Hymn to the Viśvedevas
Rigveda III.54 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 3 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 of old! Come down to us from heaven's height. The soma hath been made most pure; the altar gleams with sacred flame. We call upon the Viśvedevas—all the gods in one divine assembly!
O Indra, Agni, Varuṇa, Mitra and Aryaman combined! Hear us, O gods of sky and earth; hear us, O lords of cosmic law. The priests have gathered round the fire; the singers raise the ancient song. Accept our praise, accept our gift; bestow upon us all good gifts.
Ye gods who guard the realms of light, who hold the boundaries of the world! Ye who do regulate the course of sun and moon and stars on high! Ye who do govern wind and rain, the thunder and the lightning flash! Come down to bless the faithful folk who call upon your sacred names.
O Viśvedevas, mighty ones! Ye dwell in harmonious accord. No discord breaks your perfect band; no quarrel mars your unity. Ye work together for the good of all the worlds both great and small. Grant us a portion of that peace; grant us that harmony divine.
The soma flows like liquid gold within the channels of the earth. The cattle lowing in the fields; the children playing in the sun. The harvests ripen in their time; the seasons turn in righteous course. All this continueth because ye hold the cosmic order fast.
O all ye gods, accept our prayer! This hymn we sing with hearts sincere. Let blessings fall upon our heads; let fortune smile upon our way. Guard us from evil; shield us well; and keep our children safe and strong. For ever let your names be praised; for ever let your glory shine.
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 III.54
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.
imam mahe vidathyāya śūṣaṁ śaśvat kṛtva īḍyāya pra jabhruḥ |
śṛṇotu no damyebhir anīkaiḥ śṛṇotv agnir divyair ajasraḥ || 1 ||
mahi mahe dive arcā pṛthivyai kāmo ma icchañ carati prajānan |
yayor ha stome vidatheṣu devāḥ saparyavo mādayante sacāyoḥ || 2 ||
yuvor ṛtaṁ rodasī satyam astu mahe ṣu ṇaḥ suvitāya pra bhūtam |
idaṁ dive namo agne pṛthivyai saparyāmi prayasā yāmi ratnam || 3 ||
uto hi vām pūrvyā āvividra ṛtāvarī rodasī satyavācaḥ |
naraś cid vāṁ samithe śūrasātau vavandire pṛthivi vevidānāḥ || 4 ||
ko addhā veda ka iha pra vocad devām̐ acchā pathyā3 kā sam eti |
dadṛśra eṣām avamā sadāṁsi pareṣu yā guhyeṣu vrateṣu || 5 ||
kavir nṛcakṣā abhi ṣīm acaṣṭa ṛtasya yonā vighṛte madantī |
nānā cakrāte sadanaṁ yathā veḥ samānena kratunā saṁvidāne || 6 ||
samānyā viyute dūreante dhruve pade tasthatur jāgarūke |
uta svasārā yuvatī bhavantī ād u bruvāte mithunāni nāma || 7 ||
viśved ete janimā saṁ vivikto maho devān bibhratī na vyathete |
ejad dhruvam patyate viśvam ekaṁ carat patatri viṣuṇaṁ vi jātam || 8 ||
sanā purāṇam adhy emy ārān mahaḥ pitur janitur jāmi tan naḥ |
devāso yatra panitāra evair urau pathi vyute tasthur antaḥ || 9 ||
imaṁ stomaṁ rodasī pra bravīmy ṛdūdarāḥ śṛṇavann agnijihvāḥ |
mitraḥ samrājo varuṇo yuvāna ādityāsaḥ kavayaḥ paprathānāḥ || 10 ||
hiraṇyapāṇiḥ savitā sujihvas trir ā divo vidathe patyamānaḥ |
deveṣu ca savitaḥ ślokam aśrer ād asmabhyam ā suva sarvatātim || 11 ||
sukṛt supāṇiḥ svavām̐ ṛtāvā devas tvaṣṭāvase tāni no dhāt |
pūṣaṇvanta ṛbhavo mādayadhvam ūrdhvagrāvāṇo adhvaram ataṣṭa || 12 ||
vidyudrathā maruta ṛṣṭimanto divo maryā ṛtajātā ayāsaḥ |
sarasvatī śṛṇavan yajñiyāso dhātā rayiṁ sahavīraṁ turāsaḥ || 13 ||
viṣṇuṁ stomāsaḥ purudasmam arkā bhagasyeva kāriṇo yāmani gman |
urukramaḥ kakuho yasya pūrvīr na mardhanti yuvatayo janitrīḥ || 14 ||
indro viśvair vīryai3ḥ patyamāna ubhe ā paprau rodasī mahitvā |
puraṁdaro vṛtrahā dhṛṣṇuṣeṇaḥ saṁgṛbhyā na ā bharā bhūri paśvaḥ || 15 ||
nāsatyā me pitarā bandhupṛcchā sajātyam aśvinoś cāru nāma |
yuvaṁ hi stho rayidau no rayīṇāṁ dātraṁ rakṣethe akavair adabdhā || 16 ||
mahat tad vaḥ kavayaś cāru nāma yad dha devā bhavatha viśva indre |
sakha ṛbhubhiḥ puruhūta priyebhir imāṁ dhiyaṁ sātaye takṣatā naḥ || 17 ||
aryamā ṇo aditir yajñiyāso 'dabdhāni varuṇasya vratāni |
yuyota no anapatyāni gantoḥ prajāvān naḥ paśumām̐ astu gātuḥ || 18 ||
devānāṁ dūtaḥ purudha prasūto 'nāgān no vocatu sarvatātā |
śṛṇotu naḥ pṛthivī dyaur utāpaḥ sūryo nakṣatrair urv a1ntarikṣam || 19 ||
śṛṇvantu no vṛṣaṇaḥ parvatāso dhruvakṣemāsa iḻayā madantaḥ |
ādityair no aditiḥ śṛṇotu yacchantu no marutaḥ śarma bhadram || 20 ||
sadā sugaḥ pitumām̐ astu panthā madhvā devā oṣadhīḥ sam pipṛkta |
bhago me agne sakhye na mṛdhyā ud rāyo aśyāṁ sadanam purukṣoḥ || 21 ||
svadasva havyā sam iṣo didīhy asmadrya1k sam mimīhi śravāṁsi |
viśvām̐ agne pṛtsu tāñ jeṣi śatrūn ahā viśvā sumanā dīdihī naḥ || 22 ||
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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