Hymn to the Viśvedevas — the Nābhānediṣṭha Legend
Rigveda X.61 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 10 of the Rigveda, one of the 1,028 hymns organized within the ten books of the oldest Veda. The Rigveda was composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE in Vedic Sanskrit and preserved through oral transmission across millennia.
X.61 is one of the most deliberately riddling hymns in the collection, traditionally attributed to the seer Nābhānediṣṭha Mānava and addressed to the Viśvedevas, the All-Gods. Its middle verses compress a dense, allusive myth — a father's union with his own daughter, a spilled seed, and the birth of Agni as "Lord of the Dwelling" — before the hymn opens outward to name Agni, the Nāsatyas (Aśvins), Indra, and Mitra-Varuṇa-Aryaman in turn. This is a Good Works Translation produced for the Good Works Library from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension.
1. This here — thus — is the Rudra-born sacred word, spoken by one whose speech is welcomed, shaped by skill, by power, within the contest. When his two most bountiful parents made it, may it carry him through to Paktha — on that day it struck home to the seven Hotar-priests.
2. He indeed, seeking to win the gift that cannot be deceived, Cyavāna measured out the altar-ground with libations. Tūrvayāṇa, whose speech was most welcomed, poured out his seed like a rushing flood, granted from here.
3. In whose calls you two, like a sharp mind, win the inspired singers by your power, running swiftly — he who, full of manly force, with his arrows has set his aim within his hand.
4. When the dark one settles among the ruddy cows of Dawn, O grandsons of Heaven, O Aśvins, I call on you two. Enjoy my sacrifice, come to my offering, you two who have won it before, guiding it, never deceived, never forgetful.
5. Whose manly deed spread wide and drove forward — the manly one then thrust away what had been done. Again he tears out that which, from the maiden, from his own daughter, had been carried within — he, unassailable.
6. When the deed was in the midst, close at hand, the father working his desire upon the young woman — scarcely had it begun when the two, parting, let the seed fall, spilt on her back, in the womb of the well-made rite.
7. When the father mounted his own daughter, coming together, he poured his seed down upon the earth. The gods, of good intent, brought forth the sacred formula from it, and fashioned the Lord of the Dwelling, guardian of the vow.
8. He, like a bull, cast off his foam in the contest; wholly he went forth away — she of little understanding. She ran, turning aside, not to the right, on foot; those speckled ones did not now seize it for me.
9. Swiftly, like a draft-horse, came the tread of the offspring — like Agni, the naked one sat down at the udder, winning the kindling-wood and winning the prize — he, the sustainer, was born by force, driving off rivals.
10. Swiftly the Navagvas came to the maiden's fellowship, speaking truth, joined to the yoke of truth. Doubly strong, they who came up to the herdsman, without a ritual gift, wished to milk the unshaken one.
11. Swiftly they sought the maiden's fellowship anew, hastening to the truth as to a bounty, as to seed — when they sacrificed for your pure inheritance, the milk of the honey-yielding, radiant cow.
12. When the cattle, separated, wake afterward, thus speaks the willing speaker: "By the wealth of the Good One, the singers, without blemish, gain the whole of the treasure, close at hand."
13. Then indeed his besiegers came, sitting round in great numbers, wishing to break through Nṛṣada's hold. The unassailable one found what was bound fast of Śuṣṇa, the many-born, hidden away.
14. "Brightness" indeed is his name, to whom belong the gods who sat down like the sun in the triple seat. "Agni" indeed is his name, and "Jātavedas" — hear us, O Hotar, the undeceiving Hotar of truth.
15. And those two of mine, the Rudra-born, radiant Nāsatyas — O Indra, I call them to worship for their favor — gladly given, as by Manu, to him whose sacred grass is trimmed, the two joyful ones, with offerings set in place, worshipful among the clans.
16. This praised king is to be extolled, the ordainer; and the inspired one crosses the waters by a bridge of his own making. He set Kakṣīvant trembling, and Agni too, as the wheel-rim is shaken by the swift-running horse's wheel.
17. He of double kinship, the son of Vitaraṇa, the sacrificer, comes to milk the honey-yielding cow though she has no calf — as I gather Mitra and Varuṇa together with hymns, and Aryaman with the foremost shelters of praise.
18. Kin to that line, the patron, holding devotion toward you in heaven, Nābhānediṣṭha speaks out, longing: "Is this our navel, or is it his, the highest one? I came after that — in some uncertain order."
19. "This is my navel, here is my gathering-place, these are my gods, I am the whole of it — twice-born, first-born of truth am I; this cow gave milk as she was being born."
20. Then among them the joyful, far-shining charioteer, moving on two paths, victorious in the woods, lets loose — when, upright, like a row of teeth, the child bites, swiftly the mother bore the firm one, the increaser of joy.
21. Then the cows went forth after the maiden's fostering-gift, of some one grown weary. Hear us, O rich-in-wealth one; you are the one who grew strong through the truthful words of Āśvaghna.
22. Now, Indra, mark us out for great wealth, O lord of men, mace-armed one. And guard our bounteous patrons, protect our blameless lords, in your favor, O lord of tawny steeds.
23. Now when, in the quest for cattle, the swift, aging one ran for the two kings, for the singer — the inspired one, dearest, became indeed theirs; and he shall carry them onward and bring them across.
24. Now, in the thriving of this noble one, freely singing praise, we beg for that very thing, indeed — Saraṇyu is his mother, the horse his son; and you are the inspired one, and ours in the winning of fame.
25. If, for the friendship of you two, for our band, the reverent one has taken pleasure in the hymn of praise — in whom, everywhere, the united songs converge, like an ancient path, may he grant it to our truthful speech.
26. He, being praised, possessed of the gods, thus "well-befriended," with homage, with well-spoken hymns — may he grow strong with hymns, with words — for now indeed he goes forth from the milk of the radiant cow.
27. May you, O great worshipful gods, be truly ready for our help, of one accord — you who led forth the prizes, going forth, you who are watchful, unbewildered.
Translator's note: Rigveda X.61 is among the most philologically difficult hymns in the collection — a deliberately allusive riddle-hymn whose middle verses (5–13) compress a genealogical myth (a father's union with his daughter, the spilled seed, the birth of a divine "Lord of the Dwelling" who is later named Agni) without narrating it plainly. Several words are proper names or titles left untranslated: Paktha, Cyavāna, Tūrvayāṇa, the Navagvas, Nṛṣada, Śuṣṇa, Kakṣīvant, Vitaraṇa, Nābhānediṣṭha, Āśvaghna, and Saraṇyu. A few phrases (verse 1's "pakthe ahan," verse 8's closing line, verse 12's "budhanteti bravīti") admit more than one grammatically defensible reading; the renderings above follow the most literal construction of the Sanskrit rather than resolving the ambiguity by conjecture.
Colophon
Rigveda X.61 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 X.61
Sanskrit source text from the Aufrecht edition (1877) via GRETIL (Van Nooten & Holland input). Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
idam itthā raudraṁ gūrtavacā brahma kratvā śacyām antar ājau |
krāṇā yad asya pitarā maṁhaneṣṭhāḥ parṣat pakthe ahann ā sapta hotṝn || 1 ||
sa id dānāya dabhyāya vanvañ cyavānaḥ sūdair amimīta vedim |
tūrvayāṇo gūrtavacastamaḥ kṣodo na reta itaūti siñcat || 2 ||
mano na yeṣu havaneṣu tigmaṁ vipaḥ śacyā vanutho dravantā |
ā yaḥ śaryābhis tuvinṛmṇo asyāśrīṇītādiśaṁ gabhastau || 3 ||
kṛṣṇā yad goṣv aruṇīṣu sīdad divo napātāśvinā huve vām |
vītam me yajñam ā gatam me annaṁ vavanvāṁsā neṣam asmṛtadhrū || 4 ||
prathiṣṭa yasya vīrakarmam iṣṇad anuṣṭhitaṁ nu naryo apauhat |
punas tad ā vṛhati yat kanāyā duhitur ā anubhṛtam anarvā || 5 ||
madhyā yat kartvam abhavad abhīke kāmaṁ kṛṇvāne pitari yuvatyām |
manānag reto jahatur viyantā sānau niṣiktaṁ sukṛtasya yonau || 6 ||
pitā yat svāṁ duhitaram adhiṣkan kṣmayā retaḥ saṁjagmāno ni ṣiñcat |
svādhyo 'janayan brahma devā vāstoṣ patiṁ vratapāṁ nir atakṣan || 7 ||
sa īṁ vṛṣā na phenam asyad ājau smad ā paraid apa dabhracetāḥ |
sarat padā na dakṣiṇā parāvṛṅ na tā nu me pṛśanyo jagṛbhre || 8 ||
makṣū na vahniḥ prajāyā upabdir agniṁ na nagna upa sīdad ūdhaḥ |
sanitedhmaṁ sanitota vājaṁ sa dhartā jajñe sahasā yavīyut || 9 ||
makṣū kanāyāḥ sakhyaṁ navagvā ṛtaṁ vadanta ṛtayuktim agman |
dvibarhaso ya upa gopam āgur adakṣiṇāso acyutā dudukṣan || 10 ||
makṣū kanāyāḥ sakhyaṁ navīyo rādho na reta ṛtam it turaṇyan |
śuci yat te rekṇa āyajanta sabardughāyāḥ paya usriyāyāḥ || 11 ||
paśvā yat paścā viyutā budhanteti bravīti vaktarī rarāṇaḥ |
vasor vasutvā kāravo 'nehā viśvaṁ viveṣṭi draviṇam upa kṣu || 12 ||
tad in nv asya pariṣadvāno agman purū sadanto nārṣadam bibhitsan |
vi śuṣṇasya saṁgrathitam anarvā vidat puruprajātasya guhā yat || 13 ||
bhargo ha nāmota yasya devāḥ svar ṇa ye triṣadhasthe niṣeduḥ |
agnir ha nāmota jātavedāḥ śrudhī no hotar ṛtasya hotādhruk || 14 ||
uta tyā me raudrāv arcimantā nāsatyāv indra gūrtaye yajadhyai |
manuṣvad vṛktabarhiṣe rarāṇā mandū hitaprayasā vikṣu yajyū || 15 ||
ayaṁ stuto rājā vandi vedhā apaś ca vipras tarati svasetuḥ |
sa kakṣīvantaṁ rejayat so agniṁ nemiṁ na cakram arvato raghudru || 16 ||
sa dvibandhur vaitaraṇo yaṣṭā sabardhuṁ dhenum asvaṁ duhadhyai |
saṁ yan mitrāvaruṇā vṛñja ukthair jyeṣṭhebhir aryamaṇaṁ varūthaiḥ || 17 ||
tadbandhuḥ sūrir divi te dhiyaṁdhā nābhānediṣṭho rapati pra venan |
sā no nābhiḥ paramāsya vā ghāhaṁ tat paścā katithaś cid āsa || 18 ||
iyam me nābhir iha me sadhastham ime me devā ayam asmi sarvaḥ |
dvijā aha prathamajā ṛtasyedaṁ dhenur aduhaj jāyamānā || 19 ||
adhāsu mandro aratir vibhāvāva syati dvivartanir vaneṣāṭ |
ūrdhvā yac chreṇir na śiśur dan makṣū sthiraṁ śevṛdhaṁ sūta mātā || 20 ||
adha gāva upamātiṁ kanāyā anu śvāntasya kasya cit pareyuḥ |
śrudhi tvaṁ sudraviṇo nas tvaṁ yāl āśvaghnasya vāvṛdhe sūnṛtābhiḥ || 21 ||
adha tvam indra viddhy a1smān maho rāye nṛpate vajrabāhuḥ |
rakṣā ca no maghonaḥ pāhi sūrīn anehasas te harivo abhiṣṭau || 22 ||
adha yad rājānā gaviṣṭau sarat saraṇyuḥ kārave jaraṇyuḥ |
vipraḥ preṣṭhaḥ sa hy eṣām babhūva parā ca vakṣad uta parṣad enān || 23 ||
adhā nv asya jenyasya puṣṭau vṛthā rebhanta īmahe tad ū nu |
saraṇyur asya sūnur aśvo vipraś cāsi śravasaś ca sātau || 24 ||
yuvor yadi sakhyāyāsme śardhāya stomaṁ jujuṣe namasvān |
viśvatra yasminn ā giraḥ samīcīḥ pūrvīva gātur dāśat sūnṛtāyai || 25 ||
sa gṛṇāno adbhir devavān iti subandhur namasā sūktaiḥ |
vardhad ukthair vacobhir ā hi nūnaṁ vy adhvaiti payasa usriyāyāḥ || 26 ||
ta ū ṣu ṇo maho yajatrā bhūta devāsa ūtaye sajoṣāḥ |
ye vājām̐ anayatā viyanto ye sthā nicetāro amūrāḥ || 27 ||
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).