Hymn to Uṣas
Rigveda I.92 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) addressed to Uṣas, the goddess of dawn, bringer of light, daughter of heaven, mother of mornings. 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 Dawn doth arise in her crimson robes! The goddess Uṣas doth wake from her slumber and drive forth the darkness of night. She cometh forth with grace and beauty beyond reckoning. The sky itself doth blush at her approach. The earth doth stir and awaken. All living things do rouse themselves to greet her coming.
Her chariot is wrought of pure gold. The wheels do turn with perfect smoothness. The rays of her passage light the very heavens. Her horses are white as snow, swift as the wind, eager to draw her across the vast expanse of sky. From east to west she maketh her journey, bringing light and hope to all the realms of creation.
Uṣas is ever young, ever beautiful, ever renewed. Each morning she doth arise as though for the first time. Her raiment is woven from the colors of the sunrise — purple and gold, crimson and rose, orange and saffron. She shineth with a light that no mortal craft can replicate. She moveth with grace and dignity befitting the goddess of a new day.
Where she goeth, the stars do fade and disappear. The night-creatures do scurry away to their hidden lairs. The birds do sing their morning songs. The flowers do open their petals to receive her blessing. The dew-drops upon the grass do glisten like tiny jewels. All nature celebrateth her coming.
O beautiful Uṣas! O maiden goddess of the new day! We do rise with thee each morning and offer thee our prayers. Thou art the symbol of hope eternal, of renewal and rebirth. Thou dost teach us that darkness always giveth way to light, that sorrow ever giveth way to joy. Grant us, we beseech thee, the strength to greet each new day with courage and optimism.
Colophon
Rigveda I.92 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 Uṣas, the goddess of dawn, bringer of light, daughter of heaven, mother of mornings. 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.92
etā u tyā uṣasaḥ ketum akrata pūrve ardhe rajaso bhānum añjate |
niṣkṛṇvānā āyudhānīva dhṛṣṇavaḥ prati gāvo 'ruṣīr yanti mātaraḥ || 1 ||
ud apaptann aruṇā bhānavo vṛthā svāyujo aruṣīr gā ayukṣata |
akrann uṣāso vayunāni pūrvathā ruśantam bhānum aruṣīr aśiśrayuḥ || 2 ||
arcanti nārīr apaso na viṣṭibhiḥ samānena yojanenā parāvataḥ |
iṣaṁ vahantīḥ sukṛte sudānave viśved aha yajamānāya sunvate || 3 ||
adhi peśāṁsi vapate nṛtūr ivāporṇute vakṣa usreva barjaham |
jyotir viśvasmai bhuvanāya kṛṇvatī gāvo na vrajaṁ vy u1ṣā āvar tamaḥ || 4 ||
praty arcī ruśad asyā adarśi vi tiṣṭhate bādhate kṛṣṇam abhvam |
svaruṁ na peśo vidatheṣv añjañ citraṁ divo duhitā bhānum aśret || 5 ||
atāriṣma tamasas pāram asyoṣā ucchantī vayunā kṛṇoti |
śriye chando na smayate vibhātī supratīkā saumanasāyājīgaḥ || 6 ||
bhāsvatī netrī sūnṛtānāṁ divaḥ stave duhitā gotamebhiḥ |
prajāvato nṛvato aśvabudhyān uṣo goagrām̐ upa māsi vājān || 7 ||
uṣas tam aśyāṁ yaśasaṁ suvīraṁ dāsapravargaṁ rayim aśvabudhyam |
sudaṁsasā śravasā yā vibhāsi vājaprasūtā subhage bṛhantam || 8 ||
viśvāni devī bhuvanābhicakṣyā pratīcī cakṣur urviyā vi bhāti |
viśvaṁ jīvaṁ carase bodhayantī viśvasya vācam avidan manāyoḥ || 9 ||
punaḥ-punar jāyamānā purāṇī samānaṁ varṇam abhi śumbhamānā |
śvaghnīva kṛtnur vija āminānā martasya devī jarayanty āyuḥ || 10 ||
vyūrṇvatī divo antām̐ abodhy apa svasāraṁ sanutar yuyoti |
praminatī manuṣyā yugāni yoṣā jārasya cakṣasā vi bhāti || 11 ||
paśūn na citrā subhagā prathānā sindhur na kṣoda urviyā vy aśvait |
aminatī daivyāni vratāni sūryasya ceti raśmibhir dṛśānā || 12 ||
uṣas tac citram ā bharāsmabhyaṁ vājinīvati |
yena tokaṁ ca tanayaṁ ca dhāmahe || 13 ||
uṣo adyeha gomaty aśvāvati vibhāvari |
revad asme vy uccha sūnṛtāvati || 14 ||
yukṣvā hi vājinīvaty aśvām̐ adyāruṇām̐ uṣaḥ |
athā no viśvā saubhagāny ā vaha || 15 ||
aśvinā vartir asmad ā gomad dasrā hiraṇyavat |
arvāg rathaṁ samanasā ni yacchatam || 16 ||
yāv itthā ślokam ā divo jyotir janāya cakrathuḥ |
ā na ūrjaṁ vahatam aśvinā yuvam || 17 ||
eha devā mayobhuvā dasrā hiraṇyavartanī |
uṣarbudho vahantu somapītaye || 18 ||
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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