Hymn to Soma
Rigveda VI.74 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 6 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 Soma and Rudra, mighty pair! O healer and transformer both! We invoke you with reverent hearts. Soma, thou art the plant of healing, the medicine of the gods. Rudra, thou art the power of destruction and renewal, the terrible lord who smiteth disease and suffering.
Together ye form a unity that is both fearful and compassionate. Where Soma bringeth gentle healing and restoration, Rudra bringeth the sharp blade that cuteth away the diseased flesh so that health may return. Neither alone is complete; together ye are whole.
O Soma, thy juice doth calm the fevered brow. Thy essence doth bring peace to the troubled mind. Thou art the giver of contentment, the bestower of abundance. When one drinketh thee with proper reverence, the body is healed and the spirit is uplifted.
O Rudra, thy arrows fly swift and true, piercing through pain and sickness wherever they lodge in the flesh. Thou art terrible in thy wrath against disease, yet merciful to those who sing thy praise. Thy power is the complement to Soma's gentle ministration. Together ye are the complete physician.
We call upon you both to heal us of our ailments. Grant us health of body and clarity of mind. Soma, pour thy blessing into us. Rudra, strike down the demons of illness that dwell within. May the combination of your powers restore us to wholeness.
Grant us, we beseech you, freedom from suffering and pain. Guard us from the arrows of disease. Bless us with vigor and vitality. May we ever sing your praises in gratitude for your healing grace.
Accept our hymn, O Soma and Rudra, and let your blessing flow through us.
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 VI.74
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.
somārudrā dhārayethām asurya1m pra vām iṣṭayo 'ram aśnuvantu |
dame-dame sapta ratnā dadhānā śaṁ no bhūtaṁ dvipade śaṁ catuṣpade || 1 ||
somārudrā vi vṛhataṁ viṣūcīm amīvā yā no gayam āviveśa |
āre bādhethāṁ nirṛtim parācair asme bhadrā sauśravasāni santu || 2 ||
somārudrā yuvam etāny asme viśvā tanūṣu bheṣajāni dhattam |
ava syatam muñcataṁ yan no asti tanūṣu baddhaṁ kṛtam eno asmat || 3 ||
tigmāyudhau tigmahetī suśevau somārudrāv iha su mṛḻataṁ naḥ |
pra no muñcataṁ varuṇasya pāśād gopāyataṁ naḥ sumanasyamānā || 4 ||
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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