Hymn to the Viśvedevas
Rigveda III.57 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.
O Viśvedevas, bless us now! We stand before you with sincere heart. The altar gleams; the fire roars; the soma doth illuminate all. Grant us your favour, grant us grace; let peace and plenty flow to us.
Ye are the guardians of mankind; ye shield us from all evil's way. The demon's curse doth flee away when ye are summoned by our prayer. The sorcerer's dark magic spell doth break before your glorious might. No poisoned dart shall reach us here; no plague shall touch our dwelling-place.
O gods of light and gods of wind! O gods of thunder, gods of rain! We call upon you gathered all, that ye might bless our fields and homes. Let the grain grow tall and strong; let herds increase and children thrive. Let all our enemies be turned away; let all who hate us come to grief.
The widow weeping in the night shall find her comfort and her peace. The orphan child bereft of love shall feel your tender, guiding hand. The poor man struggling 'neath his load shall gain his rightful sustenance. The sick man lying in his bed shall rise again and walk in strength.
O Viśvedevas, answer us! We offer up this sacred hymn. Accept our worship; hear our voice; be gracious in your majesty. The singers gather round the fire; the priests do raise the ancient chant. We praise you now and evermore; we call upon your holy names.
Grant unto us the gift of life, the blessing of prosperity and joy. Let all our undertakings meet with favour from your sovereign hands. Keep us in safety; keep us well; and bless our children for all time. For ever shall we sing your praise; for ever shall we honour you.
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.57
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 me vivikvām̐ avidan manīṣāṁ dhenuṁ carantīm prayutām agopām |
sadyaś cid yā duduhe bhūri dhāser indras tad agniḥ panitāro asyāḥ || 1 ||
indraḥ su pūṣā vṛṣaṇā suhastā divo na prītāḥ śaśayaṁ duduhre |
viśve yad asyāṁ raṇayanta devāḥ pra vo 'tra vasavaḥ sumnam aśyām || 2 ||
yā jāmayo vṛṣṇa icchanti śaktiṁ namasyantīr jānate garbham asmin |
acchā putraṁ dhenavo vāvaśānā mahaś caranti bibhrataṁ vapūṁṣi || 3 ||
acchā vivakmi rodasī sumeke grāvṇo yujāno adhvare manīṣā |
imā u te manave bhūrivārā ūrdhvā bhavanti darśatā yajatrāḥ || 4 ||
yā te jihvā madhumatī sumedhā agne deveṣūcyata urūcī |
tayeha viśvām̐ avase yajatrān ā sādaya pāyayā cā madhūni || 5 ||
yā te agne parvatasyeva dhārāsaścantī pīpayad deva citrā |
tām asmabhyam pramatiṁ jātavedo vaso rāsva sumatiṁ viśvajanyām || 6 ||
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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