Hymn to Varuṇa
Rigveda V.71 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.
Once more we call upon thee, O pair most blessed! Mitra-Varuṇa, ye who art one in purpose though two in form, accept this final invocation from thy servants.
Thou hast given us all that we possess. The light of day, the stars of night, the air we breathe, the water we drink—all come from thy hands. Our lives are woven from thy substance; our fate is held within thy grasp. We are thy creatures, utterly dependent upon thy will.
Yet thou hast also given us the gift of choice. Thou allowest us to strive, to labor, to seek wisdom and righteousness. Thou hast set before us the path of truth and the path of deception, and thou hast given us the power to choose. This is thy great mercy—that we are not mere puppets, but truly free.
Therefore we choose thee! We choose to walk the path of ṛta, though it be difficult. We choose to speak truth, though it cost us dearly. We choose to keep our oaths, though we must sacrifice for them. This is our vow before thee and before all the gods.
Grant us the strength to remain faithful! Grant us the wisdom to discern thy will. Grant us the courage to endure whatever trials may come. And when at last our days are ended, when we pass from this world to the next, let us come before thee unashamed, knowing that we have walked in thy light and kept faith with thy covenant.
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.
🌲
Source Text: ṛgveda V.71
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.
ā no gantaṁ riśādasā varuṇa mitra barhaṇā |
upemaṁ cārum adhvaram || 1 ||
viśvasya hi pracetasā varuṇa mitra rājathaḥ |
īśānā pipyataṁ dhiyaḥ || 2 ||
upa naḥ sutam ā gataṁ varuṇa mitra dāśuṣaḥ |
asya somasya pītaye || 3 ||
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).
🌲