HYMN LI. Dawn: Rig Veda – Book 4 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

इदम उ तयत पुरुतमम पुरस्ताज जयोतिस तमसो वयुनावद अस्थात |
नूनं दिवो दुहितरो विभातीर गातुं कर्णवन्न उषसो जनाय ||

अस्थुर उ चित्रा उषसः पुरस्तान मिता इव सवरवो ऽधवरेषु |
वय ऊ वरजस्य तमसो दवारोछन्तीर अव्रञ छुचयः पावकाः ||

उछन्तीर अद्य चितयन्त भोजान राधोदेयायोषसो मघोनीः |
अचित्रे अन्तः पणयः ससन्त्व अबुध्यमानास तमसो विमध्ये ||

कुवित स देवीः सनयो नवो वा यामो बभूयाद उषसो वो अद्य |
येना नवग्वे अङगिरे दशग्वे सप्तास्ये रेवती रेवद ऊष ||

यूयं हि देवीर रतयुग्भिर अश्वैः परिप्रयाथ भुवनानि सद्यः |
परबोधयन्तीर उषसः ससन्तं दविपाच चतुष्पाच चरथाय जीवम ||

कव सविद आसां कतमा पुराणी यया विधाना विदधुर रभूणाम |
शुभं यच छुभ्रा उषसश चरन्ति न वि जञायन्ते सद्र्शीर अजुर्याः ||

ता घा ता भद्रा उषसः पुरासुर अभिष्टिद्युम्ना रतजातसत्याः |
यास्व ईजानः शशमान उक्थै सतुवञ छंसन दरविणं सद्य आप ||

ता आ चरन्ति समना पुरस्तात समानतः समना पप्रथानाः |
रतस्य देवीः सदसो बुधाना गवां न सर्गा उषसो जरन्ते ||

ता इन नव एव समना समानीर अमीतवर्णा उषसश चरन्ति |
गूहन्तीर अभ्वम असितं रुशद्भिः शुक्रास तनूभिः शुचयो रुचानाः ||

रयिं दिवो दुहितरो विभातीः परजावन्तं यछतास्मासु देवीः |
सयोनाद आ वः परतिबुध्यमानाः सुवीर्यस्य पतयः सयाम ||

तद वो दिवो दुहितरो विभातीर उप बरुव उषसो यज्ञकेतुः |
वयं सयाम यशसो जनेषु तद दयौश च धत्ताम पर्थिवी च देवी ||

idam u tyat purutamam purastāj jyotis tamaso vayunāvad asthāt |
nūnaṃ divo duhitaro vibhātīr ghātuṃ kṛṇavann uṣaso janāya ||

asthur u citrā uṣasaḥ purastān mitā iva svaravo ‘dhvareṣu |
vy ū vrajasya tamaso dvārochantīr avrañ chucayaḥ pāvakāḥ ||

uchantīr adya citayanta bhojān rādhodeyāyoṣaso maghonīḥ |
acitre antaḥ paṇayaḥ sasantv abudhyamānās tamaso vimadhye ||

kuvit sa devīḥ sanayo navo vā yāmo babhūyād uṣaso vo adya |
yenā navaghve aṅghire daśaghve saptāsye revatī revad ūṣa ||

yūyaṃ hi devīr ṛtayughbhir aśvaiḥ pariprayātha bhuvanāni sadyaḥ |
prabodhayantīr uṣasaḥ sasantaṃ dvipāc catuṣpāc carathāya jīvam ||

kva svid āsāṃ katamā purāṇī yayā vidhānā vidadhur ṛbhūṇām |
śubhaṃ yac chubhrā uṣasaś caranti na vi jñāyante sadṛśīr ajuryāḥ ||

tā ghā tā bhadrā uṣasaḥ purāsur abhiṣṭidyumnā ṛtajātasatyāḥ |
yāsv ījānaḥ śaśamāna ukthai stuvañ chaṃsan draviṇaṃ sadya āpa ||

tā ā caranti samanā purastāt samānataḥ samanā paprathānāḥ |
ṛtasya devīḥ sadaso budhānā ghavāṃ na sarghā uṣaso jarante ||

tā in nv eva samanā samānīr amītavarṇā uṣasaś caranti |
ghūhantīr abhvam asitaṃ ruśadbhiḥ śukrās tanūbhiḥ śucayo rucānāḥ ||

rayiṃ divo duhitaro vibhātīḥ prajāvantaṃ yachatāsmāsu devīḥ |
syonād ā vaḥ pratibudhyamānāḥ suvīryasya patayaḥ syāma ||

tad vo divo duhitaro vibhātīr upa bruva uṣaso yajñaketuḥ |
vayaṃ syāma yaśaso janeṣu tad dyauś ca dhattām pṛthivī ca devī ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. FORTH from the darkness in the region eastward this most abundant splendid light hatb mounted.
Now verily the far-refulgent Mornings, Daughters of Heaven, bring welfare to the people.

2 The richly-coloured Dawns have mounted eastward, like pillars planted at our sacrifices,
And, flushing far, splendid and purifying, unbarred the portals of the fold of darkness.

3 Dispelling gloom this day the wealthy Mornings urge liberal givers to present their treasures.
In the unlightened depth of darkness round them let niggard traffickers sleep unawakened.

4 O Goddesses, is this your car, I ask you, ancient this day, or is it new, ye Mornings,
Wherewith, rich Dawns, ye seek with wealth Navagva, Daśagva Aṅgira, the seven-toned singer?

5 With horses harnessed by eternal Order, Goddesses, swiftly round the worlds ye travel,
Arousing from their rest, O Dawns, the sleeping, and all that lives, man, bird, and beast, to motion.

6 Which among these is eldest, and where is she through whom they fixed the Ṛbhus’ regulations?
What time the splendid Dawns go forth for splendour, they are not known apart, alike, unwasting.

7 Blest were these Dawns of old, shining with succour, true with the truth that springs from holy Order;
With whom the toiling worshipper, by praises, hymning and lauding, soon attained to riches.

8 Hither from eastward all at once they travel, from one place spreading in the selfsame manner.
Awaking, from the seat of holy Order the Godlike Dawns come nigh like troops of cattle.

9 Thus they go forth with undiminished colours, these Mornings similar, in self-same fashion,
Concealing the gigantic might of darkness with radiant bodies bright and pure and shining.

10 O Goddesses, O Heaven’s refulgent Daughters, bestow upon us wealth with store of children.
As from our pleasant place of rest ye rouse us may we be masters of heroic vigour.

11 Well-skilled in lore of sacrifice, ye Daughters of Heaven, refulgent Dawns, I thus address you.
May we be glorious among the people. May Heaven vouchsafe us this, and Earth the Goddess,