HYMN XXIII. Brahmaṇaspati: Rig Veda – Book 2 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

गणानां तवा गणपतिं हवामहे कविं कवीनामुपमश्रवस्तमम |
जयेष्ठराजं बरह्मणां बरह्मणस पत आ नः षर्ण्वन्नूतिभिः सीद सादनम ||

देवाश्चित ते असुर्य परचेतसो बर्हस्पते यज्ञियं भागमानशुः |
उस्रा इव सूर्यो जयोतिषा महो विश्वेषामिज्जनिता बरह्मणामसि ||

आ विबाध्या परिरापस्तमांसि च जयोतिष्मन्तं रथं रतस्य तिष्ठसि |
बर्हस्पते भीमममित्रदम्भनं रक्षोहणंगोत्रभिदं सवर्विदम ||

सुनीतिभिर्नयसि तरायसे जनं यस्तुभ्यं दाशान न तमंहो अश्नवत |
बरह्मद्विषस्तपनो मन्युमीरसि बर्हस्पते महि तत ते महित्वनम ||

न तमंहो न दुरितं कुतश्चन नारातयस्तितिरुर्न दवयाविनः |
विश्वा इदस्माद धवरसो वि बाधसे यं सुगोपा रक्षसि बरह्मणस पते ||

तवं नो गोपाः पथिक्र्द विचक्षणस्तव वरताय मतिभिर्जरामहे |
बर्हस्पते यो नो अभि हवरो दधे सवा तं मर्मर्तु दुछुना हरस्वती ||

उत वा यो नो मर्चयादनागसो.अरातीवा मर्तः सानुको वर्कः |
बर्हस्पते अप तं वर्तया पथः सुगं नो अस्यै देववीतये कर्धि ||

तरातारं तवा तनूनां हवामहे.अवस्पर्तरधिवक्तारमस्मयुम |
बर्हस्पते देवनिदो नि बर्हय मा दुरेवा उत्तरं सुम्नमुन नशन ||

तवया वयं सुव्र्धा बरह्मणस पते सपार्हा वसु मनुष्या ददीमहि |
या नो दूरे तळितो या अरातयो.अभि सन्ति जम्भया ता अनप्नसः ||

तवया वयमुत्तमं धीमहे वयो बर्हस्पते पप्रिणा सस्निना युजा |
मा नो दुःशंसो अभिदिप्सुरीशत पर सुशंसा मतिभिस्तारिषीमहि ||

अनानुदो वर्षभो जग्मिराहवं निष्टप्ता शत्रुं पर्तनासुसासहिः |
असि सत्य रणया बरह्मणस पत उग्रस्य चिद दमिता वीळुहर्षिणः ||

अदेवेन मनसा यो रिशण्यति शासामुग्रो मन्यमानो जिघांसति |
बर्हस्पते म परणक तस्य नो वधो नि कर्म मन्युं दुरेवस्य शर्धतः ||

भरेषु हव्यो नमसोपसद्यो गन्ता वाजेषु सनिता धनं धनम |
विश्वा इदर्यो अभिदिप्स्वो मर्धो बर्हस्पतिर्वि ववर्हा रथां इव ||

तेजिष्थया तपनि रक्षसस्तप ये तवा निदे दधिरे दर्ष्टवीर्यम |
आविस्तत कर्ष्व यदसत त उक्थ्यं बर्हस्पते वि परिरापो अर्दय ||
बर्हस्पते अति यदर्यो अर्हाद दयुमद विभाति करतुमज्जनेषु |
यद दीदयच्छवस रतप्रजात तदस्मसु दरविणं धेहिचित्रम ||

मा न सतेनेभ्यो ये अभि दरुहस पदे निरामिणो रिपवो.अन्नेषु जाग्र्धुः |
आ देवानामोहते वि वरयो हर्दि बर्हस्पते नपरः साम्नो विदुः ||

विश्वेभ्यो हि तवा भुवनेभ्यस परि तवष्टाजनत साम्नः साम्नः कविः |
स रणचिद रणया बरह्मणस पतिर्द्रुहो हन्ता मह रतस्य धर्तरि ||

तव शरिये वयजिहीत पर्वतो गवां गोत्रमुदस्र्जो यदङगिरः |
इन्द्रेण युजा तमसा परीव्र्तं बर्हस्पते निरपामौब्जो अर्णवम ||

बरह्मणस पते तवमस्य यन्ता सूक्तस्य बोधि तनयं च जिन्व |
विश्वं तद भद्रं यदवन्ति देवा बर्हद वदेम … ||

ghaṇānāṃ tvā ghaṇapatiṃ havāmahe kaviṃ kavīnāmupamaśravastamam |
jyeṣṭharājaṃ brahmaṇāṃ brahmaṇas pata ā naḥ ṣṛṇvannūtibhiḥ sīda sādanam ||

devāścit te asurya pracetaso bṛhaspate yajñiyaṃ bhāghamānaśuḥ |
usrā iva sūryo jyotiṣā maho viśveṣāmijjanitā brahmaṇāmasi ||

ā vibādhyā parirāpastamāṃsi ca jyotiṣmantaṃ rathaṃ ṛtasya tiṣṭhasi |
bṛhaspate bhīmamamitradambhanaṃ rakṣohaṇaṃghotrabhidaṃ svarvidam ||

sunītibhirnayasi trāyase janaṃ yastubhyaṃ dāśān na tamaṃho aśnavat |
brahmadviṣastapano manyumīrasi bṛhaspate mahi tat te mahitvanam ||

na tamaṃho na duritaṃ kutaścana nārātayastitirurna dvayāvinaḥ |
viśvā idasmād dhvaraso vi bādhase yaṃ sughopā rakṣasi brahmaṇas pate ||

tvaṃ no ghopāḥ pathikṛd vicakṣaṇastava vratāya matibhirjarāmahe |
bṛhaspate yo no abhi hvaro dadhe svā taṃ marmartu duchunā harasvatī ||

uta vā yo no marcayādanāghaso.arātīvā martaḥ sānuko vṛkaḥ |
bṛhaspate apa taṃ vartayā pathaḥ sughaṃ no asyai devavītaye kṛdhi ||

trātāraṃ tvā tanūnāṃ havāmahe.avaspartaradhivaktāramasmayum |
bṛhaspate devanido ni barhaya mā durevā uttaraṃ sumnamun naśan ||

tvayā vayaṃ suvṛdhā brahmaṇas pate spārhā vasu manuṣyā dadīmahi |
yā no dūre taḷito yā arātayo.abhi santi jambhayā tā anapnasaḥ ||

tvayā vayamuttamaṃ dhīmahe vayo bṛhaspate papriṇā sasninā yujā |
mā no duḥśaṃso abhidipsurīśata pra suśaṃsā matibhistāriṣīmahi ||

anānudo vṛṣabho jaghmirāhavaṃ niṣṭaptā śatruṃ pṛtanāsusāsahiḥ |
asi satya ṛṇayā brahmaṇas pata ughrasya cid damitā vīḷuharṣiṇaḥ ||

adevena manasā yo riśaṇyati śāsāmughro manyamāno jighāṃsati |
bṛhaspate ma praṇak tasya no vadho ni karma manyuṃ durevasya śardhataḥ ||

bhareṣu havyo namasopasadyo ghantā vājeṣu sanitā dhanaṃ dhanam |
viśvā idaryo abhidipsvo mṛdho bṛhaspatirvi vavarhā rathāṃ iva ||

tejiṣthayā tapani rakṣasastapa ye tvā nide dadhire dṛṣṭavīryam |
āvistat kṛṣva yadasat ta ukthyaṃ bṛhaspate vi parirāpo ardaya ||

bṛhaspate ati yadaryo arhād dyumad vibhāti kratumajjaneṣu |
yad dīdayacchavasa ṛtaprajāta tadasmasu draviṇaṃ dhehicitram ||

mā na stenebhyo ye abhi druhas pade nirāmiṇo ripavo.anneṣu jāghṛdhuḥ |
ā devānāmohate vi vrayo hṛdi bṛhaspate naparaḥ sāmno viduḥ ||

viśvebhyo hi tvā bhuvanebhyas pari tvaṣṭājanat sāmnaḥ sāmnaḥ kaviḥ |
sa ṛṇacid ṛṇayā brahmaṇas patirdruho hantā maha ṛtasya dhartari ||

tava śriye vyajihīta parvato ghavāṃ ghotramudasṛjo yadaṅghiraḥ |
indreṇa yujā tamasā parīvṛtaṃ bṛhaspate nirapāmaubjo arṇavam ||

brahmaṇas pate tvamasya yantā sūktasya bodhi tanayaṃ ca jinva |
viśvaṃ tad bhadraṃ yadavanti devā bṛhad vadema … ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. WE call thee, Lord and Leader of the heavenly hosts, the wise among the wise, the famousest of all,
The King supreme of prayers, O Brahmaṇaspati: hear us with help; sit down in place of sacrifice.

2 Bṛhaspati, God immortal! verily the Gods have gained from thee, the wise, a share in holy rites.
As with great light the Sun brings forth the rays of morn, so thou alone art Father of all sacred prayer.

3 When thou hast chased away revilers and the gloom, thou mountest the refulgent car of sacrifice;
The awful car, Bṛhaspati, that quells the foe, slays demons, cleaves the stall of kine, and finds the light.

4 Thou leadest with good guidance and preservest men; distress o’ertakes not him who offers gifts to thee.
Him who hates prayer thou punishest, Bṛhaspati, quelling his wrath: herein is thy great mightiness.

5 No sorrow, no distress from any side, no foes, no creatures double-tongued have overcome the man,—
Thou drivest all seductive fiends away from him whom, careful guard, thou keepest Brahmaṇaspati.

6 Thou art our keeper, wise, preparer of our paths: we, for thy service, sing to thee with hymns of praise.
Bṛhaspati, whoever lays a snare for us, him may his evil fate, precipitate, destroy.

7 Him, too, who threatens us without offence of ours, the evilminded, arrogant, rapacious man,—
Him turn thou from our path away, Bṛhaspati: give us fair access to this banquet of the Gods.

8 Thee as protector of our bodies we invoke, thee, saviour, as the comforter who loveth us.
Strike, O Bṛhaspati, the Gods’ revilers down, and let not the unrighteous come to highest bliss.

9 Through thee, kind prosperer, O Brahmaṇaspati, may we obtain the wealth of Men which all desire:
And all our enemies, who near or far away prevail against us, crush, and leave them destitute.

10 With thee as our own rich and liberal ally may we, Bṛhaspati, gain highest power of life.
Let not the guileful wicked man be lord of us:—still may we prosper, singing goodly hymns of praise.

11 Strong, never yielding, hastening to the battle-cry, consumer of the foe, victorious in the strife,
Thou art sin’s true avenger, Brahmaṇaspati, who tamest e’en the fierce, the wildly passionate.

12 Whoso with mind ungodly seeks to do us harm, who, deeming him a man of might mid lords, would slay,—
Let not his deadly blow reach us, Bṛhaspati; may we humiliate the strong ill-doer’s wrath.

13 The mover mid the spoil, the winner of all wealth, to be invoked in fight and reverently adored,
Bṛhaspati hath overthrown like cars of war all wicked enemies who fain would injure us.

14 Burn up the demons with thy fiercest flaming brand, those who have scorned thee in thy manifested might.
Show forth that power that shall deserve the hymn of praise: destroy the evil speakers, O Bṛhaspati.

15 Bṛhaspati, that which the foe deserves not which shines among the folk effectual, splendid,
That, Son of Law I which is with might refulgent-that treasure wonderful bestow thou on us.

16 Give us not up to those who, foes in ambuscade, are greedy for the wealth of him who sits at ease,
Who cherish in their heart abandonment of Gods. Bṛhaspati, no further rest shall they obtain.

17 For Tvaṣṭar, he who knows each sacred song, brought thee to life, preeminent o’er all the things that be.
Guilt-scourger, guilt-avenger is Bṛhaspati, who slays the spoiler and upholds the mighty Law.

18 The mountain, for thy glory, cleft itself apart when, Aṅgiras! thou openedst the stall of kine.
Thou, O Bṛhaspati, with Indra for ally didst hurl down water-floods which gloom had compassed round.

19 O Brahmaṇaspati, be thou controller of this our hymn and prosper thou our children.
All that the Gods regard with love is blessed. Loud may we speak, with heroes, in assembly.