HYMN XXIV. Varuṇa and Others: Rig Veda – Book 1 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

कस्य नूनं कतमस्याम्र्तानां मनामहे चारु देवस्य नाम |
को नो मह्या अदितये पुनर्दात पितरं च दर्शेयं मातरं च ||

अग्नेर्वयं परथमस्याम्र्तानां मनामहे चारु देवस्य नाम |
स नो मह्या अदितये पुनर्दात पितरं च दर्शेयं मातरं च ||

अभि तवा देव सवितरीशानं वार्याणाम |
सदावन भागमीमहे ||

यश्चिद धि त इत्था भगः शशमानः पुरा निदः |
अद्वेषो हस्तयोर्दधे ||

भगभक्तस्य ते वयमुदशेम तवावसा |
मूर्धानं राय आरभे ||

नहि ते कषत्रं न सहो न मन्युं वयश्चनामी पतयन्त आपुः |
नेमा आपो अनिमिषं चरन्तीर्न ये वातस्य परमिनन्त्यभ्वम ||

अबुध्ने राजा वरुणो वनस्योर्ध्वं सतूपं ददते पूतदक्षः |
नीचीना सथुरुपरि बुध्न एषामस्मे अन्तर्निहिताःकेतवः सयुः ||

उरुं हि राजा वरुणश्चकार सूर्याय पन्थामन्वेतवा उ |
अपदे पादा परतिधातवे.अकरुतापवक्ता हर्दयाविधश्चित ||

शतं ते राजन भिषजः सहस्रमुर्वी गभीरा सुमतिष टे अस्तु |
बाधस्व दूरे निरतिं पराचैः कर्तं चिदेनः पर मुमुग्ध्यस्मत ||

अमी य रक्षा निहितास उच्चा नक्तं दद्र्श्रे कुह चिद दिवेयुः |
अदब्धानि वरुणस्य वरतानि विचाकशच्चन्द्रमा नक्तमेति ||

तत तवा यामि बरह्मणा वन्दमानस्तदा शास्ते यजमानो हविर्भिः |
अहेळमानो वरुणेह बोध्युरुशंस मा न आयुःप्र मोषीः ||

तदिन नक्तं तद दिवा मह्यमाहुस्तदयं केतो हर्द आ वि चष्टे |
शुनःशेपो यमह्वद गर्भीतः सो अस्मान राजा वरुणो मुमोक्तु ||

शुनःशेपो हयह्वद गर्भीतस्त्रिष्वादित्यं दरुपदेषु बद्धः |
अवैनं राजा वरुणः सस्र्ज्याद विद्वानदब्धो वि मुमोक्तु पाशान ||

अव ते हेळो वरुण नमोभिरव यज्ञेभिरीमहे हविर्भिः |
कषयन्नस्मभ्यमसुर परचेता राजन्नेनांसि शिश्रथः कर्तानि ||

उदुत्तमं वरुण पाशमस्मदवाधमं वि मध्यमं शरथाय |
अथा वयमादित्य वरते तवानागसो अदितये सयाम ||

 

kasya nūnaṃ katamasyāmṛtānāṃ manāmahe cāru devasya nāma |
ko no mahyā aditaye punardāt pitaraṃ ca dṛśeyaṃ mātaraṃ ca ||

aghnervayaṃ prathamasyāmṛtānāṃ manāmahe cāru devasya nāma |
sa no mahyā aditaye punardāt pitaraṃ ca dṛśeyaṃ mātaraṃ ca ||

abhi tvā deva savitarīśānaṃ vāryāṇām |
sadāvan bhāghamīmahe ||

yaścid dhi ta itthā bhaghaḥ śaśamānaḥ purā nidaḥ |
adveṣo hastayordadhe ||

bhaghabhaktasya te vayamudaśema tavāvasā |
mūrdhānaṃ rāya ārabhe ||

nahi te kṣatraṃ na saho na manyuṃ vayaścanāmī patayanta āpuḥ |
nemā āpo animiṣaṃ carantīrna ye vātasya praminantyabhvam ||

abudhne rājā varuṇo vanasyordhvaṃ stūpaṃ dadate pūtadakṣaḥ |
nīcīnā sthurupari budhna eṣāmasme antarnihitāḥketavaḥ syuḥ ||

uruṃ hi rājā varuṇaścakāra sūryāya panthāmanvetavā u |
apade pādā pratidhātave.akarutāpavaktā hṛdayāvidhaścit ||

śataṃ te rājan bhiṣajaḥ sahasramurvī ghabhīrā sumatiṣ ṭe astu |
bādhasva dūre nirtiṃ parācaiḥ kṛtaṃ cidenaḥ pra mumughdhyasmat ||

amī ya ṛkṣā nihitāsa uccā naktaṃ dadṛśre kuha cid diveyuḥ |
adabdhāni varuṇasya vratāni vicākaśaccandramā naktameti ||

tat tvā yāmi brahmaṇā vandamānastadā śāste yajamāno havirbhiḥ |
aheḷamāno varuṇeha bodhyuruśaṃsa mā na āyuḥpra moṣīḥ ||

tadin naktaṃ tad divā mahyamāhustadayaṃ keto hṛda ā vi caṣṭe |
śunaḥśepo yamahvad ghṛbhītaḥ so asmān rājā varuṇo mumoktu ||

śunaḥśepo hyahvad ghṛbhītastriṣvādityaṃ drupadeṣu baddhaḥ |
avainaṃ rājā varuṇaḥ sasṛjyād vidvānadabdho vi mumoktu pāśān ||

ava te heḷo varuṇa namobhirava yajñebhirīmahe havirbhiḥ |
kṣayannasmabhyamasura pracetā rājannenāṃsi śiśrathaḥ kṛtāni ||

uduttamaṃ varuṇa pāśamasmadavādhamaṃ vi madhyamaṃ śrathāya |
athā vayamāditya vrate tavānāghaso aditaye syāma ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1 WHO now is he, what God among Immortals, of whose auspicious name we may bethink us?
Who shall to mighty Aditi restore us, that I may see my Father and my Mother?

2 Agni the God the first among the Immortals,—of his auspicious name let us bethink us.
He shall to mighty Aditi restore us, that I may see my Father and my Mother.

3 To thee, O Savitar, the Lord of precious things, who helpest us
Continually, for our share we come—

4 Wealth, highly lauded ere reproach hath fallen on it, which is laid,
Free from all hatred, in thy hands

5 Through thy protection may we come to even the height of affluence
Which Bhaga hath dealt out to us.

6 Ne’er have those birds that fly through air attained to thy high dominion or thy might or spirit;
Nor these the waters that flow on for ever, nor hills, abaters of the wind’s wild fury.

7 Varuṇa, King, of hallowed might, sustaineth erect the Tree’s stem in the baseless region.
Its rays, whose root is high above, stream downward. Deep may they sink within us, and be hidden.

8 King Varuṇa hath made a spacious pathway, a pathway for the Sun wherein to travel.
Where no way was he made him set his footstep, and warned afar whate’er afflicts the spirit.

9 A hundred balms are thine, O King, a thousand; deep and wide-reaching also be thy favours.
Far from us, far away drive thou Destruction. Put from us e’en the sin we have committed.

10 Whither by day depart the constellations that shine at night, set high in heaven above us?
Varuṇa’s holy laws remain unweakened, and through the night the Moon moves on in splendor

11 I ask this of thee with my prayer adoring; thy worshipper craves this with his oblation.
Varuṇa, stay thou here and be not angry; steal not our life from us, O thou Wide-Ruler.

12 Nightly and daily this one thing they tell me, this too the thought of mine own heart repeateth.
May he to whom prayed fettered Śunaḥśepa, may he the Sovran Varuṇa release us.

13 Bound to three pillars captured Śunaḥśepa thus to the Āditya made his supplication.
Him may the Sovran Varuṇa deliver, wise, ne’er deceived, loosen the bonds that bind him.

14 With bending down, oblations, sacrifices, O Varuṇa, we deprecate thine anger:
Wise Asura, thou King of wide dominion, loosen the bonds of sins by us committed.

15 Loosen the bonds, O Varuṇa, that hold me, loosen the bonds above, between, and under.
So in thy holy law may we made sinless belong to Aditi, O thou Āditya.