HYMN XXV. Varuṇa: Rig Veda – Book 1 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

यच्चिद धि ते विशो यथा पर देव वरुण वरतम |
मिनीमसिद्यवि-दयवि ||

मा नो वधाय हत्नवे जिहीळानस्य रीरधः |
मा हर्णानस्य मन्यवे ||

वि मर्ळीकाय ते मनो रथीरश्वं न सन्दितम |
गीर्भिर्वरुण सीमहि ||

परा हि मे विमन्यवः पतन्ति वस्यैष्टये |
वयो न वसतीरुप ||

कदा कषत्रश्रियं नरमा वरुणं करामहे |
मर्ळीकायोरुचक्षसम ||

तदित समानमाशाते वेनन्ता न पर युछतः |
धर्तव्रताय दाशुषे ||

वेदा यो वीनां पदमन्तरिक्षेण पतताम |
वेद नावः समुद्रियः ||

वेद मासो धर्तव्रतो दवादश परजावतः |
वेदा य उपजायते ||

वेद वातस्य वर्तनिमुरोर्र्ष्वस्य बर्हतः |
वेदा ये अध्यासते ||

नि षसाद धर्तव्रतो वरुणः पस्त्यास्वा |
साम्राज्याय सुक्रतुः ||

अतो विश्वान्यद्भुता चिकित्वानभि पश्यति |
कर्तानि या चकर्त्वा ||

स नो विश्वाहा सुक्रतुरादित्यः सुपथा करत |
पर ण आयूंषि तारिषत ||

बिभ्रद दरापिं हिरण्ययं वरुणो वस्त निर्णिजम |
परि सपशो नि षेदिरे ||

न यं दिप्सन्ति दिप्सवो न दरुह्वाणो जनानाम |
न देवमभिमातयः ||

उत यो मानुषेष्वा यशश्चक्रे असाम्या |
अस्माकमुदरेष्वा ||

परा मे यन्ति धीतयो गावो न गव्यूतीरनु |
इछन्तीरुरुचक्षसम ||

सं नु वोचावहै पुनर्यतो मे मध्वाभ्र्तम |
होतेव कषदसे परियम ||

दर्शं नु विश्वदर्षतं दर्शं रथमधि कषमि |
एता जुषत मे गिरः ||

इमं मे वरुण शरुधी हवमद्या च मर्ळय |
तवामवस्युरा चके ||

तवं विश्वस्य मेधिर दिवश्च गमश्च राजसि |
स यामनिप्रति शरुधि ||

उदुत्तमं मुमुग्धि नो वि पाशं मध्यमं चर्त |
अवाधमानि जीवसे ||

 

yaccid dhi te viśo yathā pra deva varuṇa vratam |
minīmasidyavi-dyavi ||

mā no vadhāya hatnave jihīḷānasya rīradhaḥ |
mā hṛṇānasya manyave ||

vi mṛḷīkāya te mano rathīraśvaṃ na sanditam |
ghīrbhirvaruṇa sīmahi ||

parā hi me vimanyavaḥ patanti vasyaiṣṭaye |
vayo na vasatīrupa ||

kadā kṣatraśriyaṃ naramā varuṇaṃ karāmahe |
mṛḷīkāyorucakṣasam ||

tadit samānamāśāte venantā na pra yuchataḥ |
dhṛtavratāya dāśuṣe ||

vedā yo vīnāṃ padamantarikṣeṇa patatām |
veda nāvaḥ samudriyaḥ ||

veda māso dhṛtavrato dvādaśa prajāvataḥ |
vedā ya upajāyate ||

veda vātasya vartanimurorṛṣvasya bṛhataḥ |
vedā ye adhyāsate ||

ni ṣasāda dhṛtavrato varuṇaḥ pastyāsvā |
sāmrājyāya sukratuḥ ||

ato viśvānyadbhutā cikitvānabhi paśyati |
kṛtāni yā cakartvā ||

sa no viśvāhā sukraturādityaḥ supathā karat |
pra ṇa āyūṃṣi tāriṣat ||

bibhrad drāpiṃ hiraṇyayaṃ varuṇo vasta nirṇijam |
pari spaśo ni ṣedire ||

na yaṃ dipsanti dipsavo na druhvāṇo janānām |
na devamabhimātayaḥ ||

uta yo mānuṣeṣvā yaśaścakre asāmyā |
asmākamudareṣvā ||

parā me yanti dhītayo ghāvo na ghavyūtīranu |
ichantīrurucakṣasam ||

saṃ nu vocāvahai punaryato me madhvābhṛtam |
hoteva kṣadase priyam ||

darśaṃ nu viśvadarṣataṃ darśaṃ rathamadhi kṣami |
etā juṣata me ghiraḥ ||

imaṃ me varuṇa śrudhī havamadyā ca mṛḷaya |
tvāmavasyurā cake ||

tvaṃ viśvasya medhira divaśca ghmaśca rājasi |
sa yāmaniprati śrudhi ||

uduttamaṃ mumughdhi no vi pāśaṃ madhyamaṃ cṛta |
avādhamāni jīvase ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1 WHATEVER law of thine, O God, O Varuṇa, as we are men,
Day after day we violate.

2 give us not as a prey to death, to be destroyed by thee in wrath,
To thy fierce anger when displeased.

3 To gain thy mercy, Varuṇa, with hymns we bind thy heart, as binds
The charioteer his tethered horse.

4 They flee from me dispirited, bent only on obtaining wealth,
As to their nests the birds of air.

5 When shall we bring, to be appeased, the Hero, Lord of warrior might,
Him, the far-seeing Varuṇa?

6 This, this with joy they both accept in common: never do they fail
The ever-faithful worshipper.

7 He knows the path of birds that fly through heaven, and, Sovran of the sea,
He knows the ships that are thereon.

8 True to his holy law, he knows the twelve moons with their progeny:
He knows the moon of later birth.

9 He knows the pathway of the wind, the spreading, high, and mighty wind:
He knows the Gods who dwell above.

10 Varuṇa, true to holy law, sits down among his people; he,
Most wise, sits there to govern all.

11 From thence perceiving he beholds all wondrous things, both what hath been,
And what hereafter will be done.

12 May that Āditya, very wise, make fair paths for us all our days:
May he prolong our lives for us.

13 Varuṇa, wearing golden mail, hath clad him in a shining robe.
His spies are seated found about.

14 The God whom enemies threaten not, nor those who tyrannize o’er men,
Nor those whose minds are bent on wrong.

15 He who gives glory to mankind, not glory that is incomplete,
To our own bodies giving it.

16 Yearning for the wide-seeing One, my thoughts move onward unto him,
As kine unto their pastures move.

17 Once more together let us speak, because my meath is brought: priest-like
Thou eatest what is dear to thee.

18 Now saw I him whom all may see, I saw his car above the earth:
He hath accepted these my songs.

19 Varuṇa, hear this call of mine: be gracious unto us this day
Longing for help I cried to thee.

20 Thou, O wise God, art Lord of all, thou art the King of earth and heaven
Hear, as thou goest on thy way.

21 Release us from the upper bond, untie the bond between, and loose
The bonds below, that I may live.