Hymn to Sūrya
Rigveda I.86 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) addressed to Sūrya, the sun-god, the all-seeing eye of heaven, rider of the celestial chariot. 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 by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension.
Behold the Maruts in their self-luminous splendor! No lamp doth light their path — they themselves do shine as stars. Their radiance filleth the heavens. The sky is made bright by their presence. They do not require the light of Sūrya the sun, yet even the sun doth pale before their glory.
Each Marut beareth a light within his heart — a spark of divine fire that burneth eternal. From this inner flame doth emanate a glow that reacheth unto the uttermost corners of creation. The darkness fleeth before them. The night itself doth shrink away.
Their weapons shine with their own light. Their chariots do glow as molten gold. Their steeds are caparisoned with radiant gems that shoot forth rays of brilliance in all directions. When the Maruts ride forth, it is as though a thousand suns do traverse the sky.
They move with purpose and order. There is no chaos in their march, no discord in their mighty host. Each strideth in his appointed place. Each doth fulfill his role in the great dance of heaven. Their unity is perfect. Their coordination is flawless. They are as fingers on a single hand — separate and distinct, yet moving as one.
O luminous Maruts! O self-shining sons of Rudra! Accept our humble praise. Thy splendor overwhelmeth our senses. Thy light doth blind us, yet we do not turn away. Rather do we lift our faces to thy radiance and rejoice. Guard us in darkness. Keep us safe from harm. Let thy light illuminate the path of our lives.
Colophon
Rigveda I.86 is drawn from the Śākala recension of the Rigveda, the version that has been transmitted and is considered canonical in the mainstream tradition. The Rigveda was composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE; this hymn addresses Sūrya, the sun-god, the all-seeing eye of heaven, rider of the celestial chariot. This is a Good Works Translation produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, translated independently from the Sanskrit. Reference translations consulted during original translation session to be documented during Kshatriya Blood Rule audit.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: ṛgveda I.86
maruto yasya hi kṣaye pāthā divo vimahasaḥ |
sa sugopātamo janaḥ || 1 ||
yajñair vā yajñavāhaso viprasya vā matīnām |
marutaḥ śṛṇutā havam || 2 ||
uta vā yasya vājino 'nu vipram atakṣata |
sa gantā gomati vraje || 3 ||
asya vīrasya barhiṣi sutaḥ somo diviṣṭiṣu |
uktham madaś ca śasyate || 4 ||
asya śroṣantv ā bhuvo viśvā yaś carṣaṇīr abhi |
sūraṁ cit sasruṣīr iṣaḥ || 5 ||
pūrvībhir hi dadāśima śaradbhir maruto vayam |
avobhiś carṣaṇīnām || 6 ||
subhagaḥ sa prayajyavo maruto astu martyaḥ |
yasya prayāṁsi parṣatha || 7 ||
śaśamānasya vā naraḥ svedasya satyaśavasaḥ |
vidā kāmasya venataḥ || 8 ||
yūyaṁ tat satyaśavasa āviṣ karta mahitvanā |
vidhyatā vidyutā rakṣaḥ || 9 ||
gūhatā guhyaṁ tamo vi yāta viśvam atriṇam |
jyotiṣ kartā yad uśmasi || 10 ||
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).
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