Hymn to the Ṛbhus
Rigveda III.60 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 Ṛbhus, ye who were born as mortals yet became divine! Ye worked with skill; ye laboured hard; ye achieved what gods alone could do. Now ye do sit among the gods; now ye are numbered with the great. Accept this hymn of praise from us; acknowledge the singers' reverent call.
Ye three did take the sacred task to craft the great and golden car. With hands most clever, hearts most true, ye shaped and fitted every part. The wheels ye rounded smooth and fair; the axle straight and strong ye made. The yoke ye fitted true and fast; the harness gleamed with polish bright. When it was done, the gods stood still and marvelled at your wondrous work.
Ye fashioned also heaven's dome and shaped the earth's foundation deep. The ocean's vastness did ye measure; the rivers' courses did ye trace. Ye multiplied the sacred herds; ye drew the soma from the plant. What mortals thought impossible ye achieved through your divine craft.
The gods themselves came down to see the marvels that your hands had wrought. Lord Indra tested every piece and found each joint most true and sound. The Aśvins gazed upon your work and blessed you for your steadfast skill. Then all the company divine did grant to you immortal life.
O Ṛbhus, grant unto us too the blessings of your craftful power! Let us do work that doth endure; let us create what shall not pass. Give us the skill to shape our fate; give us the wisdom to prevail. Let our endeavours meet success; let our creations stand through time.
Ye are the proof that mortals too can rise to touch the divine flame. Through discipline and honest work, through dedication and through will, we mortals also may ascend and claim our place among the great. For ever let your glory shine; for ever be your names adored.
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.60
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.
iheha vo manasā bandhutā nara uśijo jagmur abhi tāni vedasā |
yābhir māyābhiḥ pratijūtivarpasaḥ saudhanvanā yajñiyam bhāgam ānaśa || 1 ||
yābhiḥ śacībhiś camasām̐ apiṁśata yayā dhiyā gām ariṇīta carmaṇaḥ |
yena harī manasā niratakṣata tena devatvam ṛbhavaḥ sam ānaśa || 2 ||
indrasya sakhyam ṛbhavaḥ sam ānaśur manor napāto apaso dadhanvire |
saudhanvanāso amṛtatvam erire viṣṭvī śamībhiḥ sukṛtaḥ sukṛtyayā || 3 ||
indreṇa yātha sarathaṁ sute sacām̐ atho vaśānām bhavathā saha śriyā |
na vaḥ pratimai sukṛtāni vāghataḥ saudhanvanā ṛbhavo vīryāṇi ca || 4 ||
indra ṛbhubhir vājavadbhiḥ samukṣitaṁ sutaṁ somam ā vṛṣasvā gabhastyoḥ |
dhiyeṣito maghavan dāśuṣo gṛhe saudhanvanebhiḥ saha matsvā nṛbhiḥ || 5 ||
indra ṛbhumān vājavān matsveha no 'smin savane śacyā puruṣṭuta |
imāni tubhyaṁ svasarāṇi yemire vratā devānām manuṣaś ca dharmabhiḥ || 6 ||
indra ṛbhubhir vājibhir vājayann iha stomaṁ jaritur upa yāhi yajñiyam |
śataṁ ketebhir iṣirebhir āyave sahasraṇītho adhvarasya homani || 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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