Hymn to Varuṇa
Rigveda VIII.79 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.
Sing the praise of the Sun, who journeyeth across the sky in his golden chariot. From the eastern horizon he riseth with splendor, and all creatures do awake at his coming. His rays illuminate the world and banish the darkness.
The Sun is the eye of Mitra and of Varuṇa, through which they survey all the deeds of mortals. No secret hideth from his all-seeing gaze; no falsehood escapeth his observation. He knoweth all things; he seeth all things.
Swift is his course across the heavens. From the moment of his rising until his setting, he halteth not. Like a great eagle soaring through the sky, he maintaineth his ancient path, day after day, without weariness.
His light is like unto gold poured forth; his brilliance is like unto flame. The rays that descend from him are like spears of light, piercing the clouds and reaching unto the farthest corners of the earth. Nothing escapeth his illumination.
O Sun, destroyer of darkness, we praise thee. Thou drivest away the shadow that hideth evil; thou revealest the truth of all things. By thy light do we see the way before us; by thy warmth do we live and grow strong.
When thou sinkest below the horizon, the world is plunged into darkness. The creatures of the night emerge; the stars come forth in multitude. But lo, thou returnest with the dawn, and once more the world is clothed in light.
The eye of the heavens, the lamp of the sky—unto thee we lift our voices in praise. Hear our hymn and be gladdened. We honor thy majesty and thy power; we acknowledge thy sovereignty over all that liveth.
All evil fleeth before thy light; all sickness is healed by thy warmth; all despair is vanquished by thy presence. Thou art the friend of the righteous, the enemy of the wicked. By thy judgment all things are revealed as they truly are.
O Sun, grant us thy blessings. Keep us in health; keep us in strength. Guide us in our journeys; protect us from harm. Let thy light shine upon our fields, that the harvest may be abundant and the people may be fed.
As thou dost complete thy circuit of the heavens, so too shall we complete our days in peace and contentment. At evening, when thou setteth, we shall rest without fear. At dawn, when thou riseth again, we shall rise with thee and rejoice.
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.79
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.
ayaṁ kṛtnur agṛbhīto viśvajid udbhid it somaḥ |
ṛṣir vipraḥ kāvyena || 1 ||
abhy ūrṇoti yan nagnam bhiṣakti viśvaṁ yat turam |
prem andhaḥ khyan niḥ śroṇo bhūt || 2 ||
tvaṁ soma tanūkṛdbhyo dveṣobhyo 'nyakṛtebhyaḥ |
uru yantāsi varūtham || 3 ||
tvaṁ cittī tava dakṣair diva ā pṛthivyā ṛjīṣin |
yāvīr aghasya cid dveṣaḥ || 4 ||
arthino yanti ced arthaṁ gacchān id daduṣo rātim |
vavṛjyus tṛṣyataḥ kāmam || 5 ||
vidad yat pūrvyaṁ naṣṭam ud īm ṛtāyum īrayat |
prem āyus tārīd atīrṇam || 6 ||
suśevo no mṛḻayākur adṛptakratur avātaḥ |
bhavā naḥ soma śaṁ hṛde || 7 ||
mā naḥ soma saṁ vīvijo mā vi bībhiṣathā rājan |
mā no hārdi tviṣā vadhīḥ || 8 ||
ava yat sve sadhasthe devānāṁ durmatīr īkṣe |
rājann apa dviṣaḥ sedha mīḍhvo apa sridhaḥ sedha || 9 ||
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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