HYMN CLIV. Viṣṇu: Rig Veda – Book 1 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

विष्णोर्नु कं वीर्याणि पर वोचं यः पार्थिवानि विममेरजांसि |
यो अस्कभायदुत्तरं सधस्थं विचक्रमाणस्त्रेधोरुगायः ||

पर तद विष्णु सतवते वीर्येण मर्गो न भीमः कुचरो गिरिष्ठाः |
यस्योरुषु तरिषु विक्रमणेष्वधिक्षियन्ति भुवनानि विश्वा ||

पर विष्णवे शूषमेतु मन्म गिरिक्षित उरुगायाय वर्ष्णे |
य इदं दीर्घं परयतं सधस्थमेको विममे तरिभिरित पदेभिः ||

यस्य तरी पूर्णा मधुना पदान्यक्षीयमाणा सवधयामदन्ति |
य उ तरिधातु पर्तिवीमुत दयामेको दाधार भुवनानि विश्वा ||

तदस्य परियमभि पाथो अश्यां नरो यत्र देवयवो मदन्ति |
उरुक्रमस्य स हि बन्धुरित्था विष्णोः पदे परमे मध्व उत्सः ||

ता वं वास्तून्युश्मसि गमध्यै यत्र गावो भूरिश्र्ङगायासः |
अत्राह तदुरुगायस्य वर्ष्णः परमं पदमव भाति भूरि ||

viṣṇornu kaṃ vīryāṇi pra vocaṃ yaḥ pārthivāni vimamerajāṃsi |
yo askabhāyaduttaraṃ sadhasthaṃ vicakramāṇastredhorughāyaḥ ||

pra tad viṣṇu stavate vīryeṇa mṛgho na bhīmaḥ kucaro ghiriṣṭhāḥ |
yasyoruṣu triṣu vikramaṇeṣvadhikṣiyanti bhuvanāni viśvā ||

pra viṣṇave śūṣametu manma ghirikṣita urughāyāya vṛṣṇe |
ya idaṃ dīrghaṃ prayataṃ sadhasthameko vimame tribhirit padebhiḥ ||

yasya trī pūrṇā madhunā padānyakṣīyamāṇā svadhayāmadanti |
ya u tridhātu pṛtivīmuta dyāmeko dādhāra bhuvanāni viśvā ||

tadasya priyamabhi pātho aśyāṃ naro yatra devayavo madanti |
urukramasya sa hi bandhuritthā viṣṇoḥ pade parame madhva utsaḥ ||

tā vaṃ vāstūnyuśmasi ghamadhyai yatra ghāvo bhūriśṛṅghāayāsaḥ |
atrāha tadurughāyasya vṛṣṇaḥ paramaṃ padamava bhāti bhūri ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. I WILL declare the mighty deeds of Viṣṇu, of him who measured out the earthly regions,
Who propped the highest place of congregation, thrice setting down his footstep, widely striding.

2 For this his mighty deed is Viṣṇu lauded, like some wild beast, dread, prowling, mountain-roaming;
He within whose three wide-extended paces all living creatures have their habitation.

3 Let the hymn lift itself as strength to Viṣṇu, the Bull far-striding, dwelling on the mountains,
Him who alone with triple step hath measured this common dwelling-place, long, far extended.

4 Him whose three places that are filled with sweetness, imperishable, joy as it may list them,
Who verily alone upholds the threefold, the earth, the heaven, and all living creatures.

5 May I attain to that his well-loved mansion where men devoted to the Gods are happy.
For there springs, close akin to the Wide-Strider, the well of meath in Viṣṇu’s highest footstep.

6 Fain would we go unto your dwelling-places where there are many-horned and nimble oxen,
For mightily, there, shineth down upon us the widely-striding Bull’s sublimest mansion.