Hymn to Soma
Rigveda IX.32 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 soma-draughts, stirred to mirth, pressed at the holy rite, go forth in strength for the renown of our well-doer.
Then the maidens of Trita, even the fingers, urge him on— the tawny one—with stones, the drop poured out for Indra’s drink.
And as the lead goose stirreth the cry of her flock, so he hath roused the thought of all to bellowing.
Like a steed among kine is he anointed and yoked.
O Soma, thou lookest upon both realms;
like a mighty wild-fowl cast into flight, thou rushest on, and comest to rest upon the womb of truth.
The kine have lowed to him, as a maiden to her dear one; he draweth nigh to them as to a trial rightly set.
Grant unto us bright glory, O god, to our friends and to me—
wisdom and a name that shall not fade.
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.32
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.
pra somāso madacyutaḥ śravase no maghonaḥ |
sutā vidathe akramuḥ || 1 ||
ād īṁ tritasya yoṣaṇo hariṁ hinvanty adribhiḥ |
indum indrāya pītaye || 2 ||
ād īṁ haṁso yathā gaṇaṁ viśvasyāvīvaśan matim |
atyo na gobhir ajyate || 3 ||
ubhe somāvacākaśan mṛgo na takto arṣasi |
sīdann ṛtasya yonim ā || 4 ||
abhi gāvo anūṣata yoṣā jāram iva priyam |
agann ājiṁ yathā hitam || 5 ||
asme dhehi dyumad yaśo maghavadbhyaś ca mahyaṁ ca |
sanim medhām uta śravaḥ || 6 ||
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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