Hymn to Soma
Rigveda X.59 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.
His days are stretched afresh, for the twain who mount the wain have with steadfast word and might lengthened the life of Cyavana. And now, as Cyavana did, he setteth his strength to his task. Let Dissolution draw herself far away.
When the sacred song is raised, for wealth shall we make ourselves ready—with fare that bringeth honeyed hoard, and with renown in measure full. Let the song-weaver find joy in all our share. Let Dissolution draw herself far away.
With manly might may we o’ercome the strength of the alien, as Heaven o’ertops the Earth, and the hills the lowland fields. All these our goods the singer doth behold. Let Dissolution draw herself far away.
Deliver us not to Death, O Soma. Let our eyes behold the sun’s uprising. May our grey years be held in safety through all our days. Let Dissolution draw herself far away.
Thou that guidest to the further life, keep firm within us our mind. Stretch wide the thread of our years, that we may live. Delight in our gazing upon the sun, and wax in thy flesh with the pouring of ghee.
Thou that leadest unto that other shore, renew in us our sight, breathe once more into this frame for our good. Long may our eyes look upon the dawning sun. O Concord, be kindly and grant us our health.
Let Earth once more breathe life into us, let Heaven again bestow her gift, let Midspace do the same. Let Soma restore to us our frame, and Pūṣan give once more the way that leadeth unto thriving.
Let the twain world-halves bring blessing upon the well-born one, those two young mothers of truth and brightness. Let them bear away all hurt. O Heaven and Earth, cast ailment to the dust—let no grief nor affliction remain.
Lo, down descend the pair, and down the three—down come the healings from above. Unto the soil falleth the one. Let the twain bear off all sickness that may be. O Heaven and Earth, cast ailment to the dust—let no grief nor affliction remain.
Indra, give back the yoke-beast that drew the bridal cart of Uśīnarāṇī unto this place. Let the twain bear off all sickness that may be. O Heaven and Earth, cast ailment to the dust—let no grief nor affliction remain.
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.59
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 tāry āyuḥ prataraṁ navīyaḥ sthātāreva kratumatā rathasya |
adha cyavāna ut tavīty artham parātaraṁ su nirṛtir jihītām || 1 ||
sāman nu rāye nidhiman nv annaṁ karāmahe su purudha śravāṁsi |
tā no viśvāni jaritā mamattu parātaraṁ su nirṛtir jihītām || 2 ||
abhī ṣv a1ryaḥ pauṁsyair bhavema dyaur na bhūmiṁ girayo nājrān |
tā no viśvāni jaritā ciketa parātaraṁ su nirṛtir jihītām || 3 ||
mo ṣu ṇaḥ soma mṛtyave parā dāḥ paśyema nu sūryam uccarantam |
dyubhir hito jarimā sū no astu parātaraṁ su nirṛtir jihītām || 4 ||
asunīte mano asmāsu dhāraya jīvātave su pra tirā na āyuḥ |
rārandhi naḥ sūryasya saṁdṛśi ghṛtena tvaṁ tanvaṁ vardhayasva || 5 ||
asunīte punar asmāsu cakṣuḥ punaḥ prāṇam iha no dhehi bhogam |
jyok paśyema sūryam uccarantam anumate mṛḻayā naḥ svasti || 6 ||
punar no asum pṛthivī dadātu punar dyaur devī punar antarikṣam |
punar naḥ somas tanvaṁ dadātu punaḥ pūṣā pathyā3ṁ yā svastiḥ || 7 ||
śaṁ rodasī subandhave yahvī ṛtasya mātarā |
bharatām apa yad rapo dyauḥ pṛthivi kṣamā rapo mo ṣu te kiṁ canāmamat || 8 ||
ava dvake ava trikā divaś caranti bheṣajā |
kṣamā cariṣṇv ekakam bharatām apa yad rapo dyauḥ pṛthivi kṣamā rapo mo ṣu te kiṁ canāmamat || 9 ||
sam indreraya gām anaḍvāhaṁ ya āvahad uśīnarāṇyā anaḥ |
bharatām apa yad rapo dyauḥ pṛthivi kṣamā rapo mo ṣu te kiṁ canāmamat || 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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