HYMN XLVIII. Soma – Rig Veda – Book 8

सवादोरभक्षि वयसः सुमेधाः सवाध्यो वरिवोवित्तरस्य |
विश्वे यं देवा उत मर्त्यासो मधु बरुवन्तो अभि संचरन्ति ||

अन्तश्च परागा अदितिर्भवास्यवयाता हरसो दैव्यस्य |
इन्दविन्द्रस्य सख्यं जुषाणः शरौष्टीव धुरमनु राय रध्याः ||

अपाम सोममम्र्ता अभूमागन्म जयोतिरविदाम देवान |
किं नूनमस्मान कर्णवदरातिः किमु धूर्तिरम्र्त मर्त्यस्य ||

शं नो भव हर्द आ पीत इन्दो पितेव सोम सूनवे सुशेवः |
सखेव सख्य उरुशंस धीरः पर ण आयुर्जीवसे सोमतारीः ||

इमे मा पीता यशस उरुष्यवो रथं न गावः समनाहपर्वसु |
ते मा रक्षन्तु विस्रसश्चरित्रादुत मा सरामाद्यवयन्त्विन्दवः ||

अग्निं न मा मथितं सं दिदीपः पर चक्षय कर्णुहि वस्यसो नः |
अथा हि ते मद आ सोम मन्ये रेवानिव पर चरापुष्टिमछ ||

इषिरेण ते मनसा सुतस्य भक्षीमहि पित्र्यस्येव रायः |
सोम राजन पर ण आयूंषि तारीरहानीव सूर्यो वासराणि ||

सोम राजन मर्ळया नः सवस्ति तव समसि वरत्यास्तस्य विद्धि |
अलर्ति दक्ष उत मन्युरिन्दो मा नो अर्यो अनुकामं परादाः ||

तवं हि नस्तन्वः सोम गोपा गात्रे-गात्रे निषसत्था नर्चक्षाः |
यत ते वयं परमिनाम वरतानि स नो मर्ळ सुषखादेव वस्यः ||

रदूदरेण साख्या सचेय यो मा न रिष्येद धर्यश्व पीतः |
अयं यः सोमो नयधाय्यस्मे तस्मा इन्द्रं परतिरमेम्यायुः ||

अप तया अस्थुरनिरा अमीवा निरत्रसन तमिषीचीरभैषुः |
आ सोमो अस्मानरुहद विहाया अगन्म यत्र परतिरन्त आयुः ||

यो न इन्दुः पितरो हर्त्सु पीतो.अमर्त्यो मर्त्यानाविवेश |
तस्मै सोमाय हविषा विधेम मर्ळीके अस्य सुमतौ सयाम ||

तवं सोम पित्र्भिः संविदानो.अनु दयावाप्र्थिवी आ ततन्थ |
तस्मै त इन्दो हविषा विधेम वयं सयाम पतयो रयीणाम ||

तरातारो देवा अधि वोचता नो मा नो निद्रा ईशत मोत जल्पिः |
वयं सोमस्य विश्वह परियासः सुवीरासो विदथमावदेम ||

तवं नः सोम विश्वतो वयोधास्त्वं सवर्विदा विशा नर्चक्षाः |
तवं न इन्द ऊतिभिः सजोषाः पाहि पश्चातादुत वा पुरस्तात ||

 

svādorabhakṣi vayasaḥ sumedhāḥ svādhyo varivovittarasya |
viśve yaṃ devā uta martyāso madhu bruvanto abhi saṃcaranti ||

antaśca prāghā aditirbhavāsyavayātā haraso daivyasya |
indavindrasya sakhyaṃ juṣāṇaḥ śrauṣṭīva dhuramanu rāya ṛdhyāḥ ||

apāma somamamṛtā abhūmāghanma jyotiravidāma devān |
kiṃ nūnamasmān kṛṇavadarātiḥ kimu dhūrtiramṛta martyasya ||

śaṃ no bhava hṛda ā pīta indo piteva soma sūnave suśevaḥ |
sakheva sakhya uruśaṃsa dhīraḥ pra ṇa āyurjīvase somatārīḥ ||

ime mā pītā yaśasa uruṣyavo rathaṃ na ghāvaḥ samanāhaparvasu |
te mā rakṣantu visrasaścaritrāduta mā srāmādyavayantvindavaḥ ||

aghniṃ na mā mathitaṃ saṃ didīpaḥ pra cakṣaya kṛṇuhi vasyaso naḥ |
athā hi te mada ā soma manye revāniva pra carāpuṣṭimacha ||

iṣireṇa te manasā sutasya bhakṣīmahi pitryasyeva rāyaḥ |
soma rājan pra ṇa āyūṃṣi tārīrahānīva sūryo vāsarāṇi ||

soma rājan mṛḷayā naḥ svasti tava smasi vratyāstasya viddhi |
alarti dakṣa uta manyurindo mā no aryo anukāmaṃ parādāḥ ||

tvaṃ hi nastanvaḥ soma ghopā ghātre-ghātre niṣasatthā nṛcakṣāḥ |
yat te vayaṃ pramināma vratāni sa no mṛḷa suṣakhādeva vasyaḥ ||

ṛdūdareṇa sākhyā saceya yo mā na riṣyed dharyaśva pītaḥ |
ayaṃ yaḥ somo nyadhāyyasme tasmā indraṃ pratiramemyāyuḥ ||

apa tyā asthuranirā amīvā niratrasan tamiṣīcīrabhaiṣuḥ |
ā somo asmānaruhad vihāyā aghanma yatra pratiranta āyuḥ ||

yo na induḥ pitaro hṛtsu pīto.amartyo martyānāviveśa |
tasmai somāya haviṣā vidhema mṛḷīke asya sumatau syāma ||

tvaṃ soma pitṛbhiḥ saṃvidāno.anu dyāvāpṛthivī ā tatantha |
tasmai ta indo haviṣā vidhema vayaṃ syāma patayo rayīṇām ||

trātāro devā adhi vocatā no mā no nidrā īśata mota jalpiḥ |
vayaṃ somasya viśvaha priyāsaḥ suvīrāso vidathamāvadema ||

tvaṃ naḥ soma viśvato vayodhāstvaṃ svarvidā viśā nṛcakṣāḥ |
tvaṃ na inda ūtibhiḥ sajoṣāḥ pāhi paścātāduta vā purastāt ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. WISELY have I enjoyed the savoury viand, religious-thoughted, best to find out treasure,
The food to which all Deities and mortals, calling it meath, gather themselves together.

2 Tlou shalt be Aditi as thou hast entered within, appeaser of celestial anger.
Indu, enjoying Indra’s friendship, bring us—as a swift steed the car—forward to riches.

3 We have drunk Soma and become immortal; we have attained the light, the Gods discovered.
Now what may foeman’s malice do to harm us? What, O Immortal, mortal man’s deception?

4 Absorbed into the heart, be sweet, O Indu, as a kind father to his son, O Soma,
As a wise Friend to friend: do thou, wide-ruler, O Soma, lengthen out our days for living.

5 These glorious drops that give me freedom have I drunk. Closely they knit my joints as straps secure a car.
Let them protect my foot from slipping on the way: yea, let the drops I drink preserve me from disease.

6 Make me shine bright like fire produced by friction: give us a clearer sight and make us better.
For in carouse I think of thee, O Soma, Shall I, as a rich man, attain to comfort?

7 May we enjoy with an enlivened spirit the juice thou givest, like ancestral riches.
O Soma, King, prolong thou our existence as Sūrya makes the shining days grow longer.

8 King Soma, favour us and make us prosper: we are thy devotees; of this be mindful.
Spirit and power are fresh in us, O Indu give us not up unto our foeman’s pleasure.

9 For thou hast settled in each joint, O Soma, aim of men’s eyes and guardian of our bodies.
When we offend against thine holy statutes, as a kind Friend, God, best of all, be gracious.

10 May I be with the Friend whose heart is tender, who, Lord of Bays! when quaffed will never harm me-
This Soma now deposited within me. For this, I pray for longer life to Indra.

11 Our maladies have lost their strength and vanished: they feared, and passed away into the darkness.
Soma hath risen in us, exceeding mighty, and we are come where men prolong existence.

12, Fathers, that Indu which our hearts have drunken, Immortal in himself, hath entered mortals.
So let us serve this Soma with oblation, and rest securely in his grace and favour.

13 Associate with the Fathers thou, O Soma, hast spread thyself abroad through earth and heaven.
So with oblation let us serve thee, Indu, and so let us become the lords of riches,

14 Give us your blessing, O ye Gods’ preservers. Never may sleep or idle talk control us.
But evermore may we, as friends of Soma, speak to the synod with brave sons around us.

15 On all sides,. Soma, thou art our life-giver: aim of all eyes, light-finder, come within us.
Indu, of one accord with thy protections both from behind and from before preserve us.