Hymn to the Ādityas
Rigveda X.63 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.
They that come from far to make fast the bonds of friendship, they who, gladdened by Manu, would set firm the lines of Vivasvant— let the gods, who sit upon the holy grass of Yayāti Nahuṣya, speak forth for our sake.
For all thy names, O ye gods, are meet for honour, meet for song, and meet for the rite.
Ye who were born of Aditi, or of the waters, or sprung from the broad bosom of earth—hearken now to my cry.
Those for whom their mother swelleth the honeyed milk, for whom Aditi, boundless as heaven and weighty as a stone, yieldeth the first rich flow— those whose breath is a hymn, strong as bulls and great in goods—give glory unto the Ādityas, for the sake of our good.
With eyes unfailing set upon mankind, the gods have taken their rightful portion—high immortality.
With light for their wain, swift as serpents, free of all blame, they clothe themselves in the height of the heavens—for our good.
The mighty sovereigns, lords of right, who have come unto the rite and hold their hall unfailing in heaven— entreat them hither with awe and fair-spoken praise—the great Ādityas and Aditi—for our good.
Who shall raise the song that pleaseth you, ye gods of Manu, however many in number ye be?
Who shall rightly set the rite for you, O strong-born ones, that we may cross the narrow straits—for our good?
Ye whom Manu first drew nigh with mind-lit flame, with the seven offerers, calling Hotrā by the rite— ye Ādityas, stretch forth fearlessness as our roof. Smooth the rough ways before us—for our good.
The far-seeing lords, counsellors of the world, of all things still and stirred— O ye gods, from all wrongs done or undone, deliver us this day—for our good.
In the fray we call on Indra, ready to hearken, on the holy kindred who loosen the cords of woe, on Agni, on Mitra, on Varuṇa and Bhaga, on Heaven and Earth, on the storm-host Maruts—for our good.
Upon Earth that sheltereth well, and Heaven unstained, upon Aditi, sure shelter and good guide— as upon a god-wrought boat with sound oars, uncracked and tight—may we climb—for our good.
All ye that are worthy of the rite, speak for us and stand our ward. Deliver us from the path that slippeth.
With a true-speaking prayer we call on you, O gods that hear—stand by us—for our good.
Chase far from us all sickness, all want of offering, all ill-faring wrath of the ill-minded.
O gods, hold hatred far off. Spread wide your shelter over us—for our good.
Each mortal doth thrive unharmed and bringeth forth seed from his rooted place— whom ye, O Ādityas, by your good guidance lead through the narrow ways—for our good.
Whomsoever, O gods, ye help in the trial for the prize—whom, O Maruts, ye strengthen in the strife when the wager is set— that swift and early-going wain, that suffereth no harm, may we mount, O Indra—for our good.
Good be our lot in field and waste, good in the waters, in the house of the sun, good in the womb where sons are wrought—O Maruts, give good for gain.
For naught is better than good on the forward path—rich already in what is won, it goeth forth unto what is worthy.
Let it ward us both at hearth and afar; let it, with gods for watchmen, be ever near at hand.
Even thus hath the son of Plati, of wise thought, made strong your praise, ye Ādityas and Aditi.
The high-hearted, heaven-born kin have been uplifted by the song of Amartya Gaya.
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.63
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.
parāvato ye didhiṣanta āpyam manuprītāso janimā vivasvataḥ |
yayāter ye nahuṣyasya barhiṣi devā āsate te adhi bruvantu naḥ || 1 ||
viśvā hi vo namasyāni vandyā nāmāni devā uta yajñiyāni vaḥ |
ye stha jātā aditer adbhyas pari ye pṛthivyās te ma iha śrutā havam || 2 ||
yebhyo mātā madhumat pinvate payaḥ pīyūṣaṁ dyaur aditir adribarhāḥ |
ukthaśuṣmān vṛṣabharān svapnasas tām̐ ādityām̐ anu madā svastaye || 3 ||
nṛcakṣaso animiṣanto arhaṇā bṛhad devāso amṛtatvam ānaśuḥ |
jyotīrathā ahimāyā anāgaso divo varṣmāṇaṁ vasate svastaye || 4 ||
samrājo ye suvṛdho yajñam āyayur aparihvṛtā dadhire divi kṣayam |
tām̐ ā vivāsa namasā suvṛktibhir maho ādityām̐ aditiṁ svastaye || 5 ||
ko vaḥ stomaṁ rādhati yaṁ jujoṣatha viśve devāso manuṣo yati ṣṭhana |
ko vo 'dhvaraṁ tuvijātā araṁ karad yo naḥ parṣad aty aṁhaḥ svastaye || 6 ||
yebhyo hotrām prathamām āyeje manuḥ samiddhāgnir manasā sapta hotṛbhiḥ |
ta ādityā abhayaṁ śarma yacchata sugā naḥ karta supathā svastaye || 7 ||
ya īśire bhuvanasya pracetaso viśvasya sthātur jagataś ca mantavaḥ |
te naḥ kṛtād akṛtād enasas pary adyā devāsaḥ pipṛtā svastaye || 8 ||
bhareṣv indraṁ suhavaṁ havāmahe 'ṁhomucaṁ sukṛtaṁ daivyaṁ janam |
agnim mitraṁ varuṇaṁ sātaye bhagaṁ dyāvāpṛthivī marutaḥ svastaye || 9 ||
sutrāmāṇam pṛthivīṁ dyām anehasaṁ suśarmāṇam aditiṁ supraṇītim |
daivīṁ nāvaṁ svaritrām anāgasam asravantīm ā ruhemā svastaye || 10 ||
viśve yajatrā adhi vocatotaye trāyadhvaṁ no durevāyā abhihrutaḥ |
satyayā vo devahūtyā huvema śṛṇvato devā avase svastaye || 11 ||
apāmīvām apa viśvām anāhutim apārātiṁ durvidatrām aghāyataḥ |
āre devā dveṣo asmad yuyotanoru ṇaḥ śarma yacchatā svastaye || 12 ||
ariṣṭaḥ sa marto viśva edhate pra prajābhir jāyate dharmaṇas pari |
yam ādityāso nayathā sunītibhir ati viśvāni duritā svastaye || 13 ||
yaṁ devāso 'vatha vājasātau yaṁ śūrasātā maruto hite dhane |
prātaryāvāṇaṁ ratham indra sānasim ariṣyantam ā ruhemā svastaye || 14 ||
svasti naḥ pathyāsu dhanvasu svasty a1psu vṛjane svarvati |
svasti naḥ putrakṛtheṣu yoniṣu svasti rāye maruto dadhātana || 15 ||
svastir id dhi prapathe śreṣṭhā rekṇasvaty abhi yā vāmam eti |
sā no amā so araṇe ni pātu svāveśā bhavatu devagopā || 16 ||
evā plateḥ sūnur avīvṛdhad vo viśva ādityā adite manīṣī |
īśānāso naro amartyenāstāvi jano divyo gayena || 17 ||
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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