Hymn to Soma
Rigveda IX.14 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 9 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 poet moveth round and forth, borne upon the swell of the river, bringing the deed that many long to see fulfilled.
When the hands, those fivefold kin, eager in their task, do ready the steadfast one with their song— Then did all the gods take joy in his rushing strength, when he, the stormful one, arrayed himself in kine as in raiment.
Brimming over, he burst forth, leaving the stalks of his flesh behind, and in this place did he clash with his yoke-fellow.
As a fair youth made comely by the daughters’ daughters of Vivasvant, so is he adorned, wrapping the kine about him like a cloak.
With longing for kine, he strayeth sideways along the fine-wrought fleece; he lifteth his voice, the cry he knoweth as his own.
The fingers have drawn nigh and tended him, the lord of draught, bright with cheer; they have laid hold upon the loins of the prize-gaining steed.
Ever clasping all blessings of Heaven and Earth, O Soma, come seeking us, and set forth on thy way.
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 IX.14
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.
pari prāsiṣyadat kaviḥ sindhor ūrmāv adhi śritaḥ |
kāram bibhrat puruspṛham || 1 ||
girā yadī sabandhavaḥ pañca vrātā apasyavaḥ |
pariṣkṛṇvanti dharṇasim || 2 ||
ād asya śuṣmiṇo rase viśve devā amatsata |
yadī gobhir vasāyate || 3 ||
niriṇāno vi dhāvati jahac charyāṇi tānvā |
atrā saṁ jighnate yujā || 4 ||
naptībhir yo vivasvataḥ śubhro na māmṛje yuvā |
gāḥ kṛṇvāno na nirṇijam || 5 ||
ati śritī tiraścatā gavyā jigāty aṇvyā |
vagnum iyarti yaṁ vide || 6 ||
abhi kṣipaḥ sam agmata marjayantīr iṣas patim |
pṛṣṭhā gṛbhṇata vājinaḥ || 7 ||
pari divyāni marmṛśad viśvāni soma pārthivā |
vasūni yāhy asmayuḥ || 8 ||
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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