HYMN XXVIII. Varuṇa: Rig Veda – Book 2 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

इदं कवेरादित्यस्य सवराजो विश्वानि सान्त्यभ्यस्तु मह्ना |
अति यो मन्द्रो यजथाय देवः सुकीर्तिं भिक्षे वरुणस्य भूरेः ||

तव वरते सुभगासः सयाम सवाध्यो वरुण तुष्टुवांसः |
उपायन उषसां गोमतीनामग्नयो न जरमाणा अनु दयून ||

तव सयाम पुरुवीरस्य शर्मन्नुरुशंसस्य वरुण परणेतः |
यूयं नः पुत्रा अदितेरदब्धा अभि कषमध्वं युज्याय देवाः ||

पर सीमादित्यो अस्र्जद विधर्तान रतं सिन्धवो वरुणस्य यन्ति |
न शराम्यन्ति न वि मुचन्त्येते वयो न पप्तू रघुयापरिज्मन ||

वि मच्छ्रथाय रशनामिवाग रध्याम ते वरुण खां रतस्य |
मा तन्तुश्छेदि वयतो धियं मे मा मात्रा शार्यपसः पुर रतोः ||

अपो सु मयक्ष वरुण भियसं मत सम्राळ रतावो.अनु मा गर्भाय |
दामेव वत्साद वि मुमुग्ध्यंहो नहि तवदारे निमिषश्चनेशे ||

मा नो वधैर्वरुण ये त इष्टावेनः कर्ण्वन्तमसुर भरीणन्ति |
मा जयोतिषः परवसथानि गन्म वि षू मर्धः शिश्रथो जीवसे नः ||

नमः पुरा ते वरुणोत नूनमुतापरं तुविजात बरवाम |
तवे हि कं पर्वते न शरितान्यप्रच्युतानि दूळभ वरतानि ||

पर रणा सावीरध मत्क्र्तानि माहं राजन्नन्यक्र्तेन भोजम |
अव्युष्टा इन नु भूयसीरुषास आ नो जीवान वरुण तासु शाधि ||

यो मे राजन युज्यो वा सखा वा सवप्ने भयं भीरवे मह्यमाह |
सतेनो वा यो दिप्सति नो वर्को वा तवं तस्माद वरुणपाह्यस्मान ||
माहं मघोनो … ||

idaṃ kaverādityasya svarājo viśvāni sāntyabhyastu mahnā |
ati yo mandro yajathāya devaḥ sukīrtiṃ bhikṣe varuṇasya bhūreḥ ||

tava vrate subhaghāsaḥ syāma svādhyo varuṇa tuṣṭuvāṃsaḥ |
upāyana uṣasāṃ ghomatīnāmaghnayo na jaramāṇā anu dyūn ||

tava syāma puruvīrasya śarmannuruśaṃsasya varuṇa praṇetaḥ |
yūyaṃ naḥ putrā aditeradabdhā abhi kṣamadhvaṃ yujyāya devāḥ ||

pra sīmādityo asṛjad vidhartān ṛtaṃ sindhavo varuṇasya yanti |
na śrāmyanti na vi mucantyete vayo na paptū raghuyāparijman ||

vi macchrathāya raśanāmivāgha ṛdhyāma te varuṇa khāṃ ṛtasya |
mā tantuśchedi vayato dhiyaṃ me mā mātrā śāryapasaḥ pura ṛtoḥ ||

apo su myakṣa varuṇa bhiyasaṃ mat samrāḷ ṛtāvo.anu mā ghṛbhāya |
dāmeva vatsād vi mumughdhyaṃho nahi tvadāre nimiṣaścaneśe ||

mā no vadhairvaruṇa ye ta iṣṭāvenaḥ kṛṇvantamasura bhrīṇanti |
mā jyotiṣaḥ pravasathāni ghanma vi ṣū mṛdhaḥ śiśratho jīvase naḥ ||

namaḥ purā te varuṇota nūnamutāparaṃ tuvijāta bravāma |
tve hi kaṃ parvate na śritānyapracyutāni dūḷabha vratāni ||

para ṛṇā sāvīradha matkṛtāni māhaṃ rājannanyakṛtena bhojam |
avyuṣṭā in nu bhūyasīruṣāsa ā no jīvān varuṇa tāsu śādhi ||

yo me rājan yujyo vā sakhā vā svapne bhayaṃ bhīrave mahyamāha |
steno vā yo dipsati no vṛko vā tvaṃ tasmād varuṇapāhyasmān ||
māhaṃ maghono … ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. THIS laud of the self-radiant wise Āditya shall be supreme o’er all that is in greatness.
1 beg renown of Varuṇa the Mighty, the God exceeding kind to him who worships.

2 Having extolled thee. Varuṇa, with thoughtful care may we have high fortune in thy service,
Singing thy praises like the fires at coming, day after day, of mornings rich in cattle.

3 May we be in thy keeping, O thou Leader wide-ruling Varuṇa, Lord of many heroes.
O sons of Aditi, for ever faithful, pardon us, Gods, admit us to your friendship.

4 He made them flow, the Āditya, the Sustainer: the rivers run by Varuṇa’s commandment.
These feel no weariness, nor cease from flowing: swift have they flown like birds in air around us.

5 Loose me from sin as from a bond that binds me: may we swell, Varuṇa, thy spring of Order.
Let not my thread, while I weave song, be severed, nor my work’s sum, before the time, be shattered.

6 Far from me, Varuṇa, remove all danger accept me graciously, thou Holy Sovran.
Cast off, like cords that hold a calf, my troubles: I am not even mine eyelid’s lord without thee.

7 Strike us not, Varuṇa, with those dread weapons which, Asura, at thy bidding wound the sinner.
Let us not pass away from light to exile. Scatter, that we may live, the men who hate us

8 O mighty Varuṇa, now and hereafter, even as of old, will we speak forth our worship.
For in thyself, invincible God, thy statutes ne’er to be moved are fixed as on a mountain.

9 Move far from me what sins I have committed: let me not suffer, King, for guilt of others.
Full many a morn remains to dawn upon us: in these, O Varuṇa, while we live direct us.

10 O King, whoever, be he friend or kinsman, hath threatened me affrighted in my slumber-
If any wolf or robber fain would harm us, therefrom, O Varuṇa, give thou us protection.

11 May I not live O Varuṇa, to witness my wealthy, liberal dear friend’s destitution.
King, may I never lack well-ordered riches. Loud may we speak, with heroes, in assembly.