To Vāyu, Indra, Mitra-Varuṇa, the Maruts, Pūṣan, the Waters, and Agni
Rigveda I.23 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) that moves through a sequence of deities rather than addressing one alone: it opens by calling Vāyu to the soma, then Indra paired with Vāyu, then Mitra and Varuṇa, then Indra with his troop of Maruts, then Pūṣan, then the Waters (Āpaḥ) at length, and closes with Agni. It is one of the 1,028 hymns of the Rigveda organized within Maṇḍala 1, the first of ten books. The ṛṣi (seer) to whom this hymn is attributed and its precise liturgical context are recorded in the traditional Śākalya Anukramaṇī.
The Rigveda is the oldest of the four Vedas and one of the oldest surviving religious texts in the world, composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE in the Vedic Sanskrit of the Indus-Sarasvatī region. Its hymns were preserved through oral transmission across millennia before being committed to writing. This is a Good Works Translation produced for the Good Works Library from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension.
1. These soma drinks are strong, mixed with milk; they have been pressed and set out. Come, Vāyu, and drink them.
2. We call the two gods who touch the sky, Indra and Vāyu, to drink this soma.
3. Indra and Vāyu, swift as thought — the inspired ones call you for help, you two thousand-eyed lords of insight.
4. We call Mitra and Varuṇa to drink the soma, born of pure strength.
5. Those two who through truth increase truth, lords of the light of truth — I call on Mitra and Varuṇa.
6. Let Varuṇa be our helper, and Mitra with all his aids; let them make us rich in good gifts.
7. We call Indra, accompanied by the Maruts, to drink the soma; joined with his troop, let him be satisfied.
8. Gods with Indra as chief, the troop of Maruts, the gift-givers who go with Pūṣan — all of you, hear my call.
9. Strike down Vṛtra, you generous ones, joined in strength with Indra; let no evil-speaker have power over us.
10. We call all the gods, the Maruts, to drink the soma — for they are fierce, sons of Pṛśni.
11. The thunder of the Maruts comes on boldly, like the roar of conquerors, when you men travel in your splendor.
12. From the flash of lightning you were born; from there, protect us — let the Maruts be gracious to us.
13. O Pūṣan, glowing one, drive here the one of the bright sacrificial grass, the support of heaven, as one drives back a lost animal.
14. Pūṣan the glowing one found the king who was hidden away, placed in concealment — the one of the bright sacrificial grass.
15. And he drove toward me the six yoked with soma-drops, as one drives on the barley crop with oxen.
16. The Waters, our mothers, sisters to each other, go their ways for those who perform the rite, mingling their milk with sweetness.
17. Those Waters that dwell near the sun, or that travel together with the sun — let them speed our rite.
18. I call on the divine Waters, where our cows drink; an offering is to be made to the rivers.
19. In the waters is immortality, in the waters is healing — and for the praise of the waters, gods, be strong for us.
20. Soma told me: in the waters are all remedies, and Agni who brings well-being to all, and the Waters who heal all.
21. Waters, fill me with healing, a shelter for my body, and let me see the sun for a long time yet.
22. Waters, carry away from me whatever wrong is in me — whatever harm I have done, or whatever curse I have spoken, or falsehood.
23. Today I have gone into the Waters; we have joined with their essence. Come, Agni rich in moisture, and join me with splendor.
24. Unite me, Agni, with splendor, with offspring, with long life; may the gods know this of me, may Indra know it, together with the seers.
Translator's note: verses 12–15 contain words of uncertain sense — "haskāra" (rendered here as "flash," possibly a sound of lightning), and the "six" (ṣaḍ) yoked to Pūṣan in verse 15, whose referent is not stated in the text. These are translated conservatively rather than resolved by conjecture.
Colophon
Rigveda I.23 is drawn from the Śākala recension of the Rigveda, composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE. This is a Good Works Translation rendered verse by verse from the Sanskrit text printed below. Prepared for the Good Work Library by the Tianmu Anglican Church with AI-assisted translation.
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Source Text: ṛgveda I.23
tīvrāḥ somāsa ā gahy āśīrvantaḥ sutā ime |
vāyo tān prasthitān piba || 1 ||
ubhā devā divispṛśendravāyū havāmahe |
asya somasya pītaye || 2 ||
indravāyū manojuvā viprā havanta ūtaye |
sahasrākṣā dhiyas patī || 3 ||
mitraṁ vayaṁ havāmahe varuṇaṁ somapītaye |
jajñānā pūtadakṣasā || 4 ||
ṛtena yāv ṛtāvṛdhāv ṛtasya jyotiṣas patī |
tā mitrāvaruṇā huve || 5 ||
varuṇaḥ prāvitā bhuvan mitro viśvābhir ūtibhiḥ |
karatāṁ naḥ surādhasaḥ || 6 ||
marutvantaṁ havāmaha indram ā somapītaye |
sajūr gaṇena tṛmpatu || 7 ||
indrajyeṣṭhā marudgaṇā devāsaḥ pūṣarātayaḥ |
viśve mama śrutā havam || 8 ||
hata vṛtraṁ sudānava indreṇa sahasā yujā |
mā no duḥśaṁsa īśata || 9 ||
viśvān devān havāmahe marutaḥ somapītaye |
ugrā hi pṛśnimātaraḥ || 10 ||
jayatām iva tanyatur marutām eti dhṛṣṇuyā |
yac chubhaṁ yāthanā naraḥ || 11 ||
haskārād vidyutas pary ato jātā avantu naḥ |
maruto mṛḻayantu naḥ || 12 ||
ā pūṣañ citrabarhiṣam āghṛṇe dharuṇaṁ divaḥ |
ājā naṣṭaṁ yathā paśum || 13 ||
pūṣā rājānam āghṛṇir apagūḻhaṁ guhā hitam |
avindac citrabarhiṣam || 14 ||
uto sa mahyam indubhiḥ ṣaḍ yuktām̐ anuseṣidhat |
gobhir yavaṁ na carkṛṣat || 15 ||
ambayo yanty adhvabhir jāmayo adhvarīyatām |
pṛñcatīr madhunā payaḥ || 16 ||
amūr yā upa sūrye yābhir vā sūryaḥ saha |
tā no hinvantv adhvaram || 17 ||
apo devīr upa hvaye yatra gāvaḥ pibanti naḥ |
sindhubhyaḥ kartvaṁ haviḥ || 18 ||
apsv a1ntar amṛtam apsu bheṣajam apām uta praśastaye |
devā bhavata vājinaḥ || 19 ||
apsu me somo abravīd antar viśvāni bheṣajā |
agniṁ ca viśvaśambhuvam āpaś ca viśvabheṣajīḥ || 20 ||
āpaḥ pṛṇīta bheṣajaṁ varūthaṁ tanve3 mama |
jyok ca sūryaṁ dṛśe || 21 ||
idam āpaḥ pra vahata yat kiṁ ca duritam mayi |
yad vāham abhidudroha yad vā śepa utānṛtam || 22 ||
āpo adyānv acāriṣaṁ rasena sam agasmahi |
payasvān agna ā gahi tam mā saṁ sṛja varcasā || 23 ||
sam māgne varcasā sṛja sam prajayā sam āyuṣā |
vidyur me asya devā indro vidyāt saha ṛṣibhiḥ || 24 ||
Source Colophon
Sanskrit text of the Rigveda, Śākala recension. The standard scholarly edition is the Bombay Oriental (Vishva Bandhu, 5 vols., 1963–66). IAST transliteration available from GRETIL (Göttingen Register of Electronic Texts in Indian Languages) and Vedaweb (University of Cologne). Both sources are open access. IAST transliteration from the Aufrecht edition (1877) via GRETIL (Van Nooten & Holland input, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).