Hymn to Soma
Rigveda IX.102 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 9 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. Acting, the child of the great waters, quickening the vision of Truth, he comes to encompass all dear things — and now, once again.
2. At Trita's two pressing-stones he took his portion, the hidden track; and by the seven stations of the sacrifice, the beloved place.
3. On Trita's three backs, in a stream — send forth wealth! — the very skillful one measures out his courses.
4. The seven mothers instructed the newborn ordainer for glory; this steadfast one is known as a treasure among riches.
5. In his ordinance all the gods, of one accord and guileless, stand together; his delights become desirable when they partake of them.
6. Him, the germ, the strengtheners of Truth brought forth, beautiful to see — the seer, most bountiful, much desired at the rite.
7. The two young mothers of Truth, meeting together of their own accord, extending the sacrifice in due order, anoint him.
8. By his power, with gleaming eyes, he has thrown open heaven's fold; quickening the vision of Truth, forth at the sacrifice.
Translator's note: "the seven mothers" (v. 4) and "the two young mothers of Truth" (v. 7) are conventional Vedic images for the waters/rivers as nurturers of Soma; "Trita" (vv. 2–3) is Trita Āptya, a figure associated with the pressing and preparation of Soma. Both are kept as the Sanskrit names them, without added gloss.
Colophon
Rigveda IX.102 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 IX.102
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.
krāṇā śiśur mahīnāṁ hinvann ṛtasya dīdhitim |
viśvā pari priyā bhuvad adha dvitā || 1 ||
upa tritasya pāṣyo3r abhakta yad guhā padam |
yajñasya sapta dhāmabhir adha priyam || 2 ||
trīṇi tritasya dhārayā pṛṣṭheṣv erayā rayim |
mimīte asya yojanā vi sukratuḥ || 3 ||
jajñānaṁ sapta mātaro vedhām aśāsata śriye |
ayaṁ dhruvo rayīṇāṁ ciketa yat || 4 ||
asya vrate sajoṣaso viśve devāso adruhaḥ |
spārhā bhavanti rantayo juṣanta yat || 5 ||
yam ī garbham ṛtāvṛdho dṛśe cārum ajījanan |
kavim maṁhiṣṭham adhvare puruspṛham || 6 ||
samīcīne abhi tmanā yahvī ṛtasya mātarā |
tanvānā yajñam ānuṣag yad añjate || 7 ||
kratvā śukrebhir akṣabhir ṛṇor apa vrajaṁ divaḥ |
hinvann ṛtasya dīdhitim prādhvare || 8 ||
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).