Hymn to Soma
Rigveda II.31 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.
Come hither, all ye gods, ye Viśvedevas, all-possessing ones! Accept the butter-offerings we pour. Grant us abundance, grant us safety in the day, grant us the healing light when darkness falls upon the earth.
We call upon thee, O ye universal powers, who dwellest in the sky and upon the earth, who moveth in the waters and in the airs unseen. Bless this household with prosperity. Guard our children from the evil eye. Guard our cattle from the predator's fang.
Let no sickness enter our dwelling. Let no drought parch our fields. Let no enemy break through our walls in the night. We ask this of thee, O Viśvedevas, ye collective strength, ye gathered might. Thou art present everywhere — in the flame, in the wind, in the drop of water, in the grain of earth.
Accept this Soma with gladness. Drink deep of the sacred plant. Let thy joy overflow upon us, for when the gods are pleased, mortals flourish. When the gods withdraw, the world withers.
Grant us long life. Grant us children strong and wise. Grant us cattle numerous and fat. Grant us victory over our foes and peace with those we love. We are thy priests, thy servants. We kindle the sacred fire for thee each dawn.
O Viśvedevas, O all-pervading ones, hear us this day. Let thy blessings descend upon our heads like rain upon the parched earth. Let thy favor settle upon our hearth like the evening fire. Make us prosperous. Make us strong. Make us worthy of thy grace.
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.31
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.
asmākam mitrāvaruṇāvataṁ ratham ādityai rudrair vasubhiḥ sacābhuvā |
pra yad vayo na paptan vasmanas pari śravasyavo hṛṣīvanto vanarṣadaḥ || 1 ||
adha smā na ud avatā sajoṣaso rathaṁ devāso abhi vikṣu vājayum |
yad āśavaḥ padyābhis titrato rajaḥ pṛthivyāḥ sānau jaṅghananta pāṇibhiḥ || 2 ||
uta sya na indro viśvacarṣaṇir divaḥ śardhena mārutena sukratuḥ |
anu nu sthāty avṛkābhir ūtibhī ratham mahe sanaye vājasātaye || 3 ||
uta sya devo bhuvanasya sakṣaṇis tvaṣṭā gnābhiḥ sajoṣā jūjuvad ratham |
iḻā bhago bṛhaddivota rodasī pūṣā puraṁdhir aśvināv adhā patī || 4 ||
uta tye devī subhage mithūdṛśoṣāsānaktā jagatām apījuvā |
stuṣe yad vām pṛthivi navyasā vacaḥ sthātuś ca vayas trivayā upastire || 5 ||
uta vaḥ śaṁsam uśijām iva śmasy ahir budhnyo3 'ja ekapād uta |
trita ṛbhukṣāḥ savitā cano dadhe 'pāṁ napād āśuhemā dhiyā śami || 6 ||
etā vo vaśmy udyatā yajatrā atakṣann āyavo navyase sam |
śravasyavo vājaṁ cakānāḥ saptir na rathyo aha dhītim aśyāḥ || 7 ||
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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