, with many offspring, he entered into dissolution.
द्यौर्मे पिता जनिता नाभिरत्र बन्धुर्मे माता पृथिवी महीयम् । उत्तानयोश्चम्वोर्योनिरन्तरत्रा पिता दुहितुर्गर्भमाधात्
Heaven is my father, the begetter, the navel here; the great earth is my mother, my kin. Between these two outstretched bowls is the womb; there, the father placed the embryo in the daughter.
पृच्छामि त्वा परमन्तं पृथिव्याः पृच्छामि यत्र भुवनस्य नाभिः । पृच्छामि त्वा वृष्णो अश्वस्य रेतः पृच्छामि वाचः परमं व्योम
I ask you about the farthest end of the earth; I ask you where is the navel of the world. I ask you about the seed of the vigorous horse; I ask you about the highest heaven of speech.
इयं वेदिः परो अन्तः पृथिव्या अयं यज्ञो भुवनस्य नाभिः । अयं सोमो वृष्णो अश्वस्य रेतो ब्रह्मायं वाचः परमं व्योम
This altar is the farthest end of the earth; this sacrifice is the navel of the world. This Soma is the seed of the vigorous horse; this Brahman is the highest heaven of speech.
सप्तार्धगर्भा भुवनस्य रेतो विष्णोस्तिष्ठन्ति प्रदिशा विधर्मणि । ते धीतिभिर्मनसा ते विपश्चितः परिभुवः परि भवन्ति विश्वतः
Seven who are half-born uphold the seed of the world, standing in the directions, established by Viṣṇu. By their thoughts, by their minds, by their wisdom, they encompass all things from every side.
न वि जानामि यदिवेदमस्मि निण्यः संनद्धो मनसा चरामि । यदा मागन्प्रथमजा ऋतस्यादिद्वाचो अश्नुवे भागमस्याः
I do not know what I am truly; hidden, bound up, I wander with my mind. When the first-born of truth came to me, then I obtained a share of this speech.
अपाङ्प्राङेति स्वधया गृभीतोऽमर्त्यो मर्त्येना सयोनिः । ता शश्वन्ता विषूचीना वियन्ता न्यन्यं चिक्युर्न नि चिक्युरन्यम्
He goes away, he comes near, seized by his own nature; the immortal is united in origin with the mortal. They, ever diverging, ever separating, recognize one and do not recognize the other.
ऋचो अक्षरे परमे व्योमन्यस्मिन्देवा अधि विश्वे निषेदुः । यस्तन्न वेद किमृचा करिष्यति य इत्तद्विदुस्त इमे समासते
The verses are set in the imperishable highest heaven, where all the gods have taken their seat. He who does not know that, what will he do with the verse? But those who know it, they are gathered here together.
सूयवसाद्भगवती हि भूया अथो वयं भगवन्तः स्याम । अद्धि तृणमघ्न्ये विश्वदानीं पिब शुद्धमुदकमाचरन्ती
May the bountiful one be more bountiful through good pasture; and may we too become fortunate. Eat the grass, O uninjurable one, giver of all things; drink the pure water as you move.
गौरीर्मिमाय सलिलानि तक्षत्येकपदी द्विपदी सा चतुष्पदी । अष्टापदी नवपदी बभूवुषी सहस्राक्षरा परमे व्योमन्
Gaurī measured out the waters; she is one-footed, two-footed, and four-footed. Becoming eight-footed, nine-footed, she became a thousand-syllabled in the highest heaven.
तस्याः समुद्रा अधि वि क्षरन्ति तेन जीवन्ति प्रदिशश्चतस्रः । ततः क्षरत्यक्षरं तद्विश्वमुप जीवति
From her, the oceans flow forth; by that, the four directions live. From that, the imperishable flows; by that, all this lives.
शकमयं धूममारादपश्यं विषूवता पर एनावरेण । उक्षाणं पृश्निमपचन्त वीरास्तानि धर्माणि प्रथमान्यासन्
I saw smoke from afar, as if from a fire, with the wind blowing it to the farther and the nearer side. The heroes milked the spotted cow; those were the first ordinances.
त्रयः केशिन ऋतुथा वि चक्षते संवत्सरे वपत एक एषाम् । विश्वमेको अभि चष्टे शचीभिर्ध्राजिरेकस्य ददृशे न रूपम्
Three with braided hair are seen in due season; in the year, one of them is shorn. One, with his powers, beholds all; the other's form is not seen, though he is adorned.
चत्वारि वाक्परिमिता पदानि तानि विदुर्ब्राह्मणा ये मनीषिणः । गुहा त्रीणि निहिता नेङ्गयन्ति तुरीयं वाचो मनुष्या वदन्ति
Speech is measured in four steps; those who know, the wise Brāhmaṇas, understand them. Three are hidden in secrecy; men speak the fourth of speech.
इन्द्रं मित्रं वरुणमग्निमाहुरथो दिव्यः स सुपर्णो गरुत्मान् । एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्त्यग्निं यमं मातरिश्वानमाहुः
They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuṇa, Agni; and he is the divine, the splendid-winged Garutman. The wise speak of the One as many: they call him Agni, Yama, Mātariśvan.
कृष्णं नियानं हरयः सुपर्णा अपो वसाना दिवमुत्पतन्ति । त आववृत्रन्सदनादृतस्यादिद्घृतेन पृथिवी व्युद्यते
The black, the tawny, the splendid-winged, clothed in waters, fly up to the sky. They, having circled, left the seat of truth; then the earth was made bright with ghee.
द्वादश प्रधयश्चक्रमेकं त्रीणि नभ्यानि क उ तच्चिकेत । तस्मिन्साकं त्रिशता न शङ्कवोऽर्पिताः षष्टिर्न चलाचलासः
Twelve spokes, one wheel, three naves—who understands this? Upon it are set three hundred and sixty pegs, which do not move, though they seem to move.
यस्ते स्तनः शशयो यो मयोभूर्येन विश्वा पुष्यसि वार्याणि । यो रत्नधा वसुविद्यः सुदत्रः सरस्वति तमिह धातवे कः
That breast of yours which is full, which brings delight, by which you nourish all desirable things— that which bears treasures, knower of wealth, bestower of good—O Sarasvatī, place that here for our sustenance.
यज्ञेन यज्ञमयजन्त देवास्तानि धर्माणि प्रथमान्यासन् । ते ह नाकं महिमानः सचन्त यत्र पूर्वे साध्याः सन्ति देवाः
With sacrifice, the gods performed sacrifice; those were the first ordinances. Those mighty ones attained the heaven where the ancient Sādhyas, the gods, are.
समानमेतदुदकमुच्चैत्यव चाहभिः । भूमिं पर्जन्या जिन्वन्ति दिवं जिन्वन्त्यग्नयः
This water is the same, rising up and falling down with the days; the earth is quickened by the rain-clouds, the heavens are quickened by the fires.
दिव्यं सुपर्णं वायसं बृहन्तमपां गर्भं दर्शतमोषधीनाम् । अभीपतो वृष्टिभिस्तर्पयन्तं सरस्वन्तमवसे जोहवीमि
I call for help upon Sarasvant, the divine, splendid-winged, mighty one, the most visible among plants, the embryo of the waters, who, approached with rains, brings satisfaction.
कया शुभा सवयसः सनीळाः समान्या मरुतः सं मिमिक्षुः । कया मती कुत एतास एतेऽर्चन्ति शुष्मं वृषणो वसूया
By what beauty, by what kinship, by what common bond do you, Maruts, wish to unite? By what thought, from where have these come, that the mighty ones shine forth, eager for wealth?
कस्य ब्रह्माणि जुजुषुर्युवानः को अध्वरे मरुत आ ववर्त । श्येनाँ इव ध्रजतो अन्तरिक्षे केन महा मनसा रीरमाम
Whose praises have the youthful ones delighted in? Who, at the sacrifice, has turned the Maruts? Like falcons rushing through the midspace, by what great mind do we find delight?
कुतस्त्वमिन्द्र माहिनः सन्नेको यासि सत्पते किं त इत्था । सं पृच्छसे समराणः शुभानैर्वोचेस्तन्नो हरिवो यत्ते अस्मे
From where, Indra, have you, mighty one, come alone, O lord of truth? Why is it so? You ask together with the splendid ones; speak to us, O charioteer, what is yours for us.