A Hymn of Maṇḍala 2
Rigveda II.25 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 2 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.
O Brahmaṇaspati, protector of all beings! Thy care extendeth to every creature that liveth beneath the sky. Thou watchest over us with vigilance eternal. Thy eyes see all things; thy ears hear all prayers. Nothing escapeth thy knowledge.
Thou art our shield against harm and misfortune. When darkness gathereth around us, thy light shineth forth. When enemies seek to destroy us, thy strength defendeth us. When despair threateneth to overwhelm us, thy hope sustaineth us. We trust in thee utterly.
But thou art more than merely a protector; thou art also an enricher. From thy hands floweth abundance. The fields that thou blessest yield rich harvests. The herds that thou favourest multiply beyond measure. The families that thou guidest prosper and grow strong. Wealth and happiness attendeth upon those who have won thy favour.
We petition thee therefore for both protection and enrichment. Guard us from all evil. Keep us safe from those who would bring us harm. But also grant us prosperity. Let our barns be full of grain. Let our coffers overflow with wealth. Let our children be healthy and strong. Let our homes be places of joy and peace.
Thou canst do all these things, for there is no limit to thy power. Thou canst deny the wicked and exalt the righteous. Thou canst bring low the proud and raise up the humble. Through thee, order is maintained. Through thee, justice is accomplished.
So we come before thee with grateful hearts, seeking both thy protection and thy generosity. Accept our worship, O guardian and enricher! Let thy blessings flow upon us like the waters of life itself.
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 II.25
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.
indhāno agniṁ vanavad vanuṣyataḥ kṛtabrahmā śūśuvad rātahavya it |
jātena jātam ati sa pra sarsṛte yaṁ-yaṁ yujaṁ kṛṇute brahmaṇas patiḥ || 1 ||
vīrebhir vīrān vanavad vanuṣyato gobhī rayim paprathad bodhati tmanā |
tokaṁ ca tasya tanayaṁ ca vardhate yaṁ-yaṁ yujaṁ kṛṇute brahmaṇas patiḥ || 2 ||
sindhur na kṣodaḥ śimīvām̐ ṛghāyato vṛṣeva vadhrīm̐r abhi vaṣṭy ojasā |
agner iva prasitir nāha vartave yaṁ-yaṁ yujaṁ kṛṇute brahmaṇas patiḥ || 3 ||
tasmā arṣanti divyā asaścataḥ sa satvabhiḥ prathamo goṣu gacchati |
anibhṛṣṭataviṣir hanty ojasā yaṁ-yaṁ yujaṁ kṛṇute brahmaṇas patiḥ || 4 ||
tasmā id viśve dhunayanta sindhavo 'cchidrā śarma dadhire purūṇi |
devānāṁ sumne subhagaḥ sa edhate yaṁ-yaṁ yujaṁ kṛṇute brahmaṇas patiḥ || 5 ||
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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