Hymn to Soma
Rigveda IX.81 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 adorned waves of self-cleansing Soma fare forth unto the belly of Indra, when, drawn with the curds and the shining yield of kine, the pressings have gladdened the giver’s heart, the hero made for bounty.
For Soma hath run to the vats; like a chariot-drawing steed, the bull hasteneth swift, and knowing well the twain birth of gods and men, he reacheth to the far and the near.
O Soma, in thy purging, cast gifts abroad for us; O drop, become a giver rich in treasure.
Giver of might, do well for the goodly one with thy kindly heed— let not thy wealth be poured afar from us.
Let Pūṣan, who self-purgeth, with Mitra and Varuṇa draw nigh in fellowship, bearing fair gifts; and Br̥haspati, the Maruts, Vāyu, the Aśvins, Tvaṣṭar, Savitar, and Sarasvatī, the gently-guiding one.
Heaven and Earth, who stir all things, god Aryaman, Aditi the Womb, the Measurer, Bhaga, the Praise of Men, and the broad Midspace— yea, all the gods—rejoice in the one who cleanseth himself.
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.81
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 somasya pavamānasyormaya indrasya yanti jaṭharaṁ supeśasaḥ |
dadhnā yad īm unnītā yaśasā gavāṁ dānāya śūram udamandiṣuḥ sutāḥ || 1 ||
acchā hi somaḥ kalaśām̐ asiṣyadad atyo na voḻhā raghuvartanir vṛṣā |
athā devānām ubhayasya janmano vidvām̐ aśnoty amuta itaś ca yat || 2 ||
ā naḥ soma pavamānaḥ kirā vasv indo bhava maghavā rādhaso mahaḥ |
śikṣā vayodho vasave su cetunā mā no gayam āre asmat parā sicaḥ || 3 ||
ā naḥ pūṣā pavamānaḥ surātayo mitro gacchantu varuṇaḥ sajoṣasaḥ |
bṛhaspatir maruto vāyur aśvinā tvaṣṭā savitā suyamā sarasvatī || 4 ||
ubhe dyāvāpṛthivī viśvaminve aryamā devo aditir vidhātā |
bhago nṛśaṁsa urv a1ntarikṣaṁ viśve devāḥ pavamānaṁ juṣanta || 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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