Hymn to Pūṣan
Rigveda X.26 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 10 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 by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension.
Because our soul-born thoughts—the well-loved bands of song— go forth toward them as steeds to a call, let the two wondrous ones lend aid:
Vāyu, lord of the wind-drawn cart, and Pūṣan, strong and sure, in might made ready.
To him belongeth this highness, this fellowship sought with the Wind, and this people here who call him friend.
The poet of vision, in longing, shall strive to win him with hymns well-shaped and praise well-spoken.
He hath marked the songs that ring with worth.
He knoweth the good songs.
Pūṣan the bull, as dew upon grass, droppeth his blessing, sprinkling our dwelling-place with favor.
We would set our mind upon thee, O god Pūṣan, for to us thou art both the one who bringeth forth our thoughts and the one who stirreth the seers to fire.
Sharer of the offering, rider of steeds, seer and warder, he whom Manu long ago ordained
to keep the poet’s way free from hate.
Spouse of the bright one who hath care,
companion to the shining lady, and the shining lord, he who weaveth woolen robes and ever rubbeth them clean— so is he clothed in brightness.
A mighty lord of bounty, a stalwart friend of wealth well-earned, the joyous one hath shaken loose his beard, and shaken it freely, he who may not be beguiled.
Let the goats turn thy yoke, O Pūṣan, and draw thy chariot hence unto us.
Thou art the helper of every striving soul, ancient-born, who shall not be turned away.
Let our cart of prayer be drawn by thy strength, Pūṣan the mighty.
Thou shalt be the bringer of reward.
Thou shalt hear the cry we make.
Colophon
This hymn is drawn from the Śākala recension of the Rigveda, composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE. This is a Good Works Translation produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, translated independently from the Sanskrit. Reference translations consulted during original translation are to be documented during audit.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: ṛgveda X.26
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.
pra hy acchā manīṣāḥ spārhā yanti niyutaḥ |
pra dasrā niyudrathaḥ pūṣā aviṣṭu māhinaḥ || 1 ||
yasya tyan mahitvaṁ vātāpyam ayaṁ janaḥ |
vipra ā vaṁsad dhītibhiś ciketa suṣṭutīnām || 2 ||
sa veda suṣṭutīnām indur na pūṣā vṛṣā |
abhi psuraḥ pruṣāyati vrajaṁ na ā pruṣāyati || 3 ||
maṁsīmahi tvā vayam asmākaṁ deva pūṣan |
matīnāṁ ca sādhanaṁ viprāṇāṁ cādhavam || 4 ||
pratyardhir yajñānām aśvahayo rathānām |
ṛṣiḥ sa yo manurhito viprasya yāvayatsakhaḥ || 5 ||
ādhīṣamāṇāyāḥ patiḥ śucāyāś ca śucasya ca |
vāsovāyo 'vīnām ā vāsāṁsi marmṛjat || 6 ||
ino vājānām patir inaḥ puṣṭīnāṁ sakhā |
pra śmaśru haryato dūdhod vi vṛthā yo adābhyaḥ || 7 ||
ā te rathasya pūṣann ajā dhuraṁ vavṛtyuḥ |
viśvasyārthinaḥ sakhā sanojā anapacyutaḥ || 8 ||
asmākam ūrjā ratham pūṣā aviṣṭu māhinaḥ |
bhuvad vājānāṁ vṛdha imaṁ naḥ śṛṇavad dhavam || 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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