Ye are the shield of the faithful! O Mitra-Varuṇa, protectors of those who hold to truth and justice. As the fortress wall defendeth against the enemy's arrow, so do ye defend the righteous from wickedness and decay. Your vigilance is eternal; your strength is beyond measure.

Ye guard the herds from the wolf's fang. Ye protect the women and children when the man goeth forth to battle. Ye shield the seeds in the earth from the rot and the worm. Nothing escapeth thy care; nothing falleth outside thy dominion.

The wicked man who breaketh the law must fear thy judgment. His deeds cry out against him in the night. The oath-breaker standeth alone, bereft of thy favour. But the faithful man walketh in light; his fields bear fruit; his herds multiply. Thou hast promised him thy protection, and thy promises are written in stone.

Therefore let us strive to be worthy of thy care! Let us honor thy laws as a son honoreth his father. Let us keep thy commandments as a guard keepeth his post. For we are weak, and the world is full of dangers—enemies without and treachery within.

O Mitra! O Varuṇa! Ye who knowest the heart of every man—see the sincerity of our devotion! Defend us from those who would lead us astray. Guard us in battle, in storm, in the darkness of sickness and sorrow. Let thy justice be our fortress; let thy truth be our shield. So long as we cleave to thee, so long shall we endure.