Hymn to Soma
Rigveda IX.47 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.
Through this fair rite is Soma made mighty, yea, mightier than the mighty.
With joy enkindled, he doth rise and play the bull.
His works—both wrought and yet to come—stand plain to see, for he bringeth low the Dasyu, and the daring one claimeth the owed reward.
Then Soma, the draught prepared for Indra’s hand, becometh a mace of triumph, winning thousands, when a song is raised unto him.
A seer himself, a singer wise, he seeketh wealth for the soul-stirred bard from him whose hand dispenseth gifts, while ever he tendeth his far-seeing thoughts.
Yearning for gain—aye, as for steeds in the games— thou art among the victors in the foray.
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.47
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.
ayā somaḥ sukṛtyayā mahaś cid abhy avardhata |
mandāna ud vṛṣāyate || 1 ||
kṛtānīd asya kartvā cetante dasyutarhaṇā |
ṛṇā ca dhṛṣṇuś cayate || 2 ||
āt soma indriyo raso vajraḥ sahasrasā bhuvat |
ukthaṁ yad asya jāyate || 3 ||
svayaṁ kavir vidhartari viprāya ratnam icchati |
yadī marmṛjyate dhiyaḥ || 4 ||
siṣāsatū rayīṇāṁ vājeṣv arvatām iva |
bhareṣu jigyuṣām asi || 5 ||
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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