Hymn to Soma
Rigveda IX.68 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.
Forth toward the god have the honey’d drops streamed, even as milk-kine do; seated upon the holy grass, gifted with voice, with udders full, they’ve donned the ruddy swirl as raiment drawn from kine.
Ever bellowing, he calleth to those before him; his golden shoots let loose, the tawny one groweth sweet.
O’er the broad straining-cloth he wandereth, circling, and where he willeth, the god doth lay down his stems.
That soul-stirring draught, measured across the twinmaids Heaven and Earth, hath filled the deathless twain with undying milk, and both grew mighty at once.
Still seeking the great, boundless halves of the world, he came unto his full and final form.
Midway he roameth 'twixt the twain mothers, stirring the streams; by his own strength he swelleth his mark.
When held of men, the plant is decked in grain; and joining with his sister-kin—the ten—he wardeth his own crown.
With craft and thought is the poet born; the seed of truth was laid beyond the heavenly twins.
Those twain were the first to know of the two youths:
one birthed in hush, the other uplifted in light.
The seers of old beheld the shape of joy’s bright form, when the hawk from afar brought the stalk.
They cleansed him in rivers, the eager, well-grown plant, circling in rite, and worthy of song.
Ten maidens tend thee as thou art pressed, O Soma, whilst sages drive thee forth with thought and godly speech, through the sheep’s white fleece.
Held by men's hands, thou wilt unlock the treasure.
The sage-born songs, the holy tunes cry out to Soma, branch-crowned and bold, who in sweetness streameth down as a heavenly wave, awakening speech—the deathless one, who winneth wealth.
This is he who stirreth the tongue to sing in Heaven’s wide halls.
Soma, now made pure, abideth in the vats.
With waters and kine is he made fair, when the stones have pressed him.
Made pure again, the drop findeth the beloved wide space.
So cleanse thyself thus, O Soma, poured round in full, and fix for us strength of surpassing brightness.
We call upon Heaven and Earth, ever at peace.
O gods, grant us wealth full of heroes and bold.
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.68
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 devam acchā madhumanta indavo 'siṣyadanta gāva ā na dhenavaḥ |
barhiṣado vacanāvanta ūdhabhiḥ parisrutam usriyā nirṇijaṁ dhire || 1 ||
sa roruvad abhi pūrvā acikradad upāruhaḥ śrathayan svādate hariḥ |
tiraḥ pavitram pariyann uru jrayo ni śaryāṇi dadhate deva ā varam || 2 ||
vi yo mame yamyā saṁyatī madaḥ sākaṁvṛdhā payasā pinvad akṣitā |
mahī apāre rajasī vivevidad abhivrajann akṣitam pāja ā dade || 3 ||
sa mātarā vicaran vājayann apaḥ pra medhiraḥ svadhayā pinvate padam |
aṁśur yavena pipiśe yato nṛbhiḥ saṁ jāmibhir nasate rakṣate śiraḥ || 4 ||
saṁ dakṣeṇa manasā jāyate kavir ṛtasya garbho nihito yamā paraḥ |
yūnā ha santā prathamaṁ vi jajñatur guhā hitaṁ janima nemam udyatam || 5 ||
mandrasya rūpaṁ vividur manīṣiṇaḥ śyeno yad andho abharat parāvataḥ |
tam marjayanta suvṛdhaṁ nadīṣv ām̐ uśantam aṁśum pariyantam ṛgmiyam || 6 ||
tvām mṛjanti daśa yoṣaṇaḥ sutaṁ soma ṛṣibhir matibhir dhītibhir hitam |
avyo vārebhir uta devahūtibhir nṛbhir yato vājam ā darṣi sātaye || 7 ||
pariprayantaṁ vayyaṁ suṣaṁsadaṁ somam manīṣā abhy anūṣata stubhaḥ |
yo dhārayā madhumām̐ ūrmiṇā diva iyarti vācaṁ rayiṣāḻ amartyaḥ || 8 ||
ayaṁ diva iyarti viśvam ā rajaḥ somaḥ punānaḥ kalaśeṣu sīdati |
adbhir gobhir mṛjyate adribhiḥ sutaḥ punāna indur varivo vidat priyam || 9 ||
evā naḥ soma pariṣicyamāno vayo dadhac citratamam pavasva |
adveṣe dyāvāpṛthivī huvema devā dhatta rayim asme suvīram || 10 ||
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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