Hymn to Mitra and Varuṇa
Rigveda VII.60 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 7 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.
This is a Good Works Translation produced for the Good Works Library from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension.
1. Today, O Sūrya, as you rise without fault, you speak truth to Mitra and Varuṇa. May we, O Aditi, be dear among the gods — we who sing your praise, O Aryaman.
2. This same Sūrya, watcher of men, O Mitra and Varuṇa, rises over both regions of the world — guardian of all that stands still and all that moves, seeing the straight and the crooked ways among mortals.
3. He has yoked the seven tawny mares from their shared resting place, the ghee-bright ones who carry Sūrya — he who, seeking your dwelling places, O Mitra and Varuṇa, surveys the generations of beings together, as one surveys herds.
4. Up have risen for you two the honey-sweet offerings; Sūrya has climbed the bright flood. For him the Ādityas — Mitra, Aryaman, and Varuṇa, at one in will — mark out the paths.
5. These are the perceivers of much untruth — Mitra, Aryaman, and Varuṇa indeed. These, the capable, undeceived sons of Aditi, have grown strong in the house of order.
6. These, Mitra and Varuṇa, who cannot be deceived, make even the thoughtless man aware through their skill. Granting also a well-minded purpose, they lead across distress by good paths.
7. These, the unblinking watchers of heaven and earth, wise, guide the one without understanding. Even in a flowing river there is a ford; may they carry us across this wide expanse.
8. The shelter, sheltering like a herdsman, blessed, that Aditi, Mitra, and Varuṇa grant to Sudās — placing in it our children and our children's children, may we, eager as we are, never do offense to the gods.
9. Let him worship at the altar with oblations, whoever has done Varuṇa wrong through any deceit. May Aryaman set him apart from hatreds; may the two bulls grant Sudās a wide dwelling place.
10. For even the clash of these bright ones is overpowering; with hidden strength they prevail. Trembling in fear of you two bulls — by the greatness of your power, have mercy on us.
11. Whoever wins good favor for the sacred word, in the winning of strength and of highest wealth — the bounteous lords, mastering their anger, have built a good foundation for wide dwelling.
12. This priestly service, O gods, has been performed for you two at the sacrifices, Mitra and Varuṇa. Carry us across all hardships; protect us always with blessings.
Translator's note: verse 9 turns on the terse phrase "kāś cid varuṇadhrutaḥ saḥ" ("whoever has wronged Varuṇa by some deceit"), whose exact grammatical relation to the worship it names is compressed in the Sanskrit; the rendering above keeps the sense conservative rather than supplying a smoother English clause the source does not give.
Colophon
Rigveda VII.60 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 VII.60
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.
yad adya sūrya bravo 'nāgā udyan mitrāya varuṇāya satyam |
vayaṁ devatrādite syāma tava priyāso aryaman gṛṇantaḥ || 1 ||
eṣa sya mitrāvaruṇā nṛcakṣā ubhe ud eti sūryo abhi jman |
viśvasya sthātur jagataś ca gopā ṛju marteṣu vṛjinā ca paśyan || 2 ||
ayukta sapta haritaḥ sadhasthād yā īṁ vahanti sūryaṁ ghṛtācīḥ |
dhāmāni mitrāvaruṇā yuvākuḥ saṁ yo yūtheva janimāni caṣṭe || 3 ||
ud vām pṛkṣāso madhumanto asthur ā sūryo aruhac chukram arṇaḥ |
yasmā ādityā adhvano radanti mitro aryamā varuṇaḥ sajoṣāḥ || 4 ||
ime cetāro anṛtasya bhūrer mitro aryamā varuṇo hi santi |
ima ṛtasya vāvṛdhur duroṇe śagmāsaḥ putrā aditer adabdhāḥ || 5 ||
ime mitro varuṇo dūḻabhāso 'cetasaṁ cic citayanti dakṣaiḥ |
api kratuṁ sucetasaṁ vatantas tiraś cid aṁhaḥ supathā nayanti || 6 ||
ime divo animiṣā pṛthivyāś cikitvāṁso acetasaṁ nayanti |
pravrāje cin nadyo gādham asti pāraṁ no asya viṣpitasya parṣan || 7 ||
yad gopāvad aditiḥ śarma bhadram mitro yacchanti varuṇaḥ sudāse |
tasminn ā tokaṁ tanayaṁ dadhānā mā karma devaheḻanaṁ turāsaḥ || 8 ||
ava vediṁ hotrābhir yajeta ripaḥ kāś cid varuṇadhrutaḥ saḥ |
pari dveṣobhir aryamā vṛṇaktūruṁ sudāse vṛṣaṇā u lokam || 9 ||
sasvaś cid dhi samṛtis tveṣy eṣām apīcyena sahasā sahante |
yuṣmad bhiyā vṛṣaṇo rejamānā dakṣasya cin mahinā mṛḻatā naḥ || 10 ||
yo brahmaṇe sumatim āyajāte vājasya sātau paramasya rāyaḥ |
sīkṣanta manyum maghavāno arya uru kṣayāya cakrire sudhātu || 11 ||
iyaṁ deva purohitir yuvabhyāṁ yajñeṣu mitrāvaruṇāv akāri |
viśvāni durgā pipṛtaṁ tiro no yūyam pāta svastibhiḥ sadā naḥ || 12 ||
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).