Hymn to Varuṇa
Rigveda I.90 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) addressed to Varuṇa, the all-seeing lord of cosmic law, guardian of ṛta, judge of human deeds. 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.
Soma dwelleth among the gods as supreme. Varuṇa sitteth upon his throne of judgment. The Viśvedevas are gathered in divine assembly. All the powers of heaven have come together in this sacred moment, their purposes united, their wills aligned toward the good of all creation.
Soma is the lord of the sacred draught, the plant of immortality itself. When he is pressed and poured forth, the very heavens do shake with joy. The gods do drink of his essence and their strength is renewed. His juices flow like liquid gold. His flavor is as honey upon the lips. Those who taste him do pass beyond the veil of mortality and dwell for a time in the realm of the eternal.
Varuṇa is the upholder of cosmic order, he who doth bind all things together with his invisible cords. No lie can escape his sight. No deed can be hidden from him. Yet is he also compassionate, merciful to those who do repent and seek his forgiveness. His judgments are just and his mercy is eternal.
The gods assembled do fill all space with their presence. Each ruleth his own sphere. Each doth maintain his portion of the cosmic order. Together they form a harmony that sustaineth all worlds — the realm of heaven above, the realm of earth below, and all the realms that lie betwixt.
We mortals offer unto this sacred assembly our prayers and our praises. We acknowledge thy supremacy. We submit to thy rule. We ask thy guidance in all our doings. Make us wise in our choices. Make us righteous in our actions. Keep us ever mindful of thy presence. Let thy blessing flow unto us like the waters of the sacred Soma.
Colophon
Rigveda I.90 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 Varuṇa, the all-seeing lord of cosmic law, guardian of ṛta, judge of human deeds. 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.90
ṛjunītī no varuṇo mitro nayatu vidvān |
aryamā devaiḥ sajoṣāḥ || 1 ||
te hi vasvo vasavānās te apramūrā mahobhiḥ |
vratā rakṣante viśvāhā || 2 ||
te asmabhyaṁ śarma yaṁsann amṛtā martyebhyaḥ |
bādhamānā apa dviṣaḥ || 3 ||
vi naḥ pathaḥ suvitāya ciyantv indro marutaḥ |
pūṣā bhago vandyāsaḥ || 4 ||
uta no dhiyo goagrāḥ pūṣan viṣṇav evayāvaḥ |
kartā naḥ svastimataḥ || 5 ||
madhu vātā ṛtāyate madhu kṣaranti sindhavaḥ |
mādhvīr naḥ santv oṣadhīḥ || 6 ||
madhu naktam utoṣaso madhumat pārthivaṁ rajaḥ |
madhu dyaur astu naḥ pitā || 7 ||
madhumān no vanaspatir madhumām̐ astu sūryaḥ |
mādhvīr gāvo bhavantu naḥ || 8 ||
śaṁ no mitraḥ śaṁ varuṇaḥ śaṁ no bhavatv aryamā |
śaṁ na indro bṛhaspatiḥ śaṁ no viṣṇur urukramaḥ || 9 ||
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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