Hymn to Soma
Rigveda V.47 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.
The gods are gathered! See them descend from the highest heaven, each gleaming with power, each bearing his gift of strength. They come to the sacrifice as the birds come to water, as the rivers flow toward the sea. Their voices thunder through the air.
Indra leads them, golden-armed, dripping with mead-wine. Behind him ride Vayu and Vata, the winds incarnate, their chariots drawn by swift horses. There comes Agni, radiant with flame, his mouth open to receive the offering. The Maruts follow—those wild, untamed sons of Rudra, clothed in lightning, shaking the mountains beneath them.
Mitra and Varuṇa descend in splendor, holding their bonds of law and truth. Yama the appointed one, grim and just, takes his place among the divine assembly. Sūrya the sun-god shines with his eternal radiance. Soma, the precious one, brings ecstasy and revelation.
The Viśvedevas form a host beyond counting—devas of water and fire, of wind and storm, of wealth and learning, of sickness and healing. All are welcome at this fire. All shall drink of the soma. All shall receive the butter and grain.
O ye assembled gods, accept this humble offering! Ye are the strength of the cosmos, the pillars upon which all things stand. Through your power the world endures. Through your will the seasons turn. In your hands rest the fates of mortals and the course of ages. Hear us, O divine assembly! Grant us wisdom, grant us valor, grant us the blessing of your presence.
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.47
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.
prayuñjatī diva eti bruvāṇā mahī mātā duhitur bodhayantī |
āvivāsantī yuvatir manīṣā pitṛbhya ā sadane johuvānā || 1 ||
ajirāsas tadapa īyamānā ātasthivāṁso amṛtasya nābhim |
anantāsa uravo viśvataḥ sīm pari dyāvāpṛthivī yanti panthāḥ || 2 ||
ukṣā samudro aruṣaḥ suparṇaḥ pūrvasya yonim pitur ā viveśa |
madhye divo nihitaḥ pṛśnir aśmā vi cakrame rajasas pāty antau || 3 ||
catvāra īm bibhrati kṣemayanto daśa garbhaṁ carase dhāpayante |
tridhātavaḥ paramā asya gāvo divaś caranti pari sadyo antān || 4 ||
idaṁ vapur nivacanaṁ janāsaś caranti yan nadyas tasthur āpaḥ |
dve yad īm bibhṛto mātur anye iheha jāte yamyā3 sabandhū || 5 ||
vi tanvate dhiyo asmā apāṁsi vastrā putrāya mātaro vayanti |
upaprakṣe vṛṣaṇo modamānā divas pathā vadhvo yanty accha || 6 ||
tad astu mitrāvaruṇā tad agne śaṁ yor asmabhyam idam astu śastam |
aśīmahi gādham uta pratiṣṭhāṁ namo dive bṛhate sādanāya || 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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