Hymn to Soma
Rigveda VIII.5 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 8 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.
Come hither, ye Nāsatyas, ye divine horsemen, chieftains of the sky, bearers of wealth and healing.
Ye who, in the swift waters, drew up Bhujyu from the drowning deep, as a father draweth forth his son from the surging wave.
Ye gave the blind Kākṣīvant his sight restored; ye made the aged Cyavāna young again, and set a bride beside the unwedded man.
With honey and with balm ye heal the mortal's wound; ye bring forth marvels that amaze even the gods. Ye are physicians unto all the world.
In the morning hour ye fare through heaven and earth, your chariot swift as thought, drawn by horses white as foam.
Ye know no slumber, ye know no weariness, though age upon age passeth away and the very mountains crumble into dust.
The warrior calls unto you in the hour of battle; the ploughman calls unto you at the sacred pressing. All creatures turn their faces toward the Nāsatyas.
Ye loosed the waters when they were bound; ye burst the cloud that held them pent; ye brought forth light where darkness dwelt, making the dawn to shine.
Hither, O mighty ones, to this altar! The singers lift their voices; the sacrifice burneth bright; the Soma floweth forth, pressed sweet and foaming for your draught.
Let your chariot turn toward us; let your eyes behold the smoke ascending. Come ye to this rite, O Aśvins, and drink of the oblation we have made.
In ages past, when the earth and heaven were first born, ye heard the cry of the afflicted and came swiftly to their aid.
So now, in this hour, hear ye our prayer! Come swift as wind, come swift as the hawk in flight. Answer the hymn that the faithful singer raiseth up unto you.
Ye bring the dawn that drippeth with honey; ye bring the dew that falleth upon the thirsty ground. Your chariot ever moveth through the three worlds—the realm of earth below, the realm of heaven above, and the bright air between.
Ye are the first to see the sun when he riseth from his bed; ye are the last to mark his setting in the western deep.
Your hands are swift to heal, your hearts are quick to pity. Ye dwell forever in the glory that knoweth no end; yet ye turnest toward the mortal in his hour of need.
The rich man calleth on you that his wealth may multiply; the poor man calleth on you for deliverance from hunger; the sick man calleth on you in his fever and his pain.
Ye answer all, ye refuse none, ye turnest not away from the humblest prayer that riseth from a faithful heart.
Come then, ye twin-horded, ye golden-armoured, ye swift beyond telling! Drink ye the Soma and take your portion of the glory; and bestow upon us blessing that shall endure—horses strong of limb, kine fertile and abundant, riches beyond measure.
Grant us thy favour, O Aśvins; grant us thy protection. Let no harm come nigh unto us; let no sickness strike us down; let no enemy prevail against us.
As the sun guardeth all the world with his bright rays, so do ye guard the faithful. As the earth beareth all creatures upon her breast, so do ye sustain those who honour you with hymn and prayer.
The sacred day breaketh; the fires are kindled; the oblation burneth. All things are ready for thy coming, O Nāsatyas. Come now, come swift, come swift!
For such is thy nature—ever to aid, ever to heal, ever to bring forth marvels. Ye shall come, for ye have never failed those who called upon you truly.
Thus doth the singer praise the Nāsatyas, the divine twin-horsemen, the physicians of the gods and men. Let their names be honoured! Let their deeds be remembered! Let their glory fill the hearts of all who hear their praise.
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 VIII.5
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.
dūrād iheva yat saty aruṇapsur aśiśvitat |
vi bhānuṁ viśvadhātanat || 1 ||
nṛvad dasrā manoyujā rathena pṛthupājasā |
sacethe aśvinoṣasam || 2 ||
yuvābhyāṁ vājinīvasū prati stomā adṛkṣata |
vācaṁ dūto yathohiṣe || 3 ||
purupriyā ṇa ūtaye purumandrā purūvasū |
stuṣe kaṇvāso aśvinā || 4 ||
maṁhiṣṭhā vājasātameṣayantā śubhas patī |
gantārā dāśuṣo gṛham || 5 ||
tā sudevāya dāśuṣe sumedhām avitāriṇīm |
ghṛtair gavyūtim ukṣatam || 6 ||
ā naḥ stomam upa dravat tūyaṁ śyenebhir āśubhiḥ |
yātam aśvebhir aśvinā || 7 ||
yebhis tisraḥ parāvato divo viśvāni rocanā |
trīm̐r aktūn paridīyathaḥ || 8 ||
uta no gomatīr iṣa uta sātīr aharvidā |
vi pathaḥ sātaye sitam || 9 ||
ā no gomantam aśvinā suvīraṁ surathaṁ rayim |
voḻham aśvāvatīr iṣaḥ || 10 ||
vāvṛdhānā śubhas patī dasrā hiraṇyavartanī |
pibataṁ somyam madhu || 11 ||
asmabhyaṁ vājinīvasū maghavadbhyaś ca saprathaḥ |
chardir yantam adābhyam || 12 ||
ni ṣu brahma janānāṁ yāviṣṭaṁ tūyam ā gatam |
mo ṣv a1nyām̐ upāratam || 13 ||
asya pibatam aśvinā yuvam madasya cāruṇaḥ |
madhvo rātasya dhiṣṇyā || 14 ||
asme ā vahataṁ rayiṁ śatavantaṁ sahasriṇam |
purukṣuṁ viśvadhāyasam || 15 ||
purutrā cid dhi vāṁ narā vihvayante manīṣiṇaḥ |
vāghadbhir aśvinā gatam || 16 ||
janāso vṛktabarhiṣo haviṣmanto araṁkṛtaḥ |
yuvāṁ havante aśvinā || 17 ||
asmākam adya vām ayaṁ stomo vāhiṣṭho antamaḥ |
yuvābhyām bhūtv aśvinā || 18 ||
yo ha vām madhuno dṛtir āhito rathacarṣaṇe |
tataḥ pibatam aśvinā || 19 ||
tena no vājinīvasū paśve tokāya śaṁ gave |
vahatam pīvarīr iṣaḥ || 20 ||
uta no divyā iṣa uta sindhūm̐r aharvidā |
apa dvāreva varṣathaḥ || 21 ||
kadā vāṁ taugryo vidhat samudre jahito narā |
yad vāṁ ratho vibhiṣ patāt || 22 ||
yuvaṁ kaṇvāya nāsatyā ṛpiriptāya harmye |
śaśvad ūtīr daśasyathaḥ || 23 ||
tābhir ā yātam ūtibhir navyasībhiḥ suśastibhiḥ |
yad vāṁ vṛṣaṇvasū huve || 24 ||
yathā cit kaṇvam āvatam priyamedham upastutam |
atriṁ śiñjāram aśvinā || 25 ||
yathota kṛtvye dhane 'ṁśuṁ goṣv agastyam |
yathā vājeṣu sobharim || 26 ||
etāvad vāṁ vṛṣaṇvasū ato vā bhūyo aśvinā |
gṛṇantaḥ sumnam īmahe || 27 ||
rathaṁ hiraṇyavandhuraṁ hiraṇyābhīśum aśvinā |
ā hi sthātho divispṛśam || 28 ||
hiraṇyayī vāṁ rabhir īṣā akṣo hiraṇyayaḥ |
ubhā cakrā hiraṇyayā || 29 ||
tena no vājinīvasū parāvataś cid ā gatam |
upemāṁ suṣṭutim mama || 30 ||
ā vahethe parākāt pūrvīr aśnantāv aśvinā |
iṣo dāsīr amartyā || 31 ||
ā no dyumnair ā śravobhir ā rāyā yātam aśvinā |
puruścandrā nāsatyā || 32 ||
eha vām pruṣitapsavo vayo vahantu parṇinaḥ |
acchā svadhvaraṁ janam || 33 ||
rathaṁ vām anugāyasaṁ ya iṣā vartate saha |
na cakram abhi bādhate || 34 ||
hiraṇyayena rathena dravatpāṇibhir aśvaiḥ |
dhījavanā nāsatyā || 35 ||
yuvam mṛgaṁ jāgṛvāṁsaṁ svadatho vā vṛṣaṇvasū |
tā naḥ pṛṅktam iṣā rayim || 36 ||
tā me aśvinā sanīnāṁ vidyātaṁ navānām |
yathā cic caidyaḥ kaśuḥ śatam uṣṭrānāṁ dadat sahasrā daśa gonām || 37 ||
yo me hiraṇyasaṁdṛśo daśa rājño amaṁhata |
adhaspadā ic caidyasya kṛṣṭayaś carmamnā abhito janāḥ || 38 ||
mākir enā pathā gād yeneme yanti cedayaḥ |
anyo net sūrir ohate bhūridāvattaro janaḥ || 39 ||
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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