Hymn to the Viśvedevas
Rigveda V.45 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 5 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, we lift our voices in petition! We come before you not as supplicants abasing ourselves before tyrants, but as children approaching their parents with open hearts. Thou knowest our needs; thou hearest the cries of thy creation.
Grant us wealth, O all-gods! Not the wealth of the miser who hoardeth in secret, but the wealth of the generous man who giveth freely and yet receiveth abundantly in return. Let our herds multiply; let our coffers be filled. Through thy bounty, may we be able to feed the hungry and clothe the poor.
Grant us health of body, O divine assembly! Let our limbs be strong and our breath steady. Let sickness pass over us as the shadow passeth over the earth. Let our minds remain clear and sharp, untouched by the fog of confusion and despair. In our bodies, may we find the strength to serve thee and thy cosmic order.
Grant us offspring, O gods! Let sons and daughters be born unto our houses. Let them be healthy and beautiful, intelligent and virtuous. Let them grow to honor the sacred rites and teach their children the old ways. Through them, thy names shall be remembered forever upon this earth.
Grant us victory over our enemies, O mighty ones! Not through cruelty or treachery, but through righteous strength. Let the wicked flee before us; let the unjust be brought low. Let us triumph through virtue and honor, so that when peace cometh, we may look back upon our deeds without shame.
O Viśvedevas, hear this prayer! We pour the soma and make the sacred offering. Accept our worship and grant unto us these blessings. May we live long, prosper greatly, and serve thee faithfully all our days.
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 V.45
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.
vidā divo viṣyann adrim ukthair āyatyā uṣaso arcino guḥ |
apāvṛta vrajinīr ut svar gād vi duro mānuṣīr deva āvaḥ || 1 ||
vi sūryo amatiṁ na śriyaṁ sād orvād gavām mātā jānatī gāt |
dhanvarṇaso nadya1ḥ khādoarṇāḥ sthūṇeva sumitā dṛṁhata dyauḥ || 2 ||
asmā ukthāya parvatasya garbho mahīnāṁ januṣe pūrvyāya |
vi parvato jihīta sādhata dyaur āvivāsanto dasayanta bhūma || 3 ||
sūktebhir vo vacobhir devajuṣṭair indrā nv a1gnī avase huvadhyai |
ukthebhir hi ṣmā kavayaḥ suyajñā āvivāsanto maruto yajanti || 4 ||
eto nv a1dya sudhyo3 bhavāma pra ducchunā minavāmā varīyaḥ |
āre dveṣāṁsi sanutar dadhāmāyāma prāñco yajamānam accha || 5 ||
etā dhiyaṁ kṛṇavāmā sakhāyo 'pa yā mātām̐ ṛṇuta vrajaṁ goḥ |
yayā manur viśiśipraṁ jigāya yayā vaṇig vaṅkur āpā purīṣam || 6 ||
anūnod atra hastayato adrir ārcan yena daśa māso navagvāḥ |
ṛtaṁ yatī saramā gā avindad viśvāni satyāṅgirāś cakāra || 7 ||
viśve asyā vyuṣi māhināyāḥ saṁ yad gobhir aṅgiraso navanta |
utsa āsām parame sadhastha ṛtasya pathā saramā vidad gāḥ || 8 ||
ā sūryo yātu saptāśvaḥ kṣetraṁ yad asyorviyā dīrghayāthe |
raghuḥ śyenaḥ patayad andho acchā yuvā kavir dīdayad goṣu gacchan || 9 ||
ā sūryo aruhac chukram arṇo 'yukta yad dharito vītapṛṣṭhāḥ |
udnā na nāvam anayanta dhīrā āśṛṇvatīr āpo arvāg atiṣṭhan || 10 ||
dhiyaṁ vo apsu dadhiṣe svarṣāṁ yayātaran daśa māso navagvāḥ |
ayā dhiyā syāma devagopā ayā dhiyā tuturyāmāty aṁhaḥ || 11 ||
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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