HYMN CXIII. Dawn: Rig Veda – Book 1 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

इदं शरेष्ठं जयोतिषां जयोतिरागाच्चित्रः परकेतो अजनिष्ट विभ्वा |
यथा परसूता सवितुः सवयमेवा रात्र्युषसे योनिमारैक ||

रुशद्वत्सा रुशती शवेत्यागादारैगु कर्ष्णा सदनान्यस्याः |
समानबन्धू अम्र्ते अनुची दयावा वर्णं चरत आमिनाने ||

समानो अध्वा सवस्रोरनन्तस्तमन्यान्या चरतो देवशिष्टे |
न मेथेते न तस्थतुः सुमेके नक्तोषासा समनसा विरूपे ||

भास्वती नेत्री सून्र्तानामचेति चित्रा वि दुरो न आवः |
परार्प्या जगद वयु नो रायो अख्यदुषा अजीगर्भुवनानि विश्वा ||

जिह्मश्ये चरितवे मघोन्याभोगय इष्टये राय उ तवम |
दभ्रं पश्यद्भ्य उर्विया विचक्ष उषा ||

कषत्राय तवं शरवसे तवं महीया इष्टये तवमर्थमिवत्वमित्यै |
विसद्र्शा जीविताभिप्रचक्ष उषा … ||

एषा दिवो दुहिता परत्यदर्शि वयुछन्ती युवतिः शुक्रवासाः |
विश्वस्येशाना पार्थिवस्य वस्व उषो अद्येह सुभगेव्युछ ||

परायतीनामन्वेति पाथ आयतीनां परथमा शश्वतीनाम |
वयुछन्ती जीवमुदीरयन्त्युषा मर्तं कं चन बोधयन्ती ||

उषो यदग्निं समिधे चकर्थ वि यदावश्चक्षसा सूर्यस्य |
यन मानुषान यक्ष्यमाणानजीगस्तद देवेषु चक्र्षे भद्रमप्नः ||

कियात्या यत समया भवाति या वयूषुर्याश्च नूनंव्युछान |
अनु पूर्वाः कर्पते वावशाना परदीध्याना जोषमन्याभिरेति ||

ईयुष टे ये पूर्वतरामपश्यन वयुछन्तीमुषसं मर्त्यासः |
अस्माभिरू नु परतिचक्ष्याभूदो ते यन्ति ये अपरीषु पश्यान ||

यावयद्द्वेषा रतपा रतेजाः सुम्नावरी सून्र्ता ईरयन्ती |
सुमङगलीर्बिभ्रती देववीतिमिहाद्योषः शरेष्ठतमाव्युछ ||

शश्वत पुरोषा वयुवास देव्यथो अद्येदं वयावो मघोनी |
अथो वयुछादुत्तराननु दयूनजराम्र्ता चरति सवधाभिः ||

वयञ्जिभिर्दिव आतास्वद्यौदप कर्ष्णां निर्णिजं देव्यावः |
परबोधयन्त्यरुणेभिरश्वैरोषा याति सुयुजा रथेन ||

आवहन्ती पोष्या वार्याणि चित्रं केतुं कर्णुते चेकिताना |
ईयुषीणामुपमा शश्वतीनां विभातीनां परथमोषा वयश्वैत ||

उदीर्ध्वं जीवो असुर्न आगादप परागात तम आ जयोतिरेति |
आरैक पन्थां यातवे सूर्यायागन्म यत्र परतिरन्त आयुः ||

सयूमना वाच उदियर्ति वह्नि सतवानो रेभ उषसो विभातीः |
अद्या तदुछ गर्णते मघोन्यस्मे आयुर्नि दिदीहि परजावत ||

या गोमतीरुषसः सर्ववीरा वयुछन्ति दाशुषे मर्त्याय |
वायोरिव सून्र्तानामुदर्के ता अश्वदा अश्नवत सोमसुत्वा ||

माता देवानामदितेरनीकं यज्ञस्य केतुर्ब्र्हती वि भाहि |
परशस्तिक्र्द बरह्मणे नो वयुछा नो जने जनय विश्ववारे ||

यच्चित्रमप्न उषसो वहन्तीजानाय शशमानाय भद्रम |
तन नो … ||

idaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ jyotiṣāṃ jyotirāghāccitraḥ praketo ajaniṣṭa vibhvā |
yathā prasūtā savituḥ savayamevā rātryuṣase yonimāraik ||

ruśadvatsā ruśatī śvetyāghādāraighu kṛṣṇā sadanānyasyāḥ |
samānabandhū amṛte anucī dyāvā varṇaṃ carata āmināne ||

samāno adhvā svasroranantastamanyānyā carato devaśiṣṭe |
na methete na tasthatuḥ sumeke naktoṣāsā samanasā virūpe ||

bhāsvatī netrī sūnṛtānāmaceti citrā vi duro na āvaḥ |
prārpyā jaghad vyu no rāyo akhyaduṣā ajīgharbhuvanāni viśvā ||

jihmaśye caritave maghonyābhoghaya iṣṭaye rāya u tvam |
dabhraṃ paśyadbhya urviyā vicakṣa uṣā ||

kṣatrāya tvaṃ śravase tvaṃ mahīyā iṣṭaye tvamarthamivatvamityai |
visadṛśā jīvitābhipracakṣa uṣā … ||

eṣā divo duhitā pratyadarśi vyuchantī yuvatiḥ śukravāsāḥ |
viśvasyeśānā pārthivasya vasva uṣo adyeha subhaghevyucha ||

parāyatīnāmanveti pātha āyatīnāṃ prathamā śaśvatīnām |
vyuchantī jīvamudīrayantyuṣā mṛtaṃ kaṃ cana bodhayantī ||

uṣo yadaghniṃ samidhe cakartha vi yadāvaścakṣasā sūryasya |
yan mānuṣān yakṣyamāṇānajīghastad deveṣu cakṛṣe bhadramapnaḥ ||

kiyātyā yat samayā bhavāti yā vyūṣuryāśca nūnaṃvyuchān |
anu pūrvāḥ kṛpate vāvaśānā pradīdhyānā joṣamanyābhireti ||

īyuṣ ṭe ye pūrvatarāmapaśyan vyuchantīmuṣasaṃ martyāsaḥ |
asmābhirū nu praticakṣyābhūdo te yanti ye aparīṣu paśyān ||

yāvayaddveṣā ṛtapā ṛtejāḥ sumnāvarī sūnṛtā īrayantī |
sumaṅghalīrbibhratī devavītimihādyoṣaḥ śreṣṭhatamāvyucha ||

śaśvat puroṣā vyuvāsa devyatho adyedaṃ vyāvo maghonī |
atho vyuchāduttarānanu dyūnajarāmṛtā carati svadhābhiḥ ||

vyañjibhirdiva ātāsvadyaudapa kṛṣṇāṃ nirṇijaṃ devyāvaḥ |
prabodhayantyaruṇebhiraśvairoṣā yāti suyujā rathena ||

āvahantī poṣyā vāryāṇi citraṃ ketuṃ kṛṇute cekitānā |
īyuṣīṇāmupamā śaśvatīnāṃ vibhātīnāṃ prathamoṣā vyaśvait ||

udīrdhvaṃ jīvo asurna āghādapa prāghāt tama ā jyotireti |
āraik panthāṃ yātave sūryāyāghanma yatra pratiranta āyuḥ ||

syūmanā vāca udiyarti vahni stavāno rebha uṣaso vibhātīḥ |
adyā taducha ghṛṇate maghonyasme āyurni didīhi prajāvat ||

yā ghomatīruṣasaḥ sarvavīrā vyuchanti dāśuṣe martyāya |
vāyoriva sūnṛtānāmudarke tā aśvadā aśnavat somasutvā ||

mātā devānāmaditeranīkaṃ yajñasya keturbṛhatī vi bhāhi |
praśastikṛd brahmaṇe no vyuchā no jane janaya viśvavāre ||

yaccitramapna uṣaso vahantījānāya śaśamānāya bhadram |
tan no … ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. This light is come, amid all lights the fairest; born is the brilliant, far-extending brightness.
Night, sent away for Savitar’s uprising, hath yielded up a birth-place for the Morning.

2 The Fair, the Bright is come with her white offspring; to her the Dark One hath resigned her dwelling.
Akin, immortal, following each other, changing their colours both the heavens move onward.

3 Common, unending is the Sisters’ pathway; taught by the Gods, alternately they travel.
Fair-formed, of different hues and yet one-minded, Night and Dawn clash not, neither do they travel.

4 Bright leader of glad sounds, our eyes behold her; splendid in hue she hath unclosed the portals.
She, stirring up the world, hath shown us riches: Dawn hath awakened every living creature.

5 Rich Dawn, she sets afoot the coiled-up sleeper, one for enjoyment, one for wealth or worship,
Those who saw little for extended vision. All living creatures hath the Dawn awakened.

6 One to high sway, one to exalted glory, one to pursue his gain, and one his labour:
All to regard their different vocations, all moving creatures hath the Dawn awakened.

7 We see her there, the Child of Heaven apparent, the young Maid, flushing in her shining raiment.
Thou sovran Lady of all earthly treasure, flush on us here, auspicious Dawn, this morning.

8 She first of endless morns to come hereafter, follows the path of morns that have departed.
Dawn, at her rising, urges forth the living him who is dead she wakes not from his slumber.

9 As thou, Dawn, hast caused Agni to be kindled, and with the Sun’s eye hast revealed creation.
And hast awakened men to offer worship, thou hast performed, for Gods, a noble service.

10 How long a time, and they shall be together,—Dawns that have shone and Dawns to shine hereafter?
She yearns for former Dawns with eager longing, and goes forth gladly shining with the others.

11 Gone are the men who in the days before us looked on the rising of the earlier Morning.
We, we the living, now behold her brightness and they come nigh who shall hereafter see her.

12 Foe-chaser, born of Law, the Law’s protectress, joy-giver, waker of all pleasant voices,
Auspicious, bringing food for Gods’ enjoyment, shine on us here, most bright, O Dawn, this morning.

13 From days eternal hath Dawn shone, the Goddess, and shows this light to-day, endowed with riches.
So will she shine on days to come immortal she moves on in her own strength, undecaying.

14 In the sky’s borders hath she shone in splendour: the Goddess hath thrown off the veil of darkness.
Awakening the world with purple horses, on her well-harnessed chariot Dawn approaches.

15 Bringing all life-sustaining blessings with her, showing herself she sends forth brilliant lustre.
Last of the countless mornings that have vanished, first of bright morns to come hath Dawn arisen.

16 Arise! the breath, the life, again hath reached us: darkness hath passed away and light approacheth.
She for the Sun hath left a path to travel we have arrived where men prolong existence.

17 Singing the praises of refulgent Mornings with his hymn’s web the priest, the poet rises.
Shine then to-day, rich Maid, on him who lauds thee, shine down on us the gift of life and offspring.

18 Dawns giving sons all heroes, kine and horses, shining upon the man who brings oblations,—
These let the Soma-presser gain when ending his glad songs louder than the voice of Vāyu.

19 Mother of Gods, Aditi’s form of glory, ensign of sacrifice, shine forth exalted.
Rise up, bestowing praise on our devotion all-bounteous, make us chief among the people.

20 Whatever splendid wealth the Dawns bring with them to bless the man who offers praise and worship,
Even that may Mitra, Varuṇa vouchsafe us, and Aditi and Sindhu, Earth and Heaven.