Hymn to Rudra
Rigveda I.87 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) addressed to Rudra, the fierce healer, lord of storms and mountains, father of the Maruts. 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.
They are the sons of Rudra the Archer! Born of his mighty strength, they embody both his terrible wrath and his transcendent beauty. Fearful are they, yet magnificent to behold. In them do dwell the very essence of storm and wind, of thunder and lightning, of growth and destruction.
The Maruts are young and vigorous, forever renewing themselves. They do not age nor grow weary. They dance eternally through the heavens, their limbs strong and supple, their spirits unbroken. Each beareth the mark of his father Rudra upon his brow — the crescent moon that shineth with cold silver light.
They are terrible in their wrath! When they do anger, mountains crumble. When they do frown, rivers cease to flow. No being, mortal or divine, can withstand them when they come forth in fury. Their weapons are without mercy. Their judgment is swift and absolute.
Yet are they also beautiful! Their forms are perfect and harmonious. Their voices are as music when they sing together. Their laughter is the sound of gentle rain upon the fields. They bring fertility and abundance. They nourish the crops. They water the herds. They bless the homes of those who honor them.
O sons of Rudra! O beautiful and terrible Maruts! We mortals stand in awe of thy dual nature. We fear thy wrath yet crave thy favor. We tremble at thy approach yet rejoice in thy coming. Accept our sacrifices. Hear our prayers. Guide us with thy wisdom. Protect us with thy strength. Let us know both thy terror and thy grace.
Colophon
Rigveda I.87 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 Rudra, the fierce healer, lord of storms and mountains, father of the Maruts. 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.87
pratvakṣasaḥ pratavaso virapśino 'nānatā avithurā ṛjīṣiṇaḥ |
juṣṭatamāso nṛtamāso añjibhir vy ānajre ke cid usrā iva stṛbhiḥ || 1 ||
upahvareṣu yad acidhvaṁ yayiṁ vaya iva marutaḥ kena cit pathā |
ścotanti kośā upa vo ratheṣv ā ghṛtam ukṣatā madhuvarṇam arcate || 2 ||
praiṣām ajmeṣu vithureva rejate bhūmir yāmeṣu yad dha yuñjate śubhe |
te krīḻayo dhunayo bhrājadṛṣṭayaḥ svayam mahitvam panayanta dhūtayaḥ || 3 ||
sa hi svasṛt pṛṣadaśvo yuvā gaṇo3 'yā īśānas taviṣībhir āvṛtaḥ |
asi satya ṛṇayāvānedyo 'syā dhiyaḥ prāvitāthā vṛṣā gaṇaḥ || 4 ||
pituḥ pratnasya janmanā vadāmasi somasya jihvā pra jigāti cakṣasā |
yad īm indraṁ śamy ṛkvāṇa āśatād in nāmāni yajñiyāni dadhire || 5 ||
śriyase kam bhānubhiḥ sam mimikṣire te raśmibhis ta ṛkvabhiḥ sukhādayaḥ |
te vāśīmanta iṣmiṇo abhīravo vidre priyasya mārutasya dhāmnaḥ || 6 ||
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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